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.
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
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 Poniatowski, Mark D.
Occupation: Attorney
Areas of Specialization: Banking, Bankruptcy, Business, Commercial, Landlord/Tenant, Partnerships, Real Estate, Workouts, Creditors Rights, Personal Property and Real Property Secured Transactions; Equipment Leasing; Uniform Commercial Code.
Education: University of Michigan, Bachelor of Arts Business Administration (1979); Santa Clara University, J.D. (1985)
ADR Training: University of California, Davis Mediation Program (40 Hours) certified under the Dispute Resolutions Program Act; 40 years experience in bankruptcy and state court litigation.
ADR Style: My approach is driven by the particular situation. I try to be flexible and take the approach that best facilitate settlement. I try to reach practical solutions and work towards a win-win if possible.
Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco, Remote Virtual/Video
Additional Info: Also may conduct resolution conferences at the Poniatowski Leding Law PC office in Castro Valley.
Praetzellis, Jack
Occupation: Attorney
Areas of Specialization: Accounting, Bankruptcy, Business, Commercial, Construction, Landlord/Tenant, Partnerships, Real Estate
Education: University of California, Berkeley (B.A., 2005); University of San Francisco School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2009)
ADR Training: 40 hour training (32.5 of California MCLE) - Course: Mediating Commercial and Litigated Cases. Provider: American Institute of Mediation. Also, I am on the panel of discovery facilitators for the counties of Marin and Contra Costa.
Advocate Location(s): Oakland, San Francisco, Remote Virtual/Video
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