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Section | Alternative Dispute Resolution

ADR and Litigation Sections (in person)

Non-Traditional Approaches to Mediation

SPEAKERS
Claudia M. Viera | Viera Mediation & Law
Marissa Wertheimer | Mediator/Trainer

The MCBA ADR and Litigation Sections announces their (in person) September presentation, Non-Traditional Approaches to Mediation, to be held on Thursday, September 19th. The presentation will be held in the assembly room at the Marin County Sheriff's Office, 1600 Los Gamos Dr. (Main Lobby A, Suite 200) , in Marinwood, San Rafael.

When done well, mediation is a flexible process wherein the modalities used and the approach taken vary depending on the needs of the parties and their particular dispute. Learn about some non-traditional approaches to mediation and conflict resolution that have been successful in both traditional mediation settings (to resolve litigation) and less traditional settings (to resolve interpersonal or workplace conflicts.) Among other topics, the presenters will cover restorative justice and other practices that have resolved conflicts when more traditional approaches to mediation would have been inadequate.

Come meet with your colleagues and learn new skills which will enhance and energize your practice if you are a mediator, or will allow you to work more successfully with your client and the mediator, if you are a litigator. Join these charismatic presenters as they share their approaches on this important topic and invite you to share your unique experiences as well.

Schedule:
11:45 AM Registration and Networking
12:00 PM Presentation
1:00 PM Adjournment and Networking

PLEASE BRING A BAG LUNCH. MCBA will provide drinks.

We look forward to having you join us for this joint Sections presentation!

Larry Strick and Diana Maier
Co-Chairs, MCBA ADR Section

Frank Liuzzi and Mark Zanobini
Co-Chairs, MCBA Litigation Section

MCBA IS AN APPROVED PROVIDER AND CERTIFIES THAT THIS ACTIVITY HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR MINIMUM CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION CREDIT BY THE STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA IN THE AMOUNT OF 1 HOUR TOWARDS GENERAL CLE.

MCLE Notice: To receive MCLE credit, you must check in at the registration desk; if virtual: connect by digital device; i.e., tablet or computer. Call in by telephone only will not qualify. This activity is approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of California. MCBA is a certified provider: Provider #411

Accessibility: People with disabilities and/or special requests should contact MCBA regarding reasonable accommodations.

1.0 CLE | General

Brown Bag Lunch
Contact

Denise Belli | Email
Julie Cervetto | Email

09/19/2024 12:00 PM 09/19/2024 1:00 PM America/Los_Angeles ADR and Litigation Sections (in person) Non-Traditional Approaches to Mediation Marin County Sheriff's Office Assembly Room, 1600 Los Gamos Dr. (Main Lobby A), Suite 200, San Rafael, CA, 94903 Marin County Bar Association info@marinbar.org false MM/DD/YYYY

Registration

Registration for this event has ended

Date and Location

Thursday | September 19, 2024
12:00-1:00P

Marin County Sheriff's Office Assembly Room
1600 Los Gamos Dr. (Main Lobby A), Suite 200
San Rafael, CA 94903

Speaker Information

Claudia M. Viera

Viera Mediation & Law

MEDIATION EXPERTISE
Claudia Viera is a highly experienced and tenacious attorney-mediator who primarily focuses on employment, contract and business disputes. Ms. Viera draws on her years of legal experience as an employment attorney with Littler Mendelson, the largest employment and labor law firm in the nation, to promote effective communication and increased understanding between parties in conflict.
Since 2001, Ms. Viera has mediated nearly a thousand tough legal disputes. Her most recent work includes race harassment and discrimination, wage and hour class actions, disability discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, business dissolutions of partnerships, age discrimination and landlord-tenant disputes. Ms. Viera mediates in Spanish and has extensive experience with pre-litigation disputes in workplaces and among co-owners or business partners.
Ms. Viera works actively with both parties to help them achieve a better resolution than either would achieve in court. Ms. Viera believes that exploration below the surface of the dispute is often necessary to reach resolutions that have lasting value to her clients. To this end, she focuses on eliciting and clarifying each side’s positions and then works closely to identify the interests and underlying concerns of each party. She simultaneously encourages true cost benefit analysis of litigation alternatives as she works to orient clients toward settlement.

LEGAL EXPERIENCE
Ms. Viera previously practiced employment law at Littler Mendelson, where she dealt with labor and employment issues, including disputes arising under Title VII, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, wage and hour laws, employment contracts and a variety of California state statutes. Ms. Viera worked with a variety of Fortune 500 companies in both state and federal court and later represented plaintiffs. Ms. Viera currently conducts investigations into complaints of workplace harassment and other claims, in addition to training supervisors on their management responsibilities under the law. Ms. Viera teaches a Mediation course at UC Berkeley Extension. She taught Conflict Resolution at SF State University for 10 years, and Employment Law at Saint Mary’s College of California.

PANEL MEMBERSHIPS
U.S. District Court, N. D. Cal. ADR Panel
California Court of Appeal, 3rd Appellate Distr. Mediation Panel
San Francisco Bar Association Mediation Services Panel
Alameda County Court Mediation Panel
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Panel
Yolo County Court ADR Mediation Panel

Website

Marissa Wertheimer

Mediator/Trainer

Marissa Wertheimer is an attorney mediator, facilitator and restorative justice expert. Marissa has been practicing understanding-based mediation for 12 years in a variety of settings. Her experience includes mediating over 400 cases at Marin Mediation Services involving a spectrum of issues, including family, landlord-tenant, workplace harassment, construction and neighbor disputes. Most recently she has been mediating employee disputes for several Bay Area non-profit agencies. In addition she has been coordinating Restorative Justice for Marin County Probation since 2004.

Ms. Wertheimer provides a process that identifies the issues and conflicts interfering with parties’ ability to communicate and be understood. She then helps them define objectives and to work through the obstacles to create and implement an action plan that is doable, measurable and ultimately sustainable.

Years of experience working with families and communities challenged by ongoing disputes supports Ms. Wertheimer’s position as a conflict professional and facilitator who can serve parties entrenched in a conflict dynamic. Ms. Wertheimer believes it is ultimately the parties’ ability, insight and expertise that leads to a satisfying resolution.

Ms. Wertheimer is a facilitator/coach with the Center for Understanding in Conflict and a licensed trainer for the International Institute of Restorative Practices. She has guest-lectured in Mediation and Negotiation classes at Stanford, Hastings and Boalt Law School, provided training for The San Francisco Mediation Society, Association of Conflict Resolution Northern California (former board member), schools and communities in Marin County as well as given talks to Marin Council of Mayors, Marin Rotary Club and other community organizations. Ms. Wertheimer has authored articles on Restorative Justice for the Marin Bar Association Newsletter and serves as Chair of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission for Marin County.

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