Michael Diliberto has settled over 1,000 cases as a full-time professional mediator. His skillful resolution of the most complex and emotionally charged matters has made him one of the most sought after mediators in Southern California. Counsel and their clients appreciate his candid mediation style to help them analyze their options and make smart choices. The ability to empathize and connect with the parties, and his tireless effort to keep them talking at the negotiation table, enables him to settle the most “impossible” cases. Experienced in mediating with diverse cultures, Michael successfully resolves cross-cultural matters. An internationally-recognized speaker, consultant and writer on mediation, he has held seminars in the United States, Europe and South America. In 2007 he was appointed Administrative Law Judge pro tem for the Office of Administrative Hearings, to preside over hearings involving various agencies of the State of California.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
- Employment (discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour class actions)
- Real estate, construction and homeowners associations
- Business contracts, partnership and corporate matters
- Insurance coverage and bad faith issues
- Copyrights, patents, trademarks and unfair competition
- Entertainment and misappropriation of name and likeness
- Catastrophic personal injury
- Professional malpractice claims
JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS
- Administrative Law Judge pro tem: Office of Administrative Hearings, Los Angeles
- Hearing Examiner: Los Angeles Police Commission
- Hearing Officer: City of Santa Monica
- Hearing Officer: City of Long Beach
- Hearing Officer: Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS)
- Hearing Officer: Orange County Superior Court
DISPUTE RESOLUTION PANELS
- Settlement Officer: United States District Court, Central District of California
- Mediator: California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District
- Mediator and Arbitrator: Los Angeles Superior Court (Civil and Probate Panels)
- Arbitrator: Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA)
- Arbitrator: Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
- Mediator: International Trademark Association (INTA)
- Temporary Judge: Los Angeles Superior Court
FEATURED SPEAKER
- U.S. Department of State. Conducted mediation, arbitration and negotiation seminar for delegation of Bulgarian judges and judicial system officials [April 2011]
- Orange County Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section. “Reel ADR: A Review of Negotiation Techniques Found In Hollywood Movies” [March 2011]
- Continuing Education of the Bar, Los Angeles, California. “Selected Ethics Issues in Mediation and Settlement Negotiations” [February 2011]
- U.S. Department of State. Conducted mediation and arbitration seminar for delegation of Russian lawyers and government officials [July 2010]
- Academy for Training of Judges and Prosecutors of the Republic of Macedonia, Skopje, Macedonia. Conducted mediation seminars for Macedonian judges and lawyers; consulted with Macedonian government agencies about increasing mediation in their judicial system [April 2010]
- Corte Provincial de Justicia, Loja, Ecuador. Taught class on mediation to Ecuadorian judges (in Spanish) [January 2009]
- Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja. Ecuador. Taught classes on mediation to Ecuadorian judges and lawyers (in Spanish) [January 2009]
- ECOTEL Televisión, Loja, Ecuador. Ecuadorian television interview on mediation (in Spanish) [January 2009] Watch interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V00KrRVr4kM
- UV Televisión, Loja, Ecuador. Ecuadorian television interview on mediation (in Spanish) [January 2009] Watch interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-mEM3oXAQw
- Southern California Mediation Association, Annual Interactive Conference, Pepperdine University School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution [2005-2006, 2008, 2010 and 2011]
- “Insider Exclusive” TV Show, as President of the Italian American Lawyers Association [August 2007] Watch interview http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3244170198377142365
- Ninth Annual Negotiation Conference, California State University, Dominguez Hills [April 2007]
- Orange County Mediation Conference, “Face of the Orange County Mediator” [March 2007]
- SCMA Interactive Workshop, “The Business of Mediation” [2006-2007 and 2009]
- NewsTalk Radio KRLA, 870AM, “Effective Use of Arbitration and Mediation” [April 2004]
PUBLICATIONS
- “Mediation works, but will it play in Macedonia?” Daily Journal, Verdicts & Settlements [November 2011] http://www.adrservices.org/pdf/md dj.pdf
- Author of monthly mediation and negotiation articles [2009-present] View articles at http://www.SuperMediator.com/
- “Opening Offers – Who’s On First?” Advocate [October 2009] http://www.adrservices.org/pdf/Diliberto%20Advocate%20article.pdf
- “Five Tips From ‘The Business of Mediation’ Workshop,” Southern California Mediation Association Newsletter [April 2006]
- “The Mediator’s Lunch,” SCMA Newsletter [April 2006]
- “The Secret of Mediation is in Art,” SCMA Newsletter [August 2005]
- “Looking Through the Rear Window: a Review of the United States Supreme Court Decision in Stewart v. Abend,” Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Journal, Vol. 12, Issue 2 [1992] [Cited in “Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window” by John Belton, Cambridge University Press, 2000]
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
- Director: Dispute Resolution Services, Inc. (Los Angeles County Bar Association), 2006-2010
- Director: Southern California Mediation Association, (Co-Chair, Legislation Committee; Co-Chair, Courts Committee (Los Angeles Superior Court ADR Committee), 2005-2007)
- Member: California Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, 2005-present
- Member: Los Angeles Superior Court Bench/Bar Committee, 2005-present
- Member: American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Section, 2005-present
- Fulbright Senior Specialist, Council for International Exchange of Scholars, 2006-present
- Member: Los Angeles Copyright Society, 2006-present
- President, Italian American Lawyers Association, 2007
- Officer (Treasurer): Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council. Elected Representative of Business Stakeholders in Sherman Oaks District 4. Also, Chair: SONC Finance Committee; Member: SONC Land Use and Planning Committee, 2003-2004
- Admitted: State Bar of California, Florida and District of Columbia; Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, United States Federal Circuit, all California District Courts and USDC Southern District of Florida
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
- ADR Services, Inc., Mediator and Arbitrator, 2006-present
- Advantage Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc., President, Mediator and Arbitrator, 1993-present
- Kleinberg & Lerner, LLP, Partner, Los Angeles, California, 1993-2003
- Sheldon & Mak, LLP, Associate, Los Angeles, California, 1990-1993
- Allen, Allen & Hemsley - Solicitors, Sydney, Australia, 1989
- Diliberto, Booth, Sibley & Guttieres, Associate, Miami, Florida, 1987-1989
EDUCATION
- Advanced Mediation Certificate, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law, 2004-present
- Advanced Mediation Certificate, United States District Court, California Appellate Courts and other prominent dispute resolution institutions, 2003-present
- J.D., University of Miami School of Law, 1987
- Temple University School of Law, Summer Session, Rome, Italy, 1985
- B.A., University of Miami, 1981
LANGUAGE
Fluent in Spanish. Working knowledge of Italian.
SPECIAL AWARDS
- Certificate of Recognition for Distinction in the field of Dispute Resolution, awarded by Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley [January 2007]
- Certificate of Appreciation, presented by City of Los Angeles Councilmembers Wendy Greuel and Jack Weiss [June 2004]
FEATURED MEDIATOR
- Mediator Profile: “In Tune at the Table,” Daily Journal, Verdicts & Settlements [November 25, 2011]
- Mediator Profile: Daily Journal, Extra [April 19, 2004]