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Employment Mediation Institute 2025 Workshops

Keynote- Hard Work Pays Off: The Secrets to Building a Successful Mediation Practice

Speaker: Stacie Hausner, Esq. 

Qualifies for 0.75 General California MCLE

Workshop Description: 

This presentation, by our esteemed keynote speaker, Stacie Hausner, will give new and experienced mediators alike, a window into the work that goes into building a successful employment mediation practice--both from a mediation perspective and a business perspective. Stacie will offer specific tools for setting up every mediation for success before the mediation even begins, as well as her advice for breaking impasse and conducting productive follow-up. She will also provide a roadmap for building a successful mediation practice, including how best to network with potential clients, marketing strategies, and the benefits of higher education.

Stacie Hausner, Esq. Bio

Workshop 1: Employment Law Update

Speakers: Phyllis Cheng, Esq.

Qualifies for 1.0 General California MCLE

Workshop Description:

This presentation will cover current and emerging developments in California employment law, including case law,  statutes and regulations, appeals pending before the California Supreme Court, the new federalism impacting federal and state enforcement agencies, and how these trends impact mediations.

Phyllis Cheng, Esq. Bio

Workshop 2: AI Resources for the Employment Mediator: Getting a Step Ahead of the Pack

Speaker: Clare Fowler, Colin Rule, and Patrick Tatum

Qualifies for 1.0 Technology in the Practice of Law California MCLE

Workshop Description:

In this workshop, Colin Rule, President and CEO of ODR.com, Clare Fowler, Vice-President of ODR.com, and Patrick Tatum, Vice President of the American Arbitration Association, Employment Division, share their keen insights into the use of artificial intelligence in workplace disputes and employment mediation. Specifically, they will discuss AI-specific tools for employment mediators both in preparing for mediation and during mediation, and they will share exciting new tools that will put employment mediators at the cutting edge of technology. This is a workshop that employment mediators will not want to miss as they look for any advantage in enhancing their mediation resources and skills.

  Dr. Clare Fowler Bio Colin Rule Bio Patrick Tatum Bio

Workshop 3: Managing High-Conflict Personalities in Employment Disputes

Speaker: Bill Eddy

Qualifies for 1.0 Recognition and Elimination of Bias California MCLE

Workshop Description:

In this workshop, lawyer, therapist, mediator, professor, and accomplished author, Bill Eddy, takes an in-depth look at employment mediations and how high conflict people often end up in workplace disputes and lawsuits. As detailed in his book “High Conflict People in Legal Disputes”, Professor Eddy will peel the curtain back on high-conflict personalities (“HCPs”) and how their brains function. He will also explain four common approaches to avoid and four specific techniques for mediators that are helpful in dealing with HCPs and breaking through common impasses in employment mediations. He will share the basic structure and client tasks in his New Ways for Mediation method (new ways means new skills) that can be used especially with high conflict disputes—or any disputes.

Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. Bio

Workshop 4: Whose Side Are You on, Anyway?--What Employment Lawyers Want from their Mediators

Speaker: Lonnie Giamela, Esq. and Kelly Hanker, Esq.

Qualifies for 0.75 Civility in the Legal Profession California MCLE

Workshop Description: 

Mediating employment disputes is notably different from mediating other types of legal disputes, and special skills are required to excel in resolving what can feel like so much more than a mere 'dispute' to the participants. Two  experienced and accomplished employment litigators, plaintiff-side attorney Kelly Hanker, and and defense-side attorney Lonnie Giamela, will take us through what they expect an employment mediator to do for them and their respective clients, and what key information they wish the mediator could convey to the other side more effectively. They will also discuss what kinds of employment mediators they want to hire again and again. 

     Lonnie Giamela, Esq.                          Kelly Hanker, Esq.