Michael Diliberto, Esq.
Michael Diliberto has settled over 1000 cases as a full-time
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. Michael draws upon his sixteen years of domestic
and international trial experience, to provide a candid and useful
assessment of potential outcomes at trial for all counsel. His ability
to empathize and connect with both parties, and his tireless effort to
keep the parties engaged in the negotiation process, enable him to
settle even the most “impossible” cases. Michael also successfully
understands and resolves cross-cultural matters. He was appointed as
Administrative Law Judge for the Office of Administrative Hearings,
where he has served as a part-time Judge since 2007.
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: 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 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)
• Mediator: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• Temporary Judge: Los Angeles Superior Court
FEATURED SPEAKER
• 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 and 2008]
• “Insider Exclusive” TV Show, as President of the Italian American
Lawyers Association [August 2007] Watch interview
http://www.insiderexclusive.com/bar_italian.htm
• 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
• “Opening Offers -
Who's On First?" Advocate [October 2009]
• “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
• President: Italian American Lawyers Association, 2007
• Director: Dispute Resolution Services, Inc. (Los Angeles County Bar
Association), 2006-present
• 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
• 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: The Los Angeles Daily Journal EXTRA [April 19, 2004]
REPORTED CASES
Amazon.com, Inc. v. Kalaydjian, 58 USPQ 2d 1247 (DC WWash. 2001)
Joyce v. Renaissance Design, Inc., 56 USPQ 2d 1541 (CD CCal 2000)
This page was last modified in July 2010
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