Professional Work History:
As a former commercial litigator and then the sole in-house counsel to the US division of Peugeot, the French car manufacturer, Abby brings to mediation her years of experience in finding creative solutions to the competing demands of business pressures and legal realities. As a licensed mental health professional, she also brings her acute understanding of the emotional barriers to resolving charged conflicts.
Abby's effectiveness as a mediator stems from her training and experience in law, conflict resolution and mental health. As an attorney, Abby saw firsthand how the burden of litigation affects employee ingenuity, productivity and profitability. At Peugeot, she worked with corporate leadership to solve legal problems efficiently in order to reduce financial and organizational costs, maintain employee integrity consistent with corporate needs, and ensure compliance with relevant regulations. Integral to her work was facilitating communication and a cooperative working relationship with people of various nationalities and outlooks.
Dispute Resolution Experience
Abby is partner at Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein, with offices in NYC and White Plains. Her prior affiliation was as Mediation Counsel at McCarthy Fingar, LLP.
Abby's concentrates her practice on dispute resolution.
She participates on a variety of court-affiliated mediation panels including the roster for the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Commercial and Civil Divisions, Westchester County.
Cornell University Dispute Resolution Training (Course titles and dates taken)
Employment Law Mediation Training (November 2011), Commercial Arbitration (February 2012).
Other Dispute Resolution Training
Partial List:
Harvard Negotiation Institute, Intensive Mediation
Center for Mediation in Law, Mediation Intensive
Center for Mediation in Law, Advanced Mediation
Elder Decisions, Elder/Adult Family Mediation
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Professional Mediation
New York Association of Collaborative Professionals, Interdisciplinary and advanced trainings.
New York University, Civil Collaborative Law
Part 137 Panel of Arbitrators and Mediators, Joint Committee on Fee Disputes and Conciliation
Westchester Mediation Center, Restorative Justice Training, Victim/Offender Mediation
NYSDRA, Special Education Mediation
Abby actively participates both as a teacher and student in ongoing professional development.
Professional Associations
Member, State Bars, NY and California
Executive Director, NY Association of Collaborative Professionals (past)
Westchester Women's Bar Association, Co-Chair, Mediation Committee
Northern Westchester Hospital, member, Ethics Committee, Patient & Family Partnership Council and Credentials Committee
Education
University of California, Santa Cruz | BA - Highest Academic Honors.
University of California, Hastings College of the Law | JD - Editor-in-Chief, Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly
Fordham University | MS Ed - Phi Kappa Phi
Montefiore-Einstein Center for Bioethics - Medical Bioethics and Humanities Certificate + Bioethics Consulting
References
Provided upon request
Fee Policy
Provided upon request