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GENERAL OVERVIEW
Michael has the combined skills of an attorney, hands-on building contractor, developer, and experienced construction dispute mediator. His believes that conflicts are a natural part of life and that the people involved in the conflict are the people most capable of resolving them, sometimes benefiting from the assistance of a neutral person, a mediator. Michael's legal experience includes working with real estate and construction contract preparation, review, performance and accounting issues; zoning, building and development permit and code related issues; boundary, easement, and title issues. As a builder, he did residential and small commercial construction, land subdivision development, and small to large residential remodeling. Having learned the skills of many of the trades, including carpentry, wiring, plumbing, excavating, concrete, tile installation roofing & cabinetry, Michael is well qualified to give a perspective on performance quality and appropriate fixes. He has mediated over 400 construction disputes as a contract mediator with the State of Oregon Construction Contractors Board as well as numerous real estate, divorce, neighborhood and business disputes.
Michael received his first mediation training in the early 80's and through experience has become an avid believer in the power of the mediation process to assist people who are in conflict in resolving their dispute. Often the resolution also results in reconnection of the parties and allows them to resume a normal business relationship. His style of mediation is predominately face to face meetings between the parties with separate meetings when helpful or requested.
Education
Michael earned undergraduate degrees in engineering and business administration from Oregon State University and a law degree from the University of California at Davis.
Mediation training includes the following:
