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.
Bostick, Mark
Occupation: Bankruptcy Attorney
Education: B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1978; J.D., University of San Francisco, 1983
ADR Training: 40 Hours Mediation Training, Steven Rosenberg
ADR Style: Caucus; collaborative; evaluative; facilitative; arbitration
Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose
Spoken Languages: Some Hebrew
Califano, Peter
Occupation: Attorney
Areas of Specialization: Bankruptcy, equipment leasing, real estate and personal property foreclosure and UCC transactions
Education: B.A.,State University of New York - Buffalo, 1981; J.D., Santa Clara University - 1987
ADR Training: Court Alternatives Group (formerly ADRA) - 40 hours; John Paul Jones Group - 20 hours; Early Neutral Evaluation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California - 8 hours; Using Mediation Effectively: Avoiding Costly Mistakes - 3 hours; Advanced Mediation - 5 Hours
ADR Style: Classic Mediation (facilitative, collaborative and caucus) and available if necessary, for evaluative approach.
Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Rosa
Resume: Peter Califano Chism, Guy David
Occupation: Attorney
Education: B.A., Oral Roberts University, 1984; J.D., New College School of Law, 2004
ADR Training: 45 Hours Mediation Training, New College
ADR Style: Understanding-Based approach to conflict
Advocate Location(s): San Jose, Remote Virtual/Video
Christianson, Shawn
Occupation: Shareholder/Attorney
Areas of Specialization: Insolvency; litigation
Education: B.S., Boston College, 1981 (Magna Cum Laude); J.D., Hastings College of Law, 1984
ADR Training: U.S. Bankruptcy Court Training (Yeend) - 6 hours; (Rosenberg) - 18 hours; Have handled many mediations through BDRP since its inception. Have participated in dozens as an advocate for a party at JAMS, BDRP and elsewhere.
ADR Style: Varies - as indicated by the circumstances
Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco
Spoken Languages: Some Spanish
Cooper, Michael
Occupation: Mediator, Attorney
Areas of Specialization: Bankruptcy, Commercial Law, Real Estate Law
Education: B.A. San Francisco State University 1965; J.D. University of San Francisco 1968
ADR Training: Steve Rosenberg 40 hours, Ron Kelly 24 hours, various other CLE programs
ADR Style: Multiple approaches including caucus, no caucus, directive, collaborative, evaluative and facilitative
Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco
Daunt, Philip
Occupation: Attorney
Areas of Specialization: Representation of small businesses, and real estate
Education: B.A., University of Michigan - 1974; L.S., Universite libre de Bruxelles - 1977; J.D., University of Toledo - 1980
ADR Training: Commercial Mediation Training (ADRA) - 40 hours; Mediation for Lawyers (N. Agliano) 2.5 hours; Conflict Resolution & Mediation Skills (D. Matthews) - 35 hours; BDRP training 8 hours
ADR Style: Caucus when needed, collaborative, facilitative when possible.
Advocate Location(s): San Jose, *(Salinas & Monterey only), Remote Virtual/Video
Spoken Languages: French
DeLateur, Alexandra, E.
Occupation: Attorney, Mediator, Arbitrator
Areas of Specialization: Mediation, Arbitration
Education: B.A., UC Berkeley, 1983; J.D., Vanderbilt University School of Law, 1986
ADR Training: 25 hours Coast to Coast Mediation; 40 hours Center for Conflict Resolution; 8 hours Orange County Bankruptcy Forum. Basic 40-hour course completed three times, most recently 2013 with the Office of Human Relations, County of Santa Clara. Advanced training also completed, including in the areas of bankruptcy, arbitration, and facilitation.
ADR Style: I start with a collaborative and facilitative approach and am flexible, depending on the needs and goals of the parties. I believe that caucuses are helpful and use them, particularly if the process has become evaluative and more directive.
Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, **(San Jose, Salinas & Monterey), Santa Rosa, ***(Santa Rosa & Eureka), Remote Virtual/Video
Ellahie, Javed
Occupation: Attorney
Education: B.S.E.E., California State University, Fresno, 1970; J.D., University of Santa Clara, 1974; LLM (Taxation), Golden Gate University, 2008
ADR Training: U.S. Bankruptcy Court Training (Rosenberg) - 18 hrs.
ADR Style: "Encourage party communication and provide evaluation of case if requested. My focus is on settling cases and parties who choose BDRP should be able to settle."
Advocate Location(s): San Jose
Spoken Languages: Urdu, Punjabi & Hindi
Green, Tracy
Occupation: Insolvency Attorney
Areas of Specialization: Bankruptcy, Commercial LItigation, Contract Disputes, and Real Estate Matters
Education: University of California, Santa Cruz, B.A., (1979); University of San Francisco, J.D. (1984)
ADR Training: 40 Hours U.C. Berkeley Extension with Ron Kelly; Steve Rosenberg Advanced Mediation, numerous courses every year to update my skills.
ADR Style: My approach is caucus, facilitation and collaborative. I can also provide evaluative services.
Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose
Resume: Tracy Green Gross, Jonathan
Occupation: Attorney, Mediator, Mediation Trainer
Education: B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz, 1982; J.D., Hastings College of Law, 1985
ADR Training: Community Boards of San Francisco - 32 hours; Center for Law in Mediation (Friedman) - 34 hours; Various 50+ hours.
ADR Style: "I manage the mediation process based on the personalities involved. For parties that need evaluative issues addressed, I provide a forum where different perspectives can be explored and critiqued. I am also skilled at facilitating communications and dealing with non-evaluative issues. I specialize in complex commercial cases and disputes involving strong emotions."
Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Rosa
CV of Jonathan Gross.pdf Isola, Mark V.
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.
Jacobson, Lawrence
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
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
Kingsley, Sanford
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 Law San Francisco - 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 was 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.
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
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.
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
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
Resume: Debra Mellinkoff Nyberg, Eric
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
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
Resume: Steven Olsen Provencher, Douglas
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
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.
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
Resume: Joel Siegal Simon, Martha
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
Occupation: Attorney
Areas of Specialization: Commercial, bankruptcy and secured transactions. Trusts and Estates.
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, Remote Virtual/Video
Sweet, Michael
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
Resume Michael A. Sweet Winkelman, Bruce
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