Speakers
Lee Jay Berman
Lee Jay Berman is a leading commercial mediator with more than 30 years of experience and over 3,000 mediated civil matters, including high-profile cases. Consistently recognized as one of the nation’s top mediators, he has been ranked Band 1 by Chambers USA (top 16 in the U.S.) and named annually to the Who’s Who of Commercial Mediation and as a Global Thought Leader.
He is also recognized in ADR Times’ inaugural “Who’s Who in ADR,” listing, and honored by the Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel with its 2024 Counsel of the Year Award in ADR. Other distinctions include the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals’ (NADN) first “Distinguished Neutral of the Year,” California’s Daily Journal’s Top Neutral recognitions, and multiple awards from the Southern California Mediation Association.
Berman serves as a AAA Master Mediator for employment matters and is on their panels in commercial, construction, entertainment, insurance, and international disputes. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators, a Charter Diplomat with NADN, and among the first U.S. mediators certified by the International Mediation Institute.
As founder of the American Institute of Mediation and former Director of Pepperdine Law School’s renowned program, he has trained thousands across five continents. A prolific author and speaker, he has written widely and has two books forthcoming with the American Bar Association. Beyond mediation, he supports cancer and children’s charities, UCLA athletics, and serves on nonprofit boards dedicated to health and child welfare.
Phyllis Cheng, Esq.
Phyllis Cheng is a neutral at ADR Services, where she mediates employment, civil rights,and other matters. She also serves on the mediation panels of the California Court ofAppeal (Second and Sixth Appellate Districts), and the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, where she led its mediation practice group for four years.
Ms. Cheng served in the administrations of four California Governors. She was Director of the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH, now renamed the Civil Rights Department), where she oversaw hundreds of historic settlements and judgments. She was in private practice on both the plaintiff and defense sides, Partner at DLA Piper,Deputy Attorney General in civil rights enforcement at CalDOJ, and Vice Chair of the Fair Employment and Housing Commission. For more than 20 years, Ms. Cheng has been a regular columnist on cases pending before the California Supreme Court for the California Labor & Employment Law Review, where she was also Managing Editor, and is responsible for a daily employment case law alert. She is author of the Rutter Group’s California Fair Housing and Public Accommodations book, and was a contributing editor on various chapters of its Employment Litigation practice guide. She is a Fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and was the State Bar’s 2012 Ronald M.George Public Lawyer of the Year.
Cory Hurwitz
Cory Hurwitz specializes in employment law, including sexual harassment, wrongful termination, wage violations and discrimination based on race, gender, disability and other protected characteristics. He has tried numerous cases to verdict and arbitration. His published opinions include Okonowsky v. Garland, 109 F.4th 1166 (9th Cir. 2024), which altered the legal landscape by holding that employers may be held liable for a Title VII hostile work environment based on a co-worker’s off-duty, personal social media posts.
Cory graduated from Loyola Law School where he served as a Staff Writer and Articles Editor for the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review. He is also a graduate of California State University, Northridge with a degree in Criminology and Corrections. Cory was a founding member of the firm, Hurwitz, Orihuela & Hayes, LLP and, after 15 years of success, merged with Brock & Gonzales, LLP to expand its employment law department.
Cory is licensed to practice in all California Courts; U.S. District Courts, Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California; U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit; and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Services. He is a member in good standing with the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) and Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA).
Cory has been recognized as a California “Super Lawyer” by Los Angeles Magazine each year since 2012. He has performed pro bono services through Neighborhood Legal Services and Volunteers in Parole.
Cory served in the United States Army Reserve from 1993-2005 as an enlisted soldier and commissioned officer for military intelligence and quartermaster units. In 2003, he was deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. When not working, Cory enjoys spending time with his wife Tiffany, son Trent, and their two dogs. He also enjoys playing pickup volleyball and soccer, traveling, and following the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rachel L. McClintock
Rachel is a Partner and head of the California Labor & Employment group. She is recognized by Best Lawyers in America as a Labor & Employment litigator.
A go-to resource in California employment matters, Rachel leverages her two decades of litigation experience and detailed subject matter expertise to counsel clients. Rachel’s practice spans multiple sectors, including healthcare, hospitality and restaurant management, construction, trucking, and technology.
Rachel has extensive experience defending claims for wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblowing, and wage and hour matters.
She handles matters at all stages, including counseling clients to mitigate risk, responding to state and federal agency claims (such as the EEOC, DIR and CRD), mediation, arbitration, and trial. Rachel has successfully achieved multiple summary judgment rulings in both court and arbitration and has successfully tried cases and achieved defense verdicts on her clients’ behalf.
Rachel’s thorough, strategic approach allows her to adapt litigation styles to meet the needs of each individual client and case.
Tristan Mullis, Esq.
Tristan Mullis is a founding Shareholder at Waterkotte Mullis Moreno & Garles, PC, a multi-state civil litigation firm. Tristan is an experienced litigator who has successfully represented clients from a wide array of industries and professions.
Tristan’s practice has primarily focused on defending businesses and non-profit organizations in employment-related matters such as workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour violations, both in single plaintiff and class disputes.
Tristan also has substantial experience in other forms of business litigation including property loss, personal injuries, trucking and transportation, and contract disputes. Tristan has also successfully represented clients in various appellate matters, and has prevailed at the California Court of Appeal in multiple cases. In addition to litigation, Tristan has extensive experience collaborating with employers to craft and implement policies and practices to maximize personnel while reducing liability risks.
This includes drafting employee handbooks and other policy forms, workplace investigations, conducting training sessions and speaking engagements, and direct consultation with human resources professionals.
Tristan previously worked as a claims counsel for a large insurance carrier handling litigation covered under Employment Practices Liability, Errors and Omissions, and Directors & Officers policies.
Jennifer Pear, Esq.
Jennifer Pear is a claims professional and licensed attorney with a focus on healthcare and risk management, specializing in high value and complex healthcare professional liability and general liability matters. She has directed the handling of hundreds of claims, including many successful mediations.
Ms. Pear spent the majority of her career in various roles within the broader healthcare industry, prior to moving into risk and then claims where she was acting as director of claims for a multi-state healthcare system.
Her background in behavioral analysis brings a unique perspective to the claims arena and has been instrumental in creating effective strategy for claims resolution and risk mitigation.
Ms. Pear serves on the education committee for the Southern California Association for Healthcare Risk Management (SCAHRM).
She presented at the 2026 California Society for Healthcare Risk Management (CSHRM) and SCAHRM conferences, focusing on the relationship between claims/risk/counsel and considerations for managing and resolving claims.
Angela Reddock-Wright, Esq.
Angela Reddock-Wright is a nationally respected mediator and neutral with Signature Resolution and has extensive experience in employment law, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour disputes. An attorney for over thirty years, Angela has been a full-time neutral since 2019 and began her path to becoming a neutral in 2010.
As a former litigator and high stakes workplace and Title IX investigator, her mediation practice also encompasses Title IX matters involving K–12 schools and higher education institutions involving claims of discrimination, harassment, sexual abuse and misconduct, hazing, and bullying.
She also handles complex cases involving governmental entities, public sector and law enforcement agencies, and religious institutions, in addition to mass tort, class action, and Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) matters. In addition to her day-to-day mediation practice, Angela is available to serve as a court appointed neutral (formerly called “special master”), settlement claims and allocations neutral, consent decree or other oversight monitor in these and similar disputes.
Angela received her early training as a neutral at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, in addition to her past role as an arbitrator and mediator with the American Arbitration Association.
She is a Distinguished Fellow with the International Academy of Mediators, fellow of the College of Labor & Employment Lawyers, and member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. She is a past president of the Southern California Mediation Association and adjunct faculty in the Employment Mediation Clinic at USC Gould School of Law.
Angela has been named a Best Lawyer in America for employment law and mediation and has been named a Southern California Top 50 Woman Attorney, Employment Lawyer, and Super Lawyer for multiple years, among other honors.
She is a graduate of UCLA School of Law, Amherst College, and the Brentwood School of Los Angeles. She is a former public affairs fellow with Coro, and business and community fellow with the German Marshall Fund.
Angela has served in public office (the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees) and has served on numerous government and non-profit sector boards, along with bar association boards. She is an active member of her civic and church community, and believes that, to whom much is given, much is required.
Angela is the author of the book, The Workplace Transformed: 7 Crucial Lessons from the Global Pandemic, host of the radio show and podcast Legal Lens with Angela Reddock-Wright, and frequent speaker on various topics on employment and Title IX law and other legal topics, women in law, and issues of equity in the workplace and the practice of law.
Angela is a proud wife, daughter, bonus mom, and nana, and enjoys traveling and simple times and pleasures with family and friends. She feels privileged to be a mediator and to work with parties only on a daily basis to assist in bringing resolution to their matters.
Andrew O. Smith, Esq.
Andrew O. Smith, Esq. is a full-time neutral and mediator with extensive experience in litigation and alternative dispute resolution. After nearly 25 years as a litigator in Southern California, he now helps parties reach practical, early resolutions with a calm, collaborative approach. He has represented Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, small businesses, and individuals, giving him a broad perspective on the issues and motivations at play in complex disputes.
Smith previously served as managing shareholder in the Los Angeles office of a prominent multi-state law firm and has participated in more than 1,000 mediations as either a mediator or attorney. He is recognized for facilitating open dialogue, communicating effectively, and working efficiently toward cooperative outcomes.
He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Pepperdine University School of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Florida State University. He is admitted in California and has been recognized by Super Lawyers for his work in alternative dispute resolution.
Adam Wannon
Adam Wannon is the CEO of Scale Mediation. He first got into mediation by helping his dad and quickly developed a deep passion for supporting other mediators in this beautiful profession.
With a background in computer science and experience working with some of the world’s leading organizations, Adam now focuses on building tools and solutions that make it easier for mediators to grow their practices and do the work they love.
William "Woody" Woodland, Esq.
William O. “Woody” Woodland of Behar Gibbs Savage Paulson is , a partner, ABOTA member and trial lawyer who focuses on general liability, automobile litigation, homeowners liability, and premises liability. In the past he has represented numerous agencies, insurance companies, construction developers, and entertainment companies. In addition, Mr. Woodland has represented cities, counties, and governmental agencies, including the Metropolitan Transit Board (MTA) in defense of Tort and Civil Rights claims.
His successes for clients include, defense verdicts in civil trials and multiple arbitrations. He has extensive experience in mediation of multiparty and multi-insurance carrier litigation.
He began his career with the firm John Hill and Associates where he worked the next seven years ultimately joining Ford, Walker, Haggerty & Behar in early 2002.
He is currently a partner with Behar Gibbs Savage Pauson.
Mr. Woodland spent six years as an at large committee member for the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (ASCDC) previously presenting at its annual conventions on subjects including Code of Civil Procedure 998 statutory offers to compromise, and litigation strategy.
Mr. Woodland presented at the 2026 ASCDC convention on the subject called “Crash Course, Winning Auto Cases: Evidence, Experts and Early Moves with Evidence and Strategy.”
Michael D. Young, Esq.
Michael D. Young, Esq. was at the forefront of the mediation movement, beginning his mediation training in 1989 and developing a mediation practice that complemented his trial and litigation practice. After more than 25 years as an employment, intellectual property, and business litigator and trial attorney with a national law firm, Mike left his litigation practice in 2011 to join Judicate West full-time helping parties resolve disputes through mediation.
Mike never stopped learning or sharing, immersing himself in the mediation profession, taking and teaching mediation courses around the world, serving as the President of the International Academy of Mediators, and teaching ADR courses as an adjunct professor at USC Law for almost a decade and at Pepperdine’s world-renowned Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. Since joining Judicate West, Mike has mediated and resolved thousands of cases in all areas of the law, but with a particular focus on employment, intellectual property, environmental and business disputes.
Mike continually seeks to create mediation processes that better and more efficiently meet the needs of lawyers and their clients alike, and has earned a reputation for his creative and “out of the box” techniques. He is known to settle contentious and complex disputes in innovative ways that the parties themselves had not previously considered. He prides himself on tirelessly following up and developing solutions tailored to each case. Mike is a believer in paying it forward through his teaching, public speaking and writing, and his more personal mentoring of new mediators.
Attorney’s have praised Mike’s creativity and doggedness. Said one attorney following a difficult employment mediation: “Your ideas were very creative, and your no-nonsense approach was exactly right for this case. I’ve been in over 200 mediations from all perspectives, but the job you did this week really stands out.” Commented another: “Mike was very effective in building credibility with both plaintiffs and the defense in an emotionally charged case involving several plaintiffs. He was able to get to the heart of the issues and put the parties on a path to resolution while giving everyone an opportunity to be heard. His tireless follow up and accessibility was crucial to the resolution of the case.” Said a third: “I have used mediators for over three decades, and Mike came up with approaches, ideas, and solutions that were new to me. That mediation was a success because Mike Young refused to let it fail.”