Michigan is one of the more progressive states when it comes to encouraging parties to a dispute to seek resolution through the process of mediation.  Mediation is a process by which parties craft a settlement to their dispute by personally participating in the negotiations of the settlement.  Not only is the process of mediation highly successful, it has been found that, in the majority of cases which are settled through the mediation process, the parties who have continuing relationships (business, family, personal, or work) do not have recurring problems.  Our firm has established a department of highly qualified mediators.

Paula K. Manis has conducted over 1500+ mediations and facilitations, including public policy facilitations, since 2002. She has conducted mediations in Michigan and New York, involving all  types of civil matters including, but not limited to, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, no-fault, probate matters, discrimination, Federal crop insurance and has served on arbitration panels in Michigan and New York.  She has participated in hundreds of hours of advanced mediation training including 40 hours of training at the Strauss Institute at Pepperdine Law School. She has given several presentations on mediation matters. She is a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.  She is also a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and a former member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Council (former chair of the Government Task Force). Ms. Manis is a volunteer mediator for the Dispute Resolution Center of Central Michigan (former board member and president), and is an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. She was formerly a part of a mediation training team at Cooley Law School and MSU College of Law.  She was awarded with Lansing Lawyer of the Year for 2016 for Arbitration; Lansing Lawyer of the Year for 2014 for Mediation; was selected as one of the Best Lawyers of America for Alternative Dispute Resolution in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013; and was selected as one of the Best Lawyers of America for Mediation and Arbitration in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Ms. Manis was also awarded with the ‘Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers of 2013’ by LexisNexis and Martindale Hubbell.  This award is exclusive to women lawyers who have achieved the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards.

Ms. Manis allows the participants to select the method by which they will conduct the presentation and settlement of their issues.  She will provide a service to the public ranging from facilitative mediation, evaluative mediation, mediation/arbitration to arbitration.  The participants are given extensive opportunities to resolve differences without participating in the restrictive and stressful environment of a trial.