Marianne Lloyd Aho is a shareholder with Marks Gray, P.A. and is a civil litigator who has focused her practice on liability defense and commercial litigation work for over nineteen years. Ms. Aho's professional experience includes extensive representation of lenders in commercial foreclosures. She also served for approximately five years on the Board of Directors for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc.; this experience makes her particularly suited for the mediation of foreclosure matters. Marianne has been awarded a rating of "AV," the highest rating possible by her peers through Martindale-Hubbell. She also appears in both the July 2007 and July 2008 editions of Florida Trend magazine as Florida’s Legal Elite and was named to both the 2008 and 2009 Super Lawyers list. Only 5% of the lawyers in Florida earn the Super Lawyers honor. Her civil litigation practice includes the following: automobile, governmental liability, premises liability, products liability, property damage, trucking and transportation law, UM/UIM, and commercial and business litigation.

Marianne received her J.D. from Florida State University College of Law (with honors). She is licensed to practice law in the state of Florida and is a member of The Florida Bar and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida.

As a litigator for nearly two decades, Marianne knows that mediation can be a very useful tool in solving legal problems and finding a resolution that is best for all parties involved.

To schedule a mediation with Marianne Lloyd Aho, contact her at maho@jaxmediationcenter.com

Cindy L. Anderson has primarily practiced employment law for almost 30 years in many capacities: first as an attorney, later also as a professor of employment law at UNF for several years, and for the past 15 years, as an arbitrator and mediator. She has also mediated and arbitrated insurance, contract, business, and civil rights issues, lectured at employment law seminars, and published articles in the Florida Bar Journal and elsewhere. She received her JD with honors from the University of Florida. She is licensed to practice law in Florida and Georgia, has been appointed to AAA’s Panels for Employment and Commercial Arbitrators and Mediators, and is a Certified Florida Circuit Court mediator and Trained Court Appointed Arbitrator. Cindy believes that a negotiated settlement gives parties more power in resolving a dispute than the litigation process will allow them, and enjoys helping them consider the options which will provide them with an avenue to resolution.

To schedule a mediation with Cindy Anderson, contact her at canderson@jaxmediationcenter.com

Suzanne Bass has practiced law in Jacksonville since 1982 when she was hired to be an Assistant State Attorney. This experience followed a stint in the Public Defender's Office in Lake City, Florida. She is from Live Oak, Florida. She attended Oxford College of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated from law school from the University of Richmond in Virginia. She is also licensed to practice in Virginia. In private practice since 1984, she has been AV rated (the pinnacle of professional excellence) since 1990. She is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers by Martindale-Hubbell. Suzanne has extensive jury and non-jury trial experience in state and federal courts drawing on expertise in diverse areas of the law including criminal defense, personal injury, dissolution of marriage, child custody, adoption, and administrative law. As a Certified Circuit Civil Mediator and Certified Family Mediator, she believes that her womanly insights honed by three decades of advocacy and 50-plus years of real life give her a unique ability to help people find dispute resolution. She achieves this through sensitive treatment, careful listening and a pledge to be, at all times, fair, respectful, and neutral.

To schedule a mediation with Suzanne Bass, contact her at sbass@jaxmediationcenter.com

N. Mark Becker attended Jacksonville University receiving a B.S. in 1981 and an M.B.A. in 1983. He then attended the University of Bridgeport School of Law, receiving a J. D. in 1984. He is a member of the Florida Bar; the American Bar Association; the Jacksonville Bar Association; The Workers’ Compensation Section of the Florida Bar and the Jacksonville Bar; United States District Court, Middle District of Florida. His past legal experience includes: Florida East Coast Industries, Inc.; Coker, Myers, Schickel, Cooper & Sorenson; and N. Mark Becker, P. A., 1994-present. Mr. Becker is a Certified Circuit Court Mediator and a Certified District Court, Middle District, Mediator. Mr. Becker is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell. Mr. Becker’s areas of concentration are workers’ compensation and employment-related issues. Mr. Becker is also available for foreclosure mediations. As a mediator, Mark prides himself on thinking outside the box to assist the parties in self determination.

To schedule a mediation with Mark Becker, contact him at mbecker@jaxmediationcenter.com

Dudley Birder
Since 1982, I have successfully litigated, tried and settled thousands of civil cases on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants.

Additionally, since 1999, as a Supreme Court Certified Circuit Mediator, I have mediated more than 1,000 disputes throughout Central and North Florida. These involved an array of issues and often these disputes involved six and seven figure values.

Some of the specific issues involved have included, but are not limited to, wrongful death, trucking, product liability, premises liability, personal injury, nursing home, malpractice, motor vehicle, insurance coverage, general liability, civil rights, business disputes, commercial disputes, contract disputes and real estate.

Further, I provide both mediation and arbitration services. My many years experience as an AV Preeminent rated, Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer have benefited me greatly during my years as a Supreme Court Certified Circuit Mediator and Supreme Court Trained Arbitrator.

Allow my mediation and litigation experience to help you CREATE SUCCESS ONE SETTLEMENT AT A TIME.

To schedule a mediation with Dudley Birder, contact him at dbirder@jaxmediationcenter.com

William S. Burroughs, Jr . is a sole practitioner attorney and he has been certified as a Mediator (Circuit-Civil) by the Florida Supreme Court. He has also received the arbitration training provided by the Dispute Resolution Center of that court. He is a member of the bars of Florida (1994), the District of Columbia (1982) and Virginia (1967). He has practiced as a trial lawyer his entire legal career of over 41 years, including service as the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney of Arlington County, Virginia (criminal prosecutor) (1974-1979). In that office he supervised a staff of thirteen, including eight lawyers at a time. In all, he supervised approximately 25 attorneys. Including the cases he has supervised, as well as those he has handled personally, he is a veteran of thousands of cases, civil and criminal, both in court and in arbitration. After leaving that office in 1979, Mr. Burroughs again became a sole practitioner and served for a time as counsel to a medium-sized firm in the District of Columbia. In 1982, he received a Master of Laws degree (L.L.M.) from Georgetown University, in Securities Regulation. Since that time he has been primarily a civil litigator in state and federal trial and appellate courts and in the securities arbitration forum of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), and its successor, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). He has experience with securities claims, tax collection, business contract and fraud claims, as well as claims for negligence, premises liability or medical malpractice resulting in personal injury.

To schedule a mediation with Bill Burroughs, contact him at wburroughs@jaxmediationcenter.com

Barbara Ceryak has worked with families in various capacities her entire working life. She started her career in education, teaching in Ohio and Florida and has also worked in the areas of literacy, child abuse, parent education, and domestic violence. She served as a staff member in Court Administration in the Third Circuit from 2001 – 2010, serving first as Domestic Violence Coordinator, and most recently as Program Family Mediator.

She graduated from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and later obtained an M.Ed degree from the University of Florida.

Barbara has been a Supreme Court Certified Mediator since 1997, and is certified in Family, Dependency and County mediation. She has completed both the Circuit/Civil Mediation, and the Foreclosure Mediation courses. She has primarily focused on family mediation cases. She strongly believes that family issues are best resolved by the family members themselves and that most people can resolve their issues with the assistance of a neutral third party facilitating the discussion.

Barbara is presently a Director of the Suwannee Valley Foreclosure Mediation Program, a non-profit organization that is facilitating the mediation of foreclosure cases

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Brian E. Clarke is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator who received his BA degree in English from Hampton University, Hampton Virginia. He further studied at Oxford University and the University of Bathe, Bathe, England. Brian received a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law. With a background in higher government, he served in the capacity of Senior Advisor on Policy and Legislation to the Mayor of the City of Miami, as well as in Legislative Affairs in Miami Dade County. In both capacities, Brian was regularly the chief negotiator with various elected officials statewide.

Mr. Clarke has had a successful mediation practice, Clarke Mediation and Resolution Services, where he specializes in the areas of Governmental/Municipal, Foreclosures, Personal Injury, Insurance and Contractual Disputes. Mr. Clarke believes that effective mediation not only prevents high litigation costs, but tends to bring resolution through a more concrete understanding between opposing parties.

To schedule a mediation with Brian Clarke, contact him at bclarke@jaxmediationcenter.com

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William L. Coalson obtained his BSBA from the University of Florida, and his J.D. from FSU - therein lies a tale. Prior to obtaining his law degree, he was a real estate appraiser which led him into the field of eminent domain in which he has specialized as an appraiser and attorney since 1963. He has represented condemnors and condemnees throughout the state of Florida and is counsel of record in numerous reported appellate decisions. As a Certified Circuit Civil Mediator, he brings a wealth of experience to the table in real estate and eminent domain matters and enjoys a very high success rate in mediated eminent domain cases.

To schedule a mediation with Bill Coalson, contact him at wcoalson@jaxmediationcenter.com

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Robert L. Cowles is a trial lawyer, mediator and arbitrator, with forty (40) years’ experience as a member of the Florida Bar and the State Bar of Georgia. His undergraduate degree was obtained at the University of North Carolina and his law degree was received at Emory University Law School in 1969. He is a Certified Circuit Civil Mediator and a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. He has mediated and arbitrated many cases over the years since 1991. He is a former Circuit Court Judge. He has taught Alternative Dispute Resolution to future lawyers at Florida Coastal School of Law since 2003.

Mr. Cowles represented insurance companies and manufacturers, as well as plaintiffs in personal injury and commercial cases, in addition to being a Mediator and Arbitrator. His arbitrations are for the American Arbitration Association, FINRA, and also cases under the Florida Arbitration Act.

Mr. Cowles focuses on helping the parties reach their own settlement in mediations.

To schedule a mediation with Robert Cowles, contact him at rcowles@jaxmediationcenter.com

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Steven Fahlgren is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator. As an attorney who has split his time in law firms primarily representing defendants and plaintiffs, he is uniquely qualified to mediate many types of disputes. He is an Approved Mediator for all Florida Circuit Courts and for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Mr. Fahlgren has participated in numerous mediations. Prior to law school, Mr. Fahlgren served on active duty in the United States Army as a Counterintelligence Assistant and Agent including an assignment in South Korea. After obtaining his B.A. from the University of Florida, he earned his law degree from the University of Florida where he graduated with Honors in 1994. He holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, reflecting the highest available distinction for his legal ability and adherence to ethical standards.

Mr. Fahlgren has over 15 years of experience as an attorney in the areas of employment law, consumer protection, commercial litigation, and collection law. As a trial attorney, he has successfully prosecuted a same-sex sexual harassment case to a million dollar verdict and a $2.9 million dollar verdict against Equifax, the highest ever against that credit reporting agency, in a consumer protection case. On the other hand, Mr. Fahlgren spent the first half of his practice in law firms that primarily represented defendants; and, thus, has significant experience in representing corporations in collection, creditor’s remedies, consumer protection and employment law cases. He has taught other lawyers at state and national seminars and future lawyers as a guest lecturer at Florida Coastal School of Law. His lectures have ranged from defamation and the Fair Credit Reporting Act to technology law. He is also very experienced in consumer protection law.

As a mediator, Mr. Fahlgren is an active listener, works hard to understand the parties and their concerns, and seeks to overcome obstacles to resolve all or part of every case that he mediates. Mr. Fahlgren has also received his certification to mediate foreclosure mediations.

To schedule a mediation with Steven Fahlgren, contact him at sfahlgren@jaxmediationcenter.com

Sheldon ("Shelley") Boney Forte grew up in Jacksonville and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia. She was a legislative assistant in the Florida House of Representatives to Ander Crenshaw for 4 years and to Fred Tygart for an additional 2 years. After participating in the law-making process, she decided to pursue the practice of law, earning her Juris Doctorate, with honors, from Florida State University College of Law in 1983. She was an Assistant Public Defender for 3 years, then became a civil practitioner for 11 years, working primarily in the field of workers' compensation (including Longshore Act claims) and asbestos litigation. Recognizing the merits of mediation, she became a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator in 1996, specializing in workers' compensation. In 1997, she was appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles to join Andy Goshen as one of two full-time mediators in the Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims, Jacksonville District. Together, they often ranked highest among the 32 state mediators in resolving claims. In 2003, she and Mr. Goshen formed Goshen & Forte Mediations, an on-going full-time mediation firm. To date, she has mediated more than 5,000 cases, involving settlements ranging from a few thousand dollars to catastrophic cases in excess of a million dollars. Because of her on-going commitment to dispute resolution, she is currently completing her Florida Supreme Court Family Mediation Certification, and is also approved to conduct foreclosure mediations. She believes that empowering parties to negotiate in a principled manner and to exercise effective self-determination through creative settlement alternatives is one of the most important contributions she can make to the legal system and to the participants in it.

To schedule a mediation with Shelley Forte, contact her at sforte@jaxmediationcenter.com

Robert Frenzel is a graduate of the DePaul University, College of Law, in Chicago, Illinois, and a member of the Illinois Bar since 1983.  He brings a 25-year business and legal career to his mediation practice. He is a Certified Circuit Civil Mediator with specialties in Aviation, Commercial Contracts, Customs and Export, Employment and Labor, Real Estate, Trucking and Transportation. Robert worked his way up the corporate ladder at UPS, where he dealt with employee disputes, EEOC and state employment cases, labor relations, workers compensation, subrogation, workplace safety, commercial contracts, government relations, administrative agency and aviation matters.  Robert was also the Senior Vice President for Safety and Operations at the Air Transport Association in Washington, DC. Building upon the ten years spent working with and lobbying the Congress and Administration in Washington, DC, Robert has unique perspectives and experiences in bringing diverse interests together to find solutions. 

To schedule a mediation with Bob Frenzel, contact him at rfrenzel@jaxmediationcenter.com

Andrew B. Goshen moved to Jacksonville after receiving his law degree from  FSU College of Law in 1982. Mr. Goshen began working for the Smith Davenport firm. In 1984, he began his own practice in the area of workers’ compensation, social security and foreclosure litigation. In 1993, the Supreme Court of Florida certified Mr. Goshen as a Circuit Civil mediator  By 1995, Mr. Goshen became a full time Mediator in the Office of the Judge of Compensation Claims in Jacksonville, completing over five thousand mediations ranging from a few thousand to over a million dollars. Mr. Goshen’s resolution rate was around 90%, often the highest among the 32 state mediators. Based on that success, he started the ongoing Goshen and Forte Mediations in 2004. His tools include establishing a settlement atmosphere, quickly identifying where the real issues are, and creative problem solving through polite persistence with respect for the parties.

To schedule a mediation with Andy Goshen, contact him at agoshen@jaxmediationcenter.com

Bruce J. Greenspan has been actively engaged in the practice of law in Jacksonville since 1977. He received his law degree from the University of  Florida College of Law, with honors, in 1976, and began his legal career as an Assistant Public Defender in the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida (Jacksonville), defending persons charged with crimes ranging from DWI to robbery and murder. Entering private practice in 1979, Bruce represented individuals and families in all manner of litigation, including criminal defense, marital, and family law, and personal injury. In 1985, he began exclusively representing individuals in claims involving serious bodily injury and/or wrongful death. In 2001 Bruce became certified by the Florida Supreme court as a Circuit Court Mediator.

To schedule a mediation with Bruce Greenspan, contact him at bgreenspan@jaxmediationcenter.com

G. Thomas Harper is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator. As a Board Certified Labor and Employment lawyer, he is uniquely qualified to mediate employment-related disputes. He is an Approved Mediator for all Florida Circuit Courts and for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Mr. Harper has participated in approximately 100 employment-related mediations.

Mr. Harper is “av” rated by Martindale Hubble and has 30 years of experience as a labor relations and employment law attorney. For the past 20 years Mr. Harper has served as Editor of the Florida Employment Law Letter. Mr. Harper is an Adjunct Instructor for the University of North Florida, Division of Continuing Education where he teaches programs to business owners, managers and supervisors on labor and employment law topics. He is also the current Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Committee for the Jacksonville Bar Association.

Mr. Harper handles cases involving the full range of statutory and contract claims under employment ADR systems and pursuant to individual employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements. As an employment attorney he has handled claims of discrimination (race, sex, religion, age, disability and national origin), sexual harassment and claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act. He is an experienced wage hour litigator and handles cases on wage payment, breaches of individual employment contracts, drug testing, wrongful termination, retaliation claims, OSHA and non-compete litigation. He handles cases of contract interpretation, collective bargaining, seniority, jurisdiction, and “just cause” and “for cause” discipline and terminations.

To schedule a mediation with Thomas Harper, contact him at gtharper@jaxmediationcenter.com

Charles Cook Howell, III is a third-generation Jacksonville, Florida, trial lawyer. He obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and his law degree from the University of Florida, College of Law. Before joining the Scott-McRae Group as its Corporate Counsel in 2007, Charlie was an AV-rated trial lawyer, practicing at the trial and appellate level in many different areas of law, including personal injury, wrongful death, products liability, legal malpractice, medical malpractice, insurance coverage and bad faith, construction defects, and commercial disputes.

Charlie has a great deal of experience on “both sides of the table”, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. He is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer (since 1983), a Certified Circuit Civil Mediator (since 1994), a Federal Court Certified Mediator, and a trained Court Appointed Arbitrator.

Charlie believes in the mediation process. He enjoys and welcomes the challenges of helping parties arrive at their own resolutions of their disputes, but does not hesitate to call upon his own broad experience when and as appropriate.

To schedule a mediation with Charles Cook Howell, III, contact him at chowell@jaxmediationcenter.com

Ralph J. Humphries is a graduate of the University of Florida where he obtained his BA in Business Administration in 1974, and his law degree in 1976.  He has practiced in the Jacksonville area since 1977, and in the personal injury field since 1984.  Mr. Humphries specializes in Workers’ Compensation and medical malpractice, primarily for the defense.  Mr. Humphries has successfully mediated hundreds of cases.  He believes in fully educating the parties in their options and the ramifications of choices made, thus helping promote a logical resolution of cases.

To schedule a mediation with Ralph Humphries, contact him at rhumphries@jaxmediationcenter.com

Kevin C. Lunsford has more than 22 years of litigation experience as an attorney with offices in Fort Lauderdale and Live Oak, Florida. Having been raised in the family construction business, Kevin focused his law practice in the areas of construction lien law, construction defects, contract disputes, debtor-creditor, and commercial litigation.

While representing clients in his law practice, Kevin became more and more concerned with the costs, both financial and emotional, of navigating a civil dispute through Florida’s court system. As an alternative to the sometimes unpredictable outcomes and seemingly endless delays, Kevin devoted more of his practice to serving as a third party neutral and opened North Florida Mediation in Live Oak, Florida.

Kevin attended the University of Florida and received his JD from Nova Southeastern University. He is licensed to practice in the State of Florida and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida and has been awarded a “BV” Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Kevin is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil, County and Family Mediator, is a Qualified Court Appointed Arbitrator and serves as an Assistant Trainer for Certified Circuit Civil and Family Mediation Training Programs. He has completed the Florida Supreme Court’s most recent training requirements for Foreclosure Mediators and conducts Foreclosure Mediations. Kevin also serves as a contract mediator for the Third Circuit’s Family Mediation Program.

To schedule a mediation with Kevin C. Lunsford, contact him at klunsford@jaxmediationcenter.com

Blane McCarthy is an AV-rated civil trial attorney and mediator who received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (magna cum laude) from Stetson University in 1992, and a Juris Doctorate degree (cum laude) from Stetson University College of Law in 1995 and has been AV-rated since 2002. He is a member of the Florida Bar, the Jacksonville Bar Association, Christian Legal Society, the Florida Justice Association, the Jacksonville Justice Association, and the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators.  In 2000, the Supreme Court of Florida certified Mr. McCarthy to conduct Circuit Civil Mediations. He has mediated injury, commercial, PIP, consumer, nursing home, construction, insurance, collections, probate and eminent domain cases.  Mr. McCarthy chairs the ADR Practitioners (Mediators) section of the Jacksonville Bar Association, and provides ADR services to the court system, private parties, the State of Florida, and the Better Business Bureau. " As a Certified Circuit Civil Mediator, I help bring peaceful resolutions to disputes in a way that is quick, professional and inexpensive ."

To schedule a mediation with Blane McCarthy, contact him at bmccarthy@jaxmediationcenter.com

John S. Mordecai was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, and graduated from Episcopal High School in 1974. He graduated with Distinction from the University of North Florida in 1978 with a Bachelors of Business Administration; his major was Real Estate. He then worked as a Real Estate Appraiser. He earned his law degree from Florida State University where he graduated with Honors in 1982. In the past 27 years, John has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in contractual, insurance, real estate, product liability, professional negligence (e.g. medical, legal, and architect), and general liability matters. The amounts in controversy in those cases ranged from less than ten thousand to five million dollars. He holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, reflecting the highest available distinction for legal ability and adherence to ethical standards. As a Certified Civil Circuit Mediator, John naturally establishes rapport with all mediation participants and has earned a reputation as being engaged, friendly and effective. He brings impartial diligence, energy, and reality to each conference.

To schedule a mediation with John Mordecai, contact him at jmordecai@jaxmediationcenter.com

R. Daniel Noey is a partner with Schutt, Schmidt, & Noey. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He then obtained his law degree from The Dickinson School of Law of Pennsylvania State University in 1982. After graduation from law school, Mr. Noey served on active duty in the United States Navy, from 1982 through 1989, as a member of the Judge Advocate General Corps. After leaving active duty, he continued in the United States Navy Reserve; and ultimately earned his retirement from the Navy, retiring at the rank of Commander. In 2005, he became a partner in his current firm. To see Mr. Noey's complete bio, click here.

Mr. Noey is admitted to the Florida Bar and the U. S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, and is a member of the Jacksonville Bar Association, Jacksonville Association of Defense Counsel, Jacksonville Claim Association, Florida Trial Lawyers, and Trial Lawyers of America. Mr. Noey specializes in civil trial litigation. His main areas of concentration include personal injury, wrongful death, insurance law and coverage issues, products liability, nursing home litigation, construction litigation, motor vehicle liability, and premises liability. He is also certified to mediate residential foreclosure cases.

To schedule a mediation with Dan Noey, contact him at dannoey@jaxmediationcenter.com

Edward L. Nowak is a Buffalo, New York native who migrated to Florida as a result of several career decisions. These included service as a Special Agent for the FBI, Assistant District Counsel for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Senior Attorney for the Florida Department of Transportation, and 30 years of private practice representing all manner of contractors, owners, bond sureties, and business clients - A path that has given him the unique ability to quickly identify and analyze the key legal and emotional issues involved in a dispute, and to suggest available win-win resolutions. From first-hand experience, he conveys to others the wisdom of finding alternative ways to settle disputes without litigation. Ed has lived in Jacksonville, Florida, for over 35 years. He is married and has four children. In addition to helping resolve disputes, he takes great pride and joy in his avocation as a fine art photographer. Favorite motto “Be unencumbered by reality”, or, at least what you think may be “reality”.

For Mr. Nowak's complete biography, click here.

To schedule a mediation with Ed Nowak, contact him at ednowak@jaxmediationcenter.com