Looney & Grossman Announces Alternative Dispute Resolution & Mediation Practice

Looney & Grossman has announced the creation of its Alternative Dispute Resolution & Mediation Practice. Leading the Practice will be partners Joe Berman and Pat Saint James.

Joe Berman is a qualified mediator, having completed the Commonwealth of Massachusetts's requisite training, and a member of the New England Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution (NE-ACR).  He mediates cases of all types including employment, commercial contracts, real estate, insurance, and professional liability, taking a practical and business-oriented approach to dispute resolution.  With twenty years of experience as a trial lawyer, he is able to quickly grasp the central issue in dispute, using creative approaches to solve seemingly intractable problems. Joe provides the litigants a unique perspective on how the case may play out in court.

Joe has extensive experience in civil litigation.  He represents businesses and individuals in a wide range of commercial disputes, including employment, contract and corporate matters.  His practice also focuses on the defense of lawyers and other professionals in malpractice and disciplinary proceedings, as well as the defense of insurance companies in coverage and statutory actions.  In addition to an active trial practice, Joe has briefed and argued numerous appeals in state and federal courts.

Pat Saint James has specialized in the area of domestic relations for the past twenty-five years.  She has dealt with complex issues involving divorce, valuation of assets, custody disputes, tax analysis and jurisdictional issues, as well as the drafting of DivorceAgreements and Pre-Nuptial Agreements.  Pat also has a diverse transactional business practice.  She has broad experience in divestiture transactions, and in commercial and residential real estate projects.

Last year, Pat completed MCLE's four-day, thirty-hour family law mediation workshop.  This training enables her to serve as a domestic relations mediator in compliance with the Commonwealth's requirements under Rule 8 of the Uniform Rules of Dispute Resolution.  Throughout her career, Pat has provided her clients with the legal framework to resolve their disputes through negotiation or mediation, utilizing litigation only as a last resort.  Pat brings that philosophy and her vast experience in family law and commercial transactions to her mediation practice, helping parties reach an efficient and practical resolution to divorce proceedings, custody disputes, paternity actions, modification proceedings, removal cases, same-sex marriage, business valuations and partnership issues.

Pat has been designated a "Super Lawyer" by Boston Magazine, and is AV-rated® by the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory, its highest rating for legal ability and professional ethics.  She has also been named a Readers' Choice Top 10 Lawyer by the Boston Women's Business Journal. Pat is a member of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation.