Paul Monicatti has been an arbitrator since 1983, a mediator since 1986, pioneered the use of mediation in Michigan in the mid-1980s, and has been a full-time professional mediator and arbitrator in Michigan and other venues since 1990.

With extensive training and experience in all phases of conflict resolution, Paul has served as an independent neutral in thousands of pre-suit and litigated tort and commercial disputes of all types and value. His experience as a court-appointed or party-selected mediator, settlement master, arbitrator, facilitator, case evaluator, receiver, expert witness, umpire, and referee is extensive:

The court-appointed Settlement Master who helped resolve the unprecedented, landmark Flint, Michigan water contamination remediation case in federal court

The court-appointed Mediator who helped resolve the Flint long-term water source dispute in federal court

The court-appointed Settlement Master who helped resolve the multi-billion dollar Dow Corning breast implant insurance coverage litigation in state court involving 112 defendants (only a handful of defendants didn’t settle, went to trial, and lost)

The party-selected Mediator who helped resolve the largest fair housing discrimination case in US history

Paul was also instrumental in establishing the pro bono early mediation program for pro se prisoner civil rights cases in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Best Lawyers in America named Paul the Detroit Area ADR “Lawyer of the Year” in 2011 and the “Arbitration Lawyer of the Year” for the Troy Metro Region in 2018.

Paul authored the chapter on Mediation, Arbitration, and Other Dispute Resolution Methods and co-authored the chapter on Settlement, Negotiation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution in ICLE’s Michigan Civil Procedure. Also an educator, he has taught negotiation, mediation, and arbitration advocacy skills as an adjunct professor at Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and has been a guest lecturer at other law schools including the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, University of Detroit, and Case Western Reserve University.

Paul is the co-founder of Strongbridge Negotiation Strategists, a consulting service that provides negotiation advice, consultation, and training to businesses and individuals.

EDUCATION

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW, Juris Doctor

OAKLAND UNIVERSITY, Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry 

CERTIFICATIONS & TRAINING

United States Arbitration & Mediation Mediator Training (Basic and Advanced)

United States Arbitration & Mediation Medical Staff Hearing Officer Training

American Arbitration Association Securities and Computer Arbitrator Training

Pepperdine University School of Law, Masters Forum for Mediators

Court-Approved Mediator for Federal Courts in Michigan and Indiana

Court-Approved Mediator for State Courts in Michigan

International Academy of Mediators Semiannual Educational and Skills Enhancement Conferences

Michigan State-Certified Advanced Mediation Training

HONORS & AWARDS

Best Lawyers in America®, 2005 to present

Best Lawyers “Arbitration Lawyer of the Year,” Troy Metro Region, 2018

Best Lawyers, “ADR Lawyer of the Year,” Detroit Area, 2011

Michigan Lawyers Weekly “Leaders in the Law",” 2019

Super Lawyers, Michigan (Thomson Reuters), 2006 to present

DBusiness Magazine “Top Lawyers”

Crain's Detroit Business “Top Attorneys”

U.S. News & World Report Top Tier Law Firm 

Who's Who Legal: Mediation (Top 100 Mediators in the United States), 2017

Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution Recognition Award (for dedicated service and commitment to the needs of its culturally diverse community, 2017

AV Preeminent Lawyer (Martindale Hubbell), Peer Review Rating of 5.0 out of 5.0, 1989 to present

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND ASSOCIATIONS

State Bar of Michigan

Member, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section

American Bar Association

Member, Dispute Resolution Section

International Academy of Mediators

Co-Founder, Distinguished Fellow, Board Member, and Past President

National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals

Charter Member (since 2010)

ACCESS ADR

National Advisory Board Member

Institute of Continuing Legal Education

Mediation Advisory Board Member, Seminar Speaker, and Faculty Member

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Magistrate Judgment Merit Selection Panel

Federal Bar Association

Member, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter

Professional Resolution Experts of Michigan (PREMi)

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

International Academy of Mediators Semiannual Educational Conferences

Med-Arb: The New Frontier in ADR (PREMi)

Michigan Civil Procedure, Chapter 16: Mediation, Arbitration, and Other ADR Methods, Institute of Continuing Legal Education (2012)

A Practice Guide for Using Private Mediation/Facilitation, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, 1995

Author of numerous articles for Michigan Lawyers Weekly, The Detroit Legal News, Mediate.com, Michigan Bar Journal, The Michigan Dispute Resolution Journal, State Bar of Michigan Labor and Employment Law Section’s Lawnotes, Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and State Bar of Michigan Cultural Awareness Project Manual

Speaker at conferences presented by the American Bar Association, Inc. magazine (on negotiation), International Academy of Mediators, Association for Conflict Resolution, State Bar of Michigan Alternative Dispute Resolution and Labor and Employment Law Sections, Michigan Judicial Institute, various local bar associations, Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Professional Resolution Experts of Michigan (PREMi), Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Maryland, and the Southwest Conference on Conflict Management sponsored by Lipscomb University

“Let’s Make a Deal,” Inc. Magazine, May 2017 (interviewed and quoted as an expert on negotiation tips and strategies)

Videotaped twice for training purposes while conducting mediation simulations