Resolution Advocates Biographical Information

The following is a list of biographical information for the Resolution Advocates who have been selected to serve on the BDRP Panel. The background information was submitted by the applicants, and is provided without comment by the Court.

Not all panel members are willing to serve in all divisions. Please check the Resolution Advocates Availability list to select a Resolution Advocate and alternate in your area.

Hoffman, Timothy

P.O. Box 1761
Sebastopol, CA 95473
Phone: (707) 874-2066

Occupation: Bankruptcy Trustee

Education: B.S., University of California - Davis, 1981; J.D., University of California - Berkeley, 1984

ADR Training: U.S. Bankruptcy Court Training (Yeend) - 6 hrs., (Rosenberg) - 18 hrs

ADR Style: Varies

Advocate Location(s): Santa Rosa

Isola, Mark V.

Brothers Smith LLP
2033 N. Main Street, Suite 720
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Phone: (925) 944-9700
Fax: (925) 944-9701

Occupation: Attorney: bankruptcy and civil litigation (state and federal courts)

Areas of Specialization: Bankruptcy, commercial disputes, fraudulent transfers, real estate foreclosures

Education: B.S., Santa Clara University, 1988; J.D., U.C. Davis Law School (King Hall), 1991

ADR Training: Mediate.com University 40 hour Basic Mediation Training. Handled numerous settlement conferences as Judge Pro-Tem and early neutral evaluator for Santa Clara County Superior Court cases since 2001.

ADR Style: Let parties and issues dictate proper approach, but preferred method is facilitative and collaborative with evaluation as necessary to assist in resolution.

Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Jose

Jacobson, Lawrence

Cohen & Jacobson, LLP
66 Bovet Rd Ste 285
San Mateo, CA 94402-3128
Phone: (650) 261-6280
Fax: (650) 368-6221

Occupation: Attorney

Education: B.A., Gonzaga University, 1970; J.D., University of San Francisco, 1973

ADR Training: 40 Hours Mediation Training, Teresa V. Carvey

ADR Style: Depends on the nature of the case, disposition of the parties and preference of counsel. Traditional joint session and separate caucuses adapted accordingly.

Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, **(San Jose, Salinas & Monterey)

Kalikman, George

Keller Benvenutti Kim LLP
425 Market Street, 26th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 420-1377
Website: www.kbkllp.com

Occupation: Attorney

Areas of Specialization: Bankruptcy, insolvency, workouts, creditors' rights, commercial lending, secured transactions, real estate.

Education: A.B., Harvard, 1975; J.D., University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, 1978

ADR Training: BDRP training (Rosenberg) - 18 hours; Member of BDRP panel of resolution advocates since program's inception in 1994.

ADR Style: Caucus, collaborative, facilitative.

Advocate Location(s): Remote Virtual/Video

Kelly, J. Michael

Cooley LLP
3 Embarcadero Center, 20th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111-4004
Phone: (415) 693-2076
Fax: (415) 693-2222

Occupation: Attorney

Areas of Specialization: Creditors' rights, bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings

Education: B.A., Emory University, 1966; J.D., University of Virginia Law School, 1969

ADR Training: U.S. Bankruptcy Court Training (Yeend) - 6 hours; (Rosenberg) - 18 hours; Handled an average of 2-3 mediations per year under the BDRP Program since its inception.

ADR Style: Depends on circumstances and preferences of parties, but generally: Initial joint caucus with parties, followed by separate caucuses with each side with combination evaluative/facilitative and directive/collaborative approaches

Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Remote Virtual/Video

Kingsley, Sanford

Mediation Offices of Sanford Kingsley
5758 Geary Blvd., #154
San Francisco, CA 94121
Phone: (415) 867-3819

Occupation: Attorney, Mediator

Areas of Specialization: Accounting, Banking, Lender Liability, Insurance, Bankruptcy, Business, Employment, Landlord/Tenant, Partnerships, Real Estate, Workouts, Personal Injury

Education: University of California (Berkeley) - Bachelor of Arts Political Science and Development Studies 1977; UC Hastings College of Law - Juris Doctorate 1981

ADR Training: Rosenberg Training (40 hours); American Arbitration Association (40 hours); Straus Institute for Advanced Mediation Training (Pepperdine University) June 2016. I am a member of the Mediation and Early Neutral Evaluation Panels of the Northern District's ADR Program and serve as a Neutral in the Eastern District's Voluntary Dispute Resolution Program. I also conduct settlement conferences in San Francisco, Santa Clara and Marin County Superior Courts. I am a member of The Mediation Society and its president for the 2022-23 year

ADR Style: I am available for Mediation, Early Neutral Evaluation and Facilitation. My mediation style is a mixture of facilitative and evaluative. I work closely with all parties to achieve a practical solution that terminates difficult and hard fought litigation. I listen intently, communicate clearly, and bring patience, perseverance and neutrality to a case. All participants will be fully heard, and all positions considered.

Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Remote Virtual/Video

Lormon, Reg J.

Law Offices of Reg J. Lormon
101 Church Street, Suite 15
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Phone: (408) 354-6100
Fax: (408) 354-8002

Occupation: Attorney

Areas of Specialization: Commercial real estate, environmental, business-commercial and litigation

Education: B.A., Arizona State University, 1966; J.D., University of Arizona, 1969

ADR Training: University of California, Berkeley Extension (Kelley)- 40 hours

ADR Style: Situational driven - with use of caucus, facilitative and collaborative or a combination thereof

Advocate Location(s): San Francisco, San Jose

Macdonald, Iain

Macdonald | Fernandez LLP
221 Sansome St
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 362-0449, ext. 203
Fax: (415) 394-5544

Occupation: Attorney

Areas of Specialization: Accounting, bankruptcy, commercial, mediation, real estate & workouts

Education: A.B., University of San Francisco, 1968; J.D., University of San Francisco School of Law, 1971

ADR Training: Certificate of Study, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University, 2006. 40 hours Mediation and Early Neutral Case Evaluation Training.

Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Rosa

Maher, Charles P.

Rincon Law, LLP
268 Bush Street, No. 3335
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 996-8280

Occupation: Attorney

Areas of Specialization: Attorney specializing in representation of bankruptcy trustees

Education: A.B., University of California - Berkeley, 1973; J.D., Hastings College of Law, 1986

ADR Training: U.S. Bankruptcy Court Training (Steven Rosenberg of Steven Rosenberg Mediation) - 18 hours

ADR Style: I have a flexible approach that depends on the nature of the dispute and the personalities of the parties and their attorneys. My primary requirement of parties in a mediation is a real willingness to compromise positions in order to get a compromise accomplished.

Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Rosa

Mellinkoff, Debra

Mellinkoff Mediation
1001 Bridgeway, # 203
Sausalito, CA 94965
Phone: (415) 289-0300
Fax: (415) 289-0400

Occupation: Mediator

Areas of Specialization: Business, Banking and Securities

Education: B.A., University of California - Santa Cruz, 1976; J.D., Hastings College of Law - 1981

ADR Training: 37 Years of experience as professional mediator. Office of Environmental Mediation - 180 hours; Center for Mediation in Law (Friedman) - hours; ADRA (Yeend) - 20 hours.

ADR Style: Although I have experience in all models, most often I use a hybrid model of the evaluative and facilitative processes.

Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco, Remote Virtual/Video

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