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.

Miller, Dennis

Lubin Olson & Niewiadomski LLP
600 Montgomery, 14th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: (415) 981-0550
Fax: (415) 918-4343

Occupation: Bankruptcy Attorney

Education: B.A., B.S. University of California - Irvine, 1978; Ph.D., Cornell University - 1983; J.D., University of San Francisco - 1988

ADR Training: Commercial Mediation Skills Training - (Ellen Barker & Teresa Carey) - 40 hours

ADR Style: "Generally evaluative with canvassing as appropriate unless needs of parties suggest other styles."

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

Nyberg, Eric

Kornfield, Nyberg, Bendes, Kuhner & Little, P.C.
1970 Broadway, Suite 600
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (510) 763-1000
Fax: (510) 273-8669

Occupation: Attorney

Education: J.D., San Francisco Law School, 1987

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

ADR Style: "No set approach as it often varies depending upon the parties and type of case

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

Olson, Steven

Bluestone, Faircloth & Olson, LLP
1825 Fourth Street
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Phone: 707-526-4250
Fax: 707-526-0347

Occupation: Attorney

Areas of Specialization: Emphasis on all aspects of bankruptcy, plus real estate and commercial law.

Education: B.A., Simpson College, IA, 1983; J.D., Berkeley Law, 1986

ADR Training: Steven Rosenberg (18 hours)

ADR Style: Usually shuttle diplomacy.

Advocate Location(s): Santa Rosa

Provencher, Douglas

823 Sonoma Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Phone: (707) 284-2380

Occupation: Attorney

Areas of Specialization: Bankruptcy

Education: J.D., Empire Law School, 1977

ADR Training: J.A.M.S - 8 hours; U.S. Bankruptcy Court Training (Yeend) - 6 hours; (Rosenberg) - 18 hours.

ADR Style: "The initial caucus and then separation with directive and collaborative efforts."

Advocate Location(s): San Francisco, Santa Rosa, ***(Santa Rosa & Eureka)

Shechtman, Zev

Danning, Gill, Israel & Krasnoff, LLP
1901 Avenue of the Stars, # 450
Los Angeles, CA 90067-6006
Phone: (310) 277-0077
Fax: (310) 277-5735

Occupation: Attorney

Areas of Specialization: Bankruptcy

Education: University of California, Santa Cruz, B.A., History, March 2003; New York University, M.A., Near Eastern Studies, May 2006; University of Southern California Gould School of Law, J.D., May 2009

ADR Training: Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution of the Pepperdine University School of Law, Mediating the Litigated Case, Training Program, 40 Hours, March 2022; Member of the Central District of California Bankruptcy Court and District Court Mediation Panels.

Advocate Location(s): Remote Virtual/Video

Siegal, Joel H.

Siegal and Richardson, LLP
436-14th Street, Suite 1106
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (510) 271-6720
Fax: Fax (510) 500-9512

Occupation: Attorney

Areas of Specialization: Serious personal injury; Labor and Civil Rights litigation

Education: B.A. 1977; State University of New York at Albany; Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations; J.D., California Western School of Law, 1982

ADR Training: 40 hours Mediation Training, Steven Rosenberg; Over five hundred hours of class and practical experience.

ADR Style: It depends. I will do what it takes to get the matter settled. I do not give up. Remember, I was a lawyer for Bill Walton.

Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco

Simon, Martha

Law Office of Martha J. Simon
100 Pine St., Suite 1250
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: (415) 434-1888
Fax: (415) 434-1880

Occupation: Attorney

Areas of Specialization: Bankruptcy and commercial litigation, debtor and creditor, consumer and business

Education: B.A., American University, School of International Service, 1972; J.D., Golden Gate School of Law, 1981

ADR Training: CLE through Bar Association of San Francisco and State Bar of California and California Community Dispute Services, BDRP, SF Community Dispute Resolution Program.

ADR Style: I utilize a combination of approaches, depending upon the case and the parties involved.

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

Spoken Languages: Spanish

Spector, Ross

Spector & Bennett
A Professional Corporation
50 California Street, 15th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: (415) 439-5390
Fax: (415) 707-2064

Occupation: Attorney

Areas of Specialization: Commercial, bankruptcy and secured transactions

Education: B.A. Economics, Tulane University, 1983; M.B.A., Tulane University, 1985; J.D., University of San Francisco, 1988

ADR Training: Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law

ADR Style: Caucus, collaborative, and facilitative (Evaluative where appropriate)

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

Sweet, Michael

Fox Rothschild
345 California Street, Suite 2200
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 364-5548
Fax: (415) 391-4436

Occupation: Attorney

Areas of Specialization: Chair of Fox Rothschild’s nationwide Financial Restructuring & Bankruptcy Department. Bankruptcy attorney and commercial litigator with 20+ years representing debtors, creditors, creditors committees, trustees and municipalities in bankruptcy cases.

Education: BA, Brandeis University 1991 JD, UCLA 1996

ADR Training: Steven Rosenberg - 40 hour program.

ADR Style: Caucus, collaborative, facilitative. Evaluative if appropriate and desired by the parties.

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

Winkelman, Bruce

Craig & Winkelman
2001 Addison Street, Suite 300
Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone: (510) 549-3330
Fax: (510) 217-5894

Occupation: Attorney, Mediator & Adjunct Professor of Law in Mediation/ADR

Areas of Specialization: Insurance coverage, complex litigation

Education: B.A., University of California, Berkeley (1983); J.D., University of San Diego (1986)

ADR Training: Conciliation Forums of Oakland (1993); ADR Applications, Inc., Commercial/Civil Mediation (1997); Advanced Mediation Training, Martin Gould Center, Stanford University (First Appellate District Program (2000); Mediation Training, US District Court (2002).

ADR Style: Directed facilitation. Assist parties in critically evaluating likely case issues and outcomes while identifying interests.

Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco

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