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Panelist
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Alex Green IV
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Chair, ADR Section State Bar of Michigan
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Erika L. Bryant
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President, State Bar of Michigan
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Welcome and Introductory Remarks
September 25, 2026 | 12:30 p.m. - 12:50 p.m. ET
Topic
Opening remarks delivered by Alex Green IV. and State Bar President, Erika L. Bryant, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Megan K. Cavanagh
Overview of ABA Formal Opinion 518
September 25, 2025 | 1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. ET
Topic
On October 15, 2025, the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility issued Formal Opinion 518. This panel will examine what, if any, implications the opinion has for mediators in Michigan. The discussion will explore whether Formal Opinion 518 departs from the current Mediator Standards of Conduct and whether it creates the perception of two distinct classes of mediators—attorneys and non-attorneys. Panelists will also consider how the opinion intersects with common mediation practices and whether it suggests changes to mediator techniques or conduct. While the program may not offer definitive answers, it aims to spark thoughtful discussion and deeper reflection among panelists and attendees on the roles of truth, neutrality, and best interests in the mediation process.
Panelists
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John Sier
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Kitch Attorneys & Counselors PC
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Christine P. Gilman
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Executive Director, Dispute Resolution Center of West Michigan
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Zena Zumeta, JD
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Mediator, Mediation Training & Consultation Institute
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Frances A. Rosinski
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Rosinski Ethics Law PLLC
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Michigan ADR Case Law Update
September 25, 2026 | 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. ET
Topic
Annual case law update: The presenters will summarize Michigan cases and selected federal cases dealing with alternative dispute resolution decided since the 2025 Annual Conference. The presentations may include significant cases pending on appeal at the time of the conference, and any changes in the relevant statutes and rules. Larry Saylor will address arbitration cases, and Lisa Timmons will cover cases dealing with mediation, case evaluation, and settlement issues. A list of cases, statutes and rules to be covered will be included in the course materials. This program is an annual feature of the ADR Conference.
Panelists
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Lisa W. Timmons
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Lisa W. Timmons, PLLC
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Larry Saylor
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Senior Counsel, Miller Canfield
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Panelist
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Mark C. Rossman
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Rossman, P.C,
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ADR . . . From the Practitioner’s Perspective
September 25, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. ET
Topic
Mark will lead a panel of 10 attorneys who will be presented with questions in different gameshow formats. With an engaging and competitive Q&A format, the segment will spawn conversation and debate covering topics such as what makes a good mediator; techniques and methods preferred and not preferred; selection of the ADR practitioner; vetting the ADR specialist; considering relationships between mediators and attorneys; ethical considerations; financial considerations; value of ‘failed’ mediation; habits of local mediators; et cetera.
Panelist
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Dale Ann Iverson, J.D.
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JustMediation PLC
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A Fresh Look at Party Capacity and the Mediator’s Role
September 25, 2026 | 4:00 p.m. - 4:50 p.m. ET
Topic
With the historical focus on mediators as gatekeepers of “capacity”, attendees will consider the consequences in the current environment of court-ordered mediation of denying some access to mediation. Coy and Hedeen observed in 1998 that the mediation field is best served if it, “…fashions a creative, useful tension between protecting the integrity of the mediation process and meeting the conflict resolution service needs of all members of the community.”
Attendees will:
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Reflect on their initial training on “capacity” and how the tension of protecting the mediation process and affording access has played out in their practice.
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Consider several approaches offered in newer scholarship and developments in mediator ethics.
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Brainstorm with colleagues their own path forward in “fashion[ing] a creative, useful tension” in their mediation practice.
Closing Remarks
September 25, 2026 | 5:00 p.m. ET
Topic
Closing remarks delivered by: State Bar of Michigan 2025-26 ADR Section Chair Alex Green IV
Speaker
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Alex Green IV
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ADR Section Chair
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