Educational Background

Attorney, full-time mediator and arbitrator with a B.B.A. degree from the University of Texas, a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, and an M.B.A. (Accounting) from Southern Methodist University. Completed the Dallas Bar Association Mediator Training Program, the Attorney-Mediators Institute Advanced Mediator Training, CDR Associates Advanced Mediator Training, State Bar of Texas Advanced Mediation Training, the Attorney-Mediators Institute Family Law Mediator Training, the Harvard Law School Negotiations and Advanced Negotiatons Workshop, the Key Bridge Foundation Americans with Disabilities Act Mediation Workshop, the EEOC Mediation Training, the American Arbitration Association Arbitrator Training and Advanced Arbitration Training, the National Association of Securities Dealers Arbitration Training and Advanced Arbitration Training, and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators International Arbitration Training.

Experience

(a) Legal. Senior attorney with the United States Treasury Department; Vice President-Tax Counsel of TCO Industries (formerly the parent company of Trailways, Delta Steamship Lines and other domestic and foreign corporations); and in the private practice of law. Areas of experience and practice include all types of business, financial and commercial transactions (both domestic and international); real estate; insurance; probates and estates; federal income and estate taxes; estate planning; labor relations; governmental agencies; and family businesses (including relationships between family members and the succession of the family business).

(b) Mediation/Arbitration. Mediated more than 3,000 cases, resulting in a very high settlement rate, and has arbitrated numerous other cases. These cases have included complicated business transactions, involving city, county, state and federal governments; discrimination based on age, gender and race; sexual harassment and abuse; personal injuries; massive torts and other class actions; issues regarding corporate acquisitions and dissolutions; shareholder's rights and liability; retirement plans; construction disputes; intellectual property disputes, including trademark and patent infringements; oil and gas transactions; international transactions; disputes between franchisers and franchisees; banks, the FDIC; real estate transactions; employer-employee relations; family disputes, including child custody, support and property issues; violations of civil rights; medical, legal and other professional malpractice; probates and estates; federal and state taxes; and other issues.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Activities

Past President of the Association of Attorney-Mediators; Adjunct Professor, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law; member of the faculty of the Attorney-Mediators Institute, the Dallas Bar Association's 1992 Mediator Training, and the Dallas County Family Courts 1993 Co-Mediation Training; member of the Panel of Arbitrators and Panel of Mediators of the American Arbitration Association, the National Association of Security Dealers, and the Duke University Private Adjudication Center; Chairman of special State Bar of Texas committee to prepare a plan and pilot program for mediating grievances against Texas attorneys; member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas (ADR Section and past member of the governing Council of the ADR Section), the Dallas Bar Association (ADR Section, and past Chairman of Ethics Subcommittee), former member of the Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Committee to the Federal District Courts for the Northern District of Texas, the Supreme Court of Texas Advisory Committee on Court-Annexed Mediations, the State Bar of Texas Task Force on Mediator Quality and Credentialing and a member of the Association of Attorney-Mediators, the Texas Association of Mediators, and the International Academy of Mediators. Recipient of the American Arbitration Association's Steve Brutsche Award for professional excellence in dispute resolution. Named by Texas Monthly as one of the Texas Super Lawyers in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.