CHICAGO BAR MEDIATION SERVICE - Key Persons
Alan S. Wernick is an experienced business transactions attorney, advocate and arbitrator/mediator handling legal matters for businesses in the areas of information technology, privacy/cybersecurity and intellectual property law.
For more than 35 years, Alan has worked as an arbitrator/mediator in ADR in both private settings and for the U.S. federal courts. He has arbitrated and mediated cases involving business-critical computer user and vendor disputes, technology disputes (including e-commerce and outsourcing), website development disputes, licensing disputes, software ownership and intellectual property disputes. He is a member of several neutrals panels for the American Arbitration Association, including Commercial, Technology, Intellectual Property (Licensing), Cyber Security and Large Complex Cases.
Alan is a trusted leader and advisor, having worked in large law firms, as in-house counsel and as counsel to and advocate for middle market, Fortune 500, Fortune 100 and startup clients. He is recognized by peers and clients for his extensive track record advising organizations acquiring, using and selling/licensing technologies and related services, including the drafting and negotiation of a variety of technology and commercial agreements; data privacy/cybersecurity compliance and remediation, including responding to data breaches; IP protection; mergers and acquisitions due diligence; compliance processes, procedures and policies; and dispute resolution, including breach of contract claims and IP infringement claims.
Since 1982 Alan has been in private practice building upon his extensive, multidisciplinary background in law, business, accounting, auditing, computer science, the information technology industry and Alternative Dispute Resolution ("ADR") as an analytical foundation for his understanding of the technology and business drivers underlying business agreements, complex transactions and disputes in these areas of the law. He uses this experience to help clients meet their business objectives and manage their legal strategies and risks. He is a seasoned legal counselor and advocate, arbitrator/mediator, author and lecturer, and a bridge builder among the business, technology and intellectual property communities.
Alan also handles litigation matters and represents businesses that have suffered a data breach. He is an advocate in the federal, state and appellate courts for client disputes concerning information technology and intellectual property, and also an advocate in dispute resolution through arbitration and mediation.
Mr. Caffarelli has been practicing labor and employment law exclusively for over 25 years, is the former President of the Illinois chapter of the National Employment Lawyers' Association, and currently serves as a Neutral on the National Roster of Arbitrators for the American Arbitration Association. Having represented both employees and management throughout the course of his legal career, Mr. Caffarelli is uniquely suited to resolving employment law disputes - and at the parties' request is able to mediate matters on an evaluative as well as a facilitative basis. He has litigated and settled hundreds of employment cases throughout his career as an advocate; and his extensive arbitral, trial and appellate experience provides him with the insight to engage the parties with the critical self-examination needed to properly evaluate and resolve their dispute. A native Spanish speaker, Mr. Caffarelli has been AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell since 2008, has been named as an Illinois Super Lawyer since 2011 including a Super Lawyer "top 100" Illinois Lawyer in 2022, as is designated a "Leading Lawyer" in employment law by Law Bulletin Media. Mr. Caffarelli will travel for your mediation and also handle mediations remotely via Zoom if an in-person session is not feasible. Please contact Mr. Caffarelli directly to discuss how he can help settle your case - references available upon request.
Alon Stein concentrates his practice in commercial and civil litigation. Alon has litigated matters all the way to the Supreme Courts of Wisconsin and Indiana, as well as the Appellate courts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Arizona. Mr. Stein represents businesses and healthcare entities. He has been arbitrating matters in the Circuit Court of Cook County's Mandatory Arbitration Program since 2013, and has arbitrated matters in the Commercial Calendar Arbitration Program since 2015. Mr. Stein has been brought into pending litigation to facilitate settlements dozens of times and has been successful doing so. Alon has been representing businesses, physicians, dentists, nursing homes and medical practices over his entire career on matters involving issues ranging from restrictive covenants to complex commercial matters. Mr. Stein graduated from The University of Wisconsin School of Law, where he was a Managing Editor of The Wisconsin Law Review. He is licensed to practice in Illinois, Wisconsin and Arizona. Prior to founding Stein Law Offices, Alon was an attorney at the healthcare law firm Kamensky Rubinstein Hochman & Delott for over a decade. Alon Stein is a fluent Hebrew speaker.
Angel M. Traub is a family and estates attorney and principal owner of the all-female law firm of A. Traub & Associates, founded in 2001, with offices located in Lombard, Arlington Heights and Wheaton. She is a certified financial mediator for Cook County and a certified custody mediator. She mediates in the areas of family law, child custody, estates and guardianship and real estate. She is a member of AFCC (Association of Family and Conciliation Courts), CDI (Collaborative Divorce Illinois), ACR (Association for Conflict Resolution), MCI (Mediation Council of Illinois), and IACP (International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.
Job Titles:
- General Counsel to Midway Moving & Storage, Inc
Ashley Rafael has been General Counsel to Midway Moving & Storage, Inc. since 1995, where she practices commercial litigation as well as negotiates contracts with corporate clients and government agencies such as City of Chicago, Chicago Housing Authority, Board of Elections and Chicago Public Schools. Prior to joining Midway, she was an associate at two plaintiff personal injury law firms. To date, she has tried 25 jury trials to verdict as well as numerous bench trials. She is an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, serving on its Commercial,UM/UI and Consumer Panels. She is an adjunct Professor of Law at University of Illinois at Chicago Law School teaching Arbitration Advocacy and coaches students for arbitration/trial teams for national competition.She is a chair arbitrator for Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Program and the Commercial Calendar Mandatory Arbitration Program for the Law Division. She supports many Chicago community organizations, performs pro bono work, and developed a program that provides employment opportunities for veterans and nonviolent ex-offenders. She is on the CBA Board of Managers and chairperson for the ADR committee. She has published articles for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Women's Bar Association.
Ashly Boesche is a partner at Pattishall, McAuliffe with over 15 years of experience in trademark, trade dress, copyright, and false advertising disputes. She has litigated countless matters in federal courts across the country and before the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. She is a skilled negotiator who has represented clients in negotiations and mediation. She has also assisted mediators in finding resolution to complex intellectual property issues. She enjoys working with clients and parties to find creative solutions using her expertise in the field. Ashly Boesche graduated from the Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she continues to teach and coach students on trademark law.
Brian Gold began his mediation practice after 35 years of private practice, with the last 27 years as a partner with Sidley Austin LLP. He recently resumed practicing law as a Senior Counsel at Croke Fairchild. At Sidley, Mr. Gold served as the global head of its leading employment practice for nearly 20 years until his retirement in 2018. He was recognized for many years by all of the leading publications as one of the nation's preeminent employment lawyers. While Mr. Gold had great success as trial counsel, he was particularly proud of his many successes in early, efficient and effective resolution of litigation matters. Mr. Gold is effectively using those experiences in his mediation appointments. Mr. Gold's services are focused on employment disputes but he also will accept appointments for other general litigation matters.
Since her admission to the Illinois Bar in 2004, Ms. Papavasiliou has participated in the mediation of dozens of cases, and has accrued hundreds of hours of trial experience. She draws on her litigation experience in order to facilitate settlement, by accurately advising her clients on their rights and liabilities. That experience does not limit her, however, to an evaluative style of mediation. As an excellent listener, she is easily able to transition into a narrative or transformative mediation style when she senses that it would facilitate settlement. For the past eight years, Ms. Papavasiliou has served Cook County and Lake County as an Arbitrator Chair, hearing personal injury and tort cases. She is also an American Arbitration Association (AAA) arbitrator in both personal injury and employment cases. She is a member of the Trial Bar for the Northern District of Illinois. She also volunteers for the Lawyers Assistance Program.
Ms. Moylan participated in the Mediation/Arbitration Clinic in law school and found the process very rewarding. Ms. Moylan partook of a 40 hour training at the Chicago Conflict Resolution Center. Upon completion of the training, Ms. Moylan served as a court mediator in the Cook County Courts, working primarily with housing court, small claims, contract and employment disputes. Non-court mediation has included mediation on contracts, neighbor, condo and community mediation, divorce and post-divorce issues, probate and animal disputes. Ms. Moylan uses the role of the neutral mediator to provide a framework for the parties to clarify their needs and goals while permitting them more agency over the process and the outcome. Ms. Moylan is a solo attorney whose practice areas are primarily Estate Planning, Probate, real property litigation and Animal law.
Mr. Bramwell is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin School of Law in Madison, Wisconsin, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. He represents individuals and businesses in general commercial litigation matters, including employment litigation, breach of contract litigation, and business torts. Prior to starting his own practice, Mr. Bramwell was an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP and at Sidley Austin, LLP. And prior to starting private practice, Mr. Bramwell was a law clerk to the Honorable Jennifer B. Coffman, United States District Court Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky.
I joined Hansen Reynolds LLC in 2020 after a 23-year career as a Milwaukee County Circuit Judge, in which I presided over 400 jury trials in both civil and criminal cases. Prior to serving as a Circuit Judge, I was elected Municipal Judge in the City of Glendale and was in private practice, handling a variety of civil and criminal litigation matters. My extensive background as a judge and experience in private practice gives me the unique ability to see the parties' needs and interests from a neutral position in a wide variety of legal areas. I have served on the faculty for the Wisconsin Office of Judicial Education for over 25 years and have taught judges in the areas of evidence, alternative dispute resolution, and a variety of civil litigation matters. I have a passion for finding alternative ways to resolve disputes in a quick and cost effective manner.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of Levin Ginsburg
Howard L. Teplinsky is Chairman of Levin Ginsburg's litigation practice. Howard has been a trial lawyer for over 30 years and represents and counsels Fortune 500 companies as well as small businesses and individuals in a variety of commercial disputes. Howard represents a range of commercial clients including real estate developers, national franchisors, lenders, employers, contractors, insurance companies, landlords, shareholders, officers and directors, bankruptcy creditors, condominium associations and equipment leasing companies in disputes arising in state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate court levels. Howard also regularly represents clients in matters before the American Arbitration Association. In 2016, Howard was appointed by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission as Chairman of an Inquiry Board panel. Howard is a trained mediator, having completed the DePaul University College of Law Center for Dispute Resolution course in mediation
Ian Hoffenberg has over 18 years of experience as an attorney. His experience includes experience with complex litigation matters, employment litigation, business and corporate litigation,commercial litigation, insurance matters, and real estate related litigation, including mechanics liens, contractor disputes, construction defects, housing court matters, and evictions. Mr. Hoffenberg also has extensive experience with all types of commercial and real estate transactional matters. Prior to starting the Law Offices of Ian B. Hoffenberg LLC, he worked as inside counsel for one of the largest law firms in the world, as well as a judicial clerk in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, where he partook in pre-trial settlement conferences and wrote opinions, as well as subsequently working in private practice as an advocate attorney on all aspects of complex litigation matters. He is also a graduate of the University of Michigan.
I've spent a very challenging and rewarding fifty years practicing law. In that time, I've tried and participated in thousands of cases in various areas of law both in court houses and in administrative agencies. As I was taught in school, the law is ever changing, and so too, is the practice of law. Today, those words of preparation manifest themselves in the development of mediation as an alternative to litigation. I have now adapted to that trend by retiring from the active practice of law, and applying my many years of experience to being a mediator. I'm now available to be a peacemaker for those who look to mediation as a more practical way of resolving conflict than pursuing seemingly endless litigation.
Ms. Freeman has practiced law for over 34 years. She retired from the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in 2017 after a distinguished 30-year career as a prosecutor in which she participated in hundreds of felony bench and jury trials and negotiated countless plea agreements. She currently serves as a Hearing Officer for the Chicago Police Board where she presides over alleged police misconduct cases. She also works as an independent consultant and expert witness, assessing claims alleging prosecutorial misconduct. Ms. Freeman has limited experience in civil mediation practice areas but sees this as an advantage - she has no preconceived notions pertaining to the plaintiffs' or defendants' sides and can truly take a fresh look at the parties' interests. Ms. Freeman is often praised for her legal knowledge and for her patience, empathy, and kind yet firm demeanor - qualities that will help her guide parties toward mutually acceptable resolutions short of arbitration or trial.
For 30 years, Ms. Stein was a trial attorney handling high-stakes complex commercial litigation matters, most recently as an equity partner at the international law firm McGuireWoods LLP. Ms. Stein has been honored by Best Lawyers in America in her representation of clients of all types, from smaller privately held companies to large multinational, publicly traded ones. Ms. Stein's work was a combination of commercial litigation and outside general counsel work that involved multiple industries. As a litigant, Ms. Stein experienced the benefit of alternative dispute resolution first hand through arbitration, mediation and private settlements. She is a firm believer that executives need to focus on their businesses rather than disputes and, in fact, felt so strongly that she left BigLaw and created a new business model in STEIN Strategic Solutions. STEIN is a legal consulting firm for management and boards that encourages proactive business solutions to avoid litigation and the financial costs, reputational risk, and time expenditures that accompany it. Ms. Stein currently serves as General Counsel for a national food manufacturer and, as a business owner herself, her background allows her to offer an objective analysis of the key strengths and weaknesses of a party's position, but also to work with the parties creatively towards reaching a mutually satisfactory business solution for all.
Matt Lane is a full-time mediator who has earned a reputation for helping parties to settle even the most complex and difficult cases. Mr. Lane ensures that all parties are genuinely heard and understood during the mediation session, while simultaneously developing opportunities for the parties to effectively evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their case. His approach fosters an ability for parties to make informed decisions about the case while increasing the potential for settlement. Mr. Lane's mediation practice is informed by his multi-state litigation experience, both as an Assistant United States Attorney and private practice litigator. He is a dynamic mediator who remains committed to exploring each avenue of resolution with honesty and integrity, while maintaining confidentiality and respect for the views of counsel and their clients. Mr. Lane obtained his mediation training from the prestigious Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, and the University of Missouri School of Law Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution. As a practicing lawyer, he was fortunate to work with, and learn from, many of the country's most well-known and successful mediators. Mr. Lane is equally comfortable mediating online, in-person, or in any combination that makes sense for the parties. More information is available at www.LaneMediationServices.com
Michael A. Zuckerman, Esq. is an experienced lawyer, mediator and arbitrator who has handled hundreds of matters. A four-time federal law clerk, Mr. Zuckerman is also a former law professor and lawyer at a global law firm, who now focuses on alternative dispute resolution. Trained by the best, and with a wealth of experience, Mr. Zuckerman loves what he does-helping people and companies resolve disputes. He brings passion, skill and a personal touch to all of his engagements. After graduating with honors from Cornell Law School, Mr. Zuckerman began his legal career as a judicial law clerk for judges in the Eastern District of New York, on the Sixth Circuit and in the Northern District of Illinois. Mr. Zuckerman later in his career clerked for a judge on the Seventh Circuit. Beyond his clerkships, Mr. Zuckerman was a lawyer at Jones Day in the elite Issues & Appeals practice group, where he focused on complex trial and appellate matters. He has broad experience in nearly every area of civil practice, including complex commercial litigation, class actions, contracts, insurance and subrogation, consumer credit and debt, property, personal injury, employment and smaller claims. One federal judge in a written order once lauded Mr. Zuckerman for making "one proud to be a lawyer," based on Mr. Zuckerman's conduct in a mediation proceeding. Mr. Zuckerman is a former full-time law professor at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, where he taught communication and legal reasoning to first-year law students. Mr. Zuckerman publishes and speaks frequently on myriad topics, such as legal practice, professional ethics and conflict resolution. Mr. Zuckerman, a member of many professional organizations, is a certified mediator and arbitrator in numerous federal and state courts. He has a wealth of mediation and arbitration experience and is committed to fairness, impartiality and professionalism.
I began practicing in 1973 with Winston & Strawn as an associate and then partner. In 1981, I became a founding partner of Butler Rubin Saltarelli & Boyd LLP. I have had jury and bench trials in breach of contract and fraud actions, business torts, trade secret and restrictive covenants, insurance coverage disputes, antitrust, products liability, professional liability, dealer/franchise litigation, and real estate disputes. I became a full-time neutral on January 1, 2018. I have served as a mediator for over ten years. My experience includes cases dealing with commercial liability and title insurance, insurance brokers, healthcare, long term supply agreements, asset purchase and merger agreements, executive employment contracts, tax shelters, accountants' liability, distribution and franchise agreements, product performance issues, and antitrust claims.
I am a practicing commercial litigator, arbitrator and mediator. Most of my litigation work is in the field of commercial litigation, real estate litigation, ownership disputes, business divorces, contract disputes, insurance coverage, and employment disputes. I also have experience in intellectual property, particularly in royalty and licensing disputes concerning medical devices and computer software, and attorney malpractice. I have handled more than 220 arbitrations for the American Arbitration Association and other arbitral organizations and typiclly am listed on the Large Complex Case and Employment Panels. I also have conducted 12 to 15 mediations, both small and large. I study the materials and carefully prepare for mediation, help each side analyze their position and its potential strengths and weaknesses and, when appropriate, make suggestions. I employ both evaluative and facilitative mediation methods.
I have been practicing family law in Illinois for my entire legal career, and I am extremely passionate in assisting families achieve the best outcomes that are tailored to their specific needs. I am very experienced in child-related matters, as I am also a Cook County Child Representative, Guardian ad Litem, and Parenting Coordinator. It is my dedicated goal to ensure I can help families find the best solutions as the amicably enter their next chapter.
Heidi Massa's practice involves high-stakes business disputes in many substantive areas, including contract and commercial matters; business divorce; and design and construction. She has represented clients in state and federal courts and in domestic and international arbitrations. After training and partnership at McDermott, Will & Emery, Heidi has practiced with elite Chicago litigation boutiques, bringing insight and efficiency to dispute resolution. From Heidi's many years of service as an arbitrator in the Cook County Circuit Court's mandatory arbitration program, she understands that to be successful, an ADR process must be fair and orderly. Expectations must be managed and met; and all participants must feel they have been heard. Though new as a mediator, Heidi has experienced mediation as a party. She appreciates how mediation reduces both costs and stress for litigants, as well as the importance of the mediator's diligence and willingness to listen.
Lesley Wallerstein is a graduate of MIT and a former patent examiner. For several years, she examined international patent applications in biomechanical engineering devices, pharmaceuticals, alternative energy technologies, cutting edge textiles and sporting goods. She has a keen eye for identifying inventiveness and an unparalleled command of the written word. She has arbitrated hundreds of personal injury, property damage and breach of contract cases for both Cook and Lake County Circuit Courts. Lesley is also a seasoned science educator. Clients trust Lesley to have their back. She takes the time to understand their inventions and business goals on a very deep level. Her advice draws from years of technical and legal experience, very much grounded in common sense. The Chicago legal community recognizes Lesley as a leader and trusted advisor in intellectual property law. Her peers recognized her as a Super Lawyer(R) for 3 consecutive years: 2019-2021, a distinction reserved for only the top 5% of lawyers in the state.