Brian McDonald, Esq.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2005 – Present McDonald & Mannion, San Francisco, California
2002 – Present Mediator, ADR Services, Inc., San Francisco, California
1975 – 2005 Spolter, McDonald & Mannion, San Francisco, California
1991 – 2002 Mediator, American Arbitration Association, San Francisco,
California
1996 – 1998 Adjunct Professor, University of San Francisco School of Law
1973 – 1975 Associate, Hoffman Wrixon & Gin (Tax, Probate, Trust,
Business & Personal Injury)
1971 – 1972 Deputy Public Defender
LITIGATION EXPERIENCE
• Civil trial practice of family law matters and probate matters
(including trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships) and trial team
management in negligence, personal injury, business and real estate
litigation from 1975 to present.
• Experience includes representing corporate and individual clients,
both plaintiff and defendants, in partnership, contract, commercial and
personal injury actions.
• Criminal experience in felony jury trials, preliminary hearings, and
numerous felony and misdemeanor court trials.
MEDIATION EXPERIENCE
Successfully mediated more than 700 disputes, with a special emphasis on
multi-party and highly emotional mediations. Facilitated settlement in
numerous cases involving:
• estate planning and probate litigation
• automobile collisions, trucks, bicycle, motorcycle
• premises liability
• negligent care, wrongful death
• sexual abuse
• real estate sales disputes
• dissolution of marriage
• prenuptial agreements
• wrongful eviction
• defective products
• employment contract disputes
• neighborhood disputes
MEDIATION TRAINING
• Victims of Violent Crimes (36 hours, 2002)
• PEER Mediation - Conflict Management (24 hours, 2000)
• First District Court of Appeals (20 hours, 2000)
• Academy of Family Mediators (Chicago, 1999)
• REDRESS Training - United States Postal Service (1998)
• Resourceful Mediation - Advanced Mediation Skills (20 hours, 1995)
• Mastering Conflict Resolution (40 hours, 1994)
• Northern California Mediation Center (40 hours, 1992)
• American Arbitration Association (1989)
• Numerous other four to eight hours training programs (1989-2006)
MEDIATION TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Brian has trained hundreds of mediators, both at the trial court level
and at the First District Court of Appeals, including several 36 hour
trainings.
EDUCATION
• University of Southern California, B.S., 1967
• University of San Francisco School of Law, J.D., 1970 (McAuliffe Honor
Society; American Jurisprudence Awards in Contracts, Property, Civil
Procedure, Taxation, and Tax Seminar; Prentice Hall Award Recipient in
Corporation and Estate and Gift Tax)
• Golden Gate University School of Law, 10 units towards Masters in Tax
Law, 1988-1989
BAR MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS
• Supreme Court of the United States
• Supreme Court of California
• U.S. District Court, Northern and Central California Districts
• San Francisco Domestic Relations Court (Settlement Judge Pro-Tem,
1981-2001)
• Sustaining Member, American Arbitration Association
• Founding Member Family Law Panel, AAA Center for Mediation
• Member, Insurance and Commercial Panels, AAA Center for Mediation,
1992 - 2002
• Certified Family Law Specialist, 1981 - present
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
• Bar Association of San Francisco
• Consumer Attorneys of California
• Western Trial Lawyers Association
• Association of Certified Family Law Specialists
• San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
• Mediation Society of San Francisco Bay Area
• Martindale Hubbell Rating - “AV”
• Super Lawyer Selection Northern California
o Family Law, 2004-present
o Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2005-present
This page was last modified in March 2008
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