8:55 Welcome and Introductions
9:00 Go Ask Tara≠*
Tara L. Kozlowski, North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission, Raleigh
Frank C. Laney, Carolina Dispute Settlement Services, Cary
Hear a discussion of key ethical challenges that mediators regularly face, together with the DRC's recommendations and best practices for successfully navigating them within the bounds of the various program rules and the Rules of Professional Conduct Governing Mediators.
10:00 Break
10:10 Trauma-Informed Mediation
Lira Low, The Mencius Advisory, Zurich, Switzerland
This session provides an introduction of the key concepts of trauma-informed mediation and training in trauma management strategies to guide participants during mediation.
11:40 Break
11:50 All About the Benjamin(s): A Panel Discussion on North Carolina Court-Ordered Arbitration
Chief Judge J. H. Corpening II, NC District Court - Judicial District 5, Wilmington
De Maca B. Adams, Family Court Administration, Carthage
George P. Doyle, Law Offices of George P. Doyle, Chapel Hill (Moderator)
Richard J. Igou, Law Office of Richard J. Igou, Durham
Frank C. Laney, Carolina Dispute Settlement Services, Cary
James W. Young, Law Office of James Young PA, Asheboro
"At length we are in Peace, God be praised, and long, very long may it continue. All Wars are Follies, very expensive and very mischievous ones. When will mankind be convinced and agree to settle their difficulties by Arbitration? Were they to do it even by the Cast of a Die, it would be better than by Fighting and destroying each other." - Benjamin Franklin
Listen to a panel discussion concerning the history, practice and effectiveness of North Carolina court-ordered arbitration.
12:50 Lunch Break
1:35 Put Me in Coach! Turn Trauma-Informed Mediation Theory Into Everyday Practice
Colleen L. Byers, Colleen Byers Mediation LLC, Winston-Salem
Adam deNobriga, James deNobriga PLLC, Charlotte
D. Christopher "Chris" Osborn, Osborn Conflict Resolution, Charlotte
Through skills development exercises and role plays, mediators of any experience level learn effective trauma management strategies to employ in their next mediation.
3:05 Break
3:15 Zoom, Spreadsheets and Technology in Mediation‡
Ketan P. Soni, Soni Brendle PLLC, Charlotte
With the social distancing required by COVID, the use of technology to assist in mediation took a quantum leap forward. Online mediation went from prohibited to required and now to the favored method of many mediators and attorneys. The use of computers to conduct the mediation also fostered the use of document sharing and spreadsheets during the sessions. Learn about the latest tips and features for Zoom and see how computer technology can increase your effectiveness as a mediator, particularly in complex cases.
4:15 Adjourn
* Indicates portion providing Ethics/Professional Responsibility credit
‡ Indicates portion providing Technology Training credit
≠ Indicates portion providing NC Dispute Resolution Commission Continuing Mediator Education
Thank you for joining us for Mediation Madness: Survive and Advance to a Negotiated Resolution (2024 Dispute Resolution Section Program).
What the heck just happened? As dispute resolution professionals, we often find ourselves scratching our heads in the midst of chaos. It is our job to navigate the quagmires while creating and holding a safe space for all parties to exercise their autonomy throughout the conflict resolution process.
De Maca B. Adams is a Court Management Specialist with the Court Programs Division at the NC Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) in Carthage. She specializes in alternative dispute resolution programs, statewide jury management issues, case management issues - providing technical support for court management staff statewide, and school justice partnerships.
De Maca has worked for the Judicial Branch since 2000, beginning her time with the branch as a deputy clerk, and then transferring to the Family Court Office as a family court case coordinator. Prior to transitioning to the NCAOC in 2023, she was the family court administrator for Judicial District 29 (Hoke/Moore Counties).
De Maca earned her B.I.S. (Bachelor or Interdisciplinary Studies) in Criminal Justice and her M.P.A from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
Click here for more information about De Maca.
Colleen L. Byers is the founder and owner of Colleen Byers Mediation LLC in Winston-Salem. A seasoned civil litigator with deep business and legal experience, Colleen focuses on mediating complex business, employment, trust, estate, fiduciary and family disputes to help companies, families and individuals solve their legal problems outside the courtroom.
Colleen is triple certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission (DRC) to mediate Superior Court, Family Financial, and matters pending before the Clerk of Superior Court. Colleen is also a neutral with National Arbitration and Mediation (NAM), a national panel of mediators and arbitrators.
Colleen is a sought-after thought leader who has been invited to speak and train locally, nationally, and globally on topics including mediation, collaborative negotiation, coaching for performance, and facilitating difficult conversations. Colleen is a mediation trainer with Carolina Dispute Settlement Services.
All of Colleen's education is from Creighton University, a Jesuit University in Omaha, NE. She is proud to be a triple Blue Jay, having earned her B.A., summa cum laude, her M.B..A, and J.D., cum laude, from Creighton University.
Colleen is accredited as an Associate Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation and is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher.
Click here for more information about Colleen.
Chief Judge J.H. Corpening II is a Judge for the 5th Judicial District Court of North Carolina in Wilmington. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor James Martin in 1991. The 5th Judicial District encompasses New Hanover County and Pender County.
Over the course of his judicial career, Chief Judge Corpening was instrumental in the creation of the intensive Reunification Program.
Prior to his appointment, Chief Judge Corpening was a partner at Prickett & Corpening, a law firm he joined in 1979. He is a recipient of the David W. Soukup Judge of the Year Award from the National Court Appointed Special Advocates.
Chief Judge Corpening is licensed to practice in North Carolina (1979), the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina (1979), the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit (1981), and the United States Supreme Court (1984).
Chief Judge Corpening earned a bachelor's degree in Biology from Wake Forest University and his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law.
Click here for more information about Chief Judge Corpening.
Adam deNobriga is a Partner at James deNobriga PLLC in Charlotte. His practice focuses on construction defect litigation, property damage litigation and professional malpractice litigation. With over eleven years of litigation experience, he has concentrated his legal career primarily in the construction sector.
Adam practices in the North Carolina Superior Court, including the North Carolina Business Court, and North Carolina Federal Courts. He is licensed to practice in both North Carolina and Tennessee.
Adam earned his B.A. in Religious Studies from Rhodes College and his J.D. from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. At law school, he was awarded the Dean's Award of Excellence for Best Appellate Brief and the Dean's Award of Excellence for the Best Oral Advocate.
Click here for more information about Adam.
George P. Doyle is an attorney at The Law Offices of George P. Doyle in Chapel Hill. He has practiced law in Chapel Hill for over 34 years. During that time, he has litigated both civil and criminal cases. His office handles all criminal matters in both District and Superior Courts in either Orange or Chatham Counties. Civil matters include personal injury and wrongful death cases. In the family law arena, the office handles adoptions, competency and guardianship proceedings, name changes and pre-marital agreements.
George is a certified mediator in the North Carolina Mediated Settlement program. He is also certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission to mediate civil superior court matters, worker's compensation cases, family law matters and certain matters before the Clerk of Superior Court.
George earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. from Northern Illinois University.
Click here for more information about George.
Richard J. "Rick" Igou is owner of The Law Office of Richard J. Igou, Mediator-Arbitrator, in Durham. His practice is limited to alternative dispute resolution and focused on helping people avoid the financial and emotional costs of going to court by assisting them in crafting their own, personal resolutions to disputes, disagreements, and difficult mutual decisions. He has mediated or arbitrated hundreds of cases in a variety of family, Superior Court, District Criminal Court, business and community matters since first training as a mediator in 1990.
Rick is certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission as a Superior Court, Family Financial and Clerk of Court mediator, and he is also a Permanency Mediator with the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts. He serves as an arbitrator in North Carolina District Court District 14, and as a member of the FINRA Board of Arbitrators.
Rick is a founding partner of Elder Matters of the Carolinas LLC, a mediation practice exclusively dedicated to helping families discuss and resolve age-related concerns.
Rick earned his A.B. in Political Philosophy from the University of Chicago and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.
Click here for more information about Rick.
Tara L. Kozlowski is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission. She has been with the Commission since July of 2018. Prior to working with the DRC Tara was a family law litigator and mediator, practicing with a small firm in Wake County. Tara obtained a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Indiana University, and her J.D. degree from The University of Toledo College of Law in 2006. She lives in Apex with her husband, two daughters, and two yellow labs. Please feel free to contact her at the DRC office anytime with questions or to introduce yourself.
Click here for more information about Tara.
Frank C. Laney was Circuit Mediator for the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for 25 years, mediating more than 5000 cases before retiring in April 2022. After serving as an ex-officio member of the NC Dispute Resolution Commission since its inception in 1995, he was appointed as a commissioner in 2021.
Frank is also an adjunct professor at Campbell University and North Carolina Central University Schools of Law and is a Senior Lecturing Fellow at High Point University School of Law. He teaches the NC Dispute Resolution Commission required training for mediator certification with CDSS.
Frank recently completed his book, The Practical Mediator, a collection of articles he has written about the field of mediation.
Frank is the former Mediation Coordinator for the North Carolina Industrial Commission and for three years in the early 1990's limited his private practice in Raleigh to mediation.
Frank has been a member of the North Carolina Bar Association Dispute Resolution Committee/Section since its inception and is a past Section Chair. He chaired the joint Section-Commission committee responsible for the 2012 updating and rewriting of Alternative Dispute Resolution in North Carolina, A New Civil Procedure, serving as an author and co-editor of the book. In 2004, the Section presented him with the Peace Award.
Frank is certified as a mediator in the Superior Court, Family Financial, District Criminal Court and Clerk Programs by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission and as a practitioner member of the Academy of Family Mediators.
Frank earned his B.A. from North Carolina State University and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.
Click here for more information about Frank.
Lira Low is a conflict resolution, mediation and trauma specialist with the Mencius Advisory based in Zürich, Switzerland.
Lira's professional background started with career diplomacy serving the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs focusing on the Middle East, before transitioning to private diplomacy and peacemaking in international armed conflict mediation for the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) where she worked on opening backchannels of communication in peace processes. During this time, she retrained in mental health and specialized in trauma-focused therapy, published on the psychological dimensions of peacemaking and eventually pioneered the application of trauma-sensitive approaches to mediation processes for HD as the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Advisor.
Lira's expertise lies in the application of mental health and trauma-informed approaches to mediation and conflict management, for which she is called on to advise and train companies, humanitarian organizations, and individuals through her company The Mencius Advisory as a Conflict Resolution and Mediation Advisor. She also continues to work in political consultancy as a Counsellor with Dragoman in Australia and advises the Geneva and Oxford Process on dialogue in sensitive political contexts.
Lira has a Bachelors in Political Science and Hebrew (Melbourne University), Masters in Conflict Resolution and Mediation (Tel Aviv University), Masters in Counselling (Monash University) and EMDR trauma-focused therapy certification.
Click here for more information about Lira.
D. Christopher "Chris" Osborn is the founder and principal of Osborn Conflict Resolution in Charlotte. He uses his extensive training as a mediator and trained collaborative lawyer to help separating and divorcing couples, deadlocked businesses, and families with inheritance disputes find practical, cost-effective solutions to complex legal problems.
In his 25+ years of practice, including 11 years as an associate and shareholder with Horack Talley in Charlotte, Chris has helped clients reach amicable resolutions in hundreds of disputes, involving complex legal issues and interpersonal dynamics, in the areas of separation and divorce, construction law, business breakups, and inheritance disputes.
Chris was certified by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission as a Superior Court mediator in 2009, and completed the required 16 hour Collaborative Law Practice training in 2016. In 2021, he was also certified by the N.C. Dispute Resolution Commission as a Family Financial Settlement Mediator.
From 2012-2015, Chris was an Assistant Professor at the Charlotte School of Law, where he taught "Interviewing, Client Counseling, and Negotiations," along with first year classes in Contracts and Civil Procedure.
Chris earned his B.A., with highest distinction, from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and his J.D. from University of Virginia
School of Law.
Click here for more information about Chris.
Ketan P. Soni is a partner with Soni Brendle PLLC in Charlotte. Since 2000, Ketan has represented clients in divorce, equitable distribution, alimony, child custody, child support, domestic violence, and appeals in Charlotte, Raleigh, and the surrounding areas. Ketan practices divorce law to achieve the best possible result with a "big picture" view of each case. Ketan is also a North Carolina DRC Certified Family Financial and Superior Court Mediator.
In 2011, Ketan saw the damage the court process inflicted on spouses and parents, and so he opened a mediation practice designed to help spouses create their own resolution without having to go to court. Ketan now teaches a 40-hour Mediation Training Course approved by the Dispute Resolution Commission of North Carolina.
Ketan received his B.A. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his J.D. degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.
Click here for more information about Ketan.
Elizabeth Teagarden is the founder and president of The Teagarden Group, LLC, a Charlotte based conflict resolution consultancy dedicated to providing clients with high-stakes facilitation, comprehensive conflict resolution, organizational development interventions, and peace education. She is also strategic HR, OD, I/O Psychology, Management Consulting; NCDRC Certified Superior Court Mediator, Labor and Employment at Conrad Trosch & Kemmy, P.A. in Charlotte.
An active and lifelong Rotarian, Elizabeth is involved in Rotary's many Peace Building efforts, including the Rotarian Action Group for Peace. In addition, she is a member of the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence (APA), the International Association for Conflict Management, Mediators Beyond Borders International, and the International Association of Facilitators.
Elizabeth is an admitted member of both the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP); and earned her undergraduate degree from Mississippi State University, her masters from the University of Memphis, and her doctorate from North Carolina State University.
Click here for more information about Elizabeth.
James W. Young is an attorney at The Law Office of James Young PA in Asheboro. He is a fully bilingual (English-Spanish) mediator and arbitrator who is a member of the Miles Mediation and Arbitration panel in Charlotte. He has extensive arbitration experience in the areas of contractual disputes, personal injury, and landlord/tenant issues, and he serves as Civil District Court Arbitrator in Mecklenburg and Rowan Counties.
James is a North Carolina Certified Superior Court Mediator and has considerable experience mediating a range of cases including, but not limited to, employment-related matters, breach of contract, workers compensation, defamation, personal injury, boundary disputes, and estate matters. His travels and studies have taken him to Europe, Central America, the Caribbean, Northern Africa, and Central and Southern Africa.
James is a member of the Mecklenburg County Bar Dispute Resolution Section and the North Carolina Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Section.
James earned his B.A. from McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College) and his J.D. from American University Washington College of Law.
Click here for more information about James.
Check out the book, The Practical Mediator, a collection of articles written about the field of mediation!
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