Masters of Dispute Resolution

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Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Nationally respected mediator Len Levy explores the world of mediation with those mediators who have proven themselves to be true Masters of Dispute Resolution. These neutrals, including retired jurists, attorneys, and other pioneers in the field of mediation, will provide insights that will assist attorneys and other consumers of dispute resolution services to achieve optimum results and maximize client satisfaction in mediation.

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60 recent

October 25, 202651 min

Did She Really Wear Prada?

Season 07 Episode 05 Hon. Verna Adams (Ret.) is a nationally recognized expert in mediation and adjudication of complex family law and probate cases. Judge Adams recognizes the power of non-monetary settlement terms and strives to identify creative solutions tailored to each family’s unique needs. In this episode, Judge Adams shares the story of a married couple, who also owned a successful business, going through a highly contentious dissolution of their marriage and possibly their business. A process for resolution that began as a marital settlement conference before Judge Adams morphed into a complex probate mediation conducted by the now-retired judge. How did her depth of knowledge about mediation process and the law lead the parties to resolution?

September 30, 202657 min

A Family’s Grief

Season 07 Episode 04 Hon. Paul A. Bacigalupo, Ret., joined ADR Services, Inc. in 2024 after 22 years as a Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court. As a mediator, Judge Bacigalupo is characterized by his persistent curiosity to achieve resolution and his ability to ask the right questions at the right time. In this episode, Judge Bacigalupo shares the story of a woman’s death in a skilled nursing facility and the dynamics of a mediation between the family of the woman and that facility, complicated by the family dynamics between the deceased woman’s adult children. Which mediation tools did Judge Bacigalupo apply to successfully resolve the dispute?

September 7, 202657 min

No Foul Play

Season 07 Episode 03 Hon. Victoria Wood (Ret.) established her successful track record of settling highly disputed cases during her time as a Judge for the Superior Court of Napa County, where she served her community with dedication for nearly two decades. In this episode, she relates the story of a mother and two adult daughters, co-owners of a house in which they lived, embroiled in a contentious and sometimes violent relationship which could not continue. Faced with a multitude of challenges in reaching an agreement that would allow the parties to move forward with their lives, Victoria used her considerable skills to assist the parties, only to have the agreement undone by a sudden and catastrophic event. Listen and learn how a master mediator gets it done!

August 17, 202643 min

Two Wrongs — Making it Right

Season 07 Episode 02 Phyllis W. Cheng, Esq., has excelled at every stage of her career, and for nearly seven years was Director of the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the largest state civil rights agency in the United States. In this episode, Phyllis tells the story of a deaf woman, in the United States illegally, in the process of self-deporting, arrested by ICE and detained in a city jail for five months. She was not given access to interpreters or provided with any means by which she could communicate, effectively cutting her off from her lawyers or family, and preventing her from communicating her need for medical procedures or basic needs. What were her rights in such circumstances? Did her immigration status impact her ability to recover compensation by way of legal action? How was Phyllis Cheng able to mediate a resolution of this matter?

July 28, 202646 min

The Bad Dad

Season 07 Episode 01 Following a stellar career as a trial lawyer, Eric Ivary has resolved more than 1,000 cases across a variety of substantive areas during the course of his mediation career at ADR Services, Inc. To kick off Season 7, Eric relates the aftermath of a 9-year-old boy’s toy-related death, where the adults in his life had failed him, and the retailer and distributor of the toy had neglected to include any instructions relating to its use, a combination that proved fatal. His father, who had gone to prison early in the boy’s life with no contact after his release, sought to share in compensation and threatened to jeopardize any settlement that did not include a substantial recovery for himself. How did master mediator Eric Ivary guide the parties to a resolution?

June 13, 202651 min

Trust

Season 06 Episode 12 With over 25 years of experience, MyKhanh Shelton, Esq. brings a unique blend of legal acumen, practical business insight, conflict resolution expertise, and emotional intelligence to her full-time employment mediation practice. In this episode, MyKhanh conveys the story of a woman who moved across the country, enticed by a job offer with a company whose goals and values appeared to be in line with her own, only to find that not only was the reality far from her expectations, but that she was subjected to inappropriate behavior. After she brought the situation to the attention of management, the offending behavior did not stop, and a lawsuit was filed. How did MyKhanh help the parties overcome the considerable roadblocks to resolution?

May 27, 202639 min

Crossing a Line

Season 06 Episode 11 Lindsey Bayman, Esq. is a mediator with a strong track record of resolving complex civil disputes, particularly in the areas of employment, sexual assault and misconduct, entertainment, business litigation, and personal injury. She is particularly effective in moving difficult cases to resolution, especially those involving high emotion, reputational risk, or entrenched positions. In this episode, Lindsey conveys the story of an employee subjected to unrelenting barrages of sexually infused language from a fellow employee, whose employer did nothing to remedy the situation. In an emotionally charged mediation, Lindsey Bayman demonstrates how a master mediator effectively overcame the obstacles posed when it is necessary to deal with emotional injury and denial to achieve a resolution.

May 2, 202648 min

The Case of the Sexual Socialite

Season 06 Episode 10 Brad Bening is one of the most effective and well-regarded neutrals in Northern California, acting in the role of mediator as well as Special Master in cases which present unique challenges to case management and resolution. He has successfully mediated more than 2,000 cases with a success rate of more than 98 percent. In this episode, Brad tells the story of a conflict that arose initially in the context of a construction case brought against a wealthy socialite and her interior designer, and the effect that a sexual experience between them impacted on that case and its resolution in a mediation Brad conducted. How was he able to guide the parties to a settlement?

April 14, 202655 min

Neighbors

Season 06 Episode 09 Michael G. Balmages, Esq., is an accomplished mediator and discovery referee with extensive experience as a trial lawyer, general counsel, and transactional lawyer, and has resolved more than 1,000 cases as a mediator and neutral with ADR Services, Inc. In this episode, Michael tells the story of a dispute between two neighbors over a 20-foot piece of property owned by the purchasers of a large lot, which had been used by their neighbors for parking for almost half a decade. The new purchaser had no real use for the property, which contained a telephone pole and underground utilities, but refused to allow the neighbors to continue to use the land. How did the mechanics and limitations of the mediator’s proposal affect the resolution?

March 29, 202647 min

Family Disunion

Season 06 Episode 08 Judge Vedica Puri (Ret.) has served as a trial lawyer, a partner in private practice, and a San Francisco Superior Court judge—experience that places her among the few neutrals who have sat in every seat that matters when cases are evaluated, tried, and resolved. In this episode of Masters of Dispute Resolution, Vedica Puri shares the story of a family torn apart in a dispute over business matters, unable to overcome the considerable cultural and generational impediments standing in their way to resolution without her impressive insights, trust-building, and mediation skills. How did she know when to push, when to pull back, and how to handle roadblocks without losing momentum?

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