(employment Sexual Harassment and Retaliation case)

Thank you for this Michelle. Truthfully, I was very pleased with your help and don’t have any negative feedback. I believe you did an excellent job as a mediator and, generally, as a person when it came to discussing the highly sensitive aspects of my client’s and past trauma. I look very forward to working with you again.

 

(employment Wrongful Termination & Discrimination case)

Michelle:  It has been a pleasure working with you.  I feel quite vindicated in recommending that your name be presented as a potential mediator in this matter! 

 

(employment Disability case)

Michelle: Really nice to see you again. You did a great job. My client was very happy with how the day went and with the settlement overall.  Thanks for bringing this in for us.

 

(employment Discrimination and Wage & Hour case)

Hi Michelle, thank you as always. I am pleased we were able to resolve this matter with your support. Looking forward to seeing you next time.

 

(employment Wrongful Termination & Discrimination case)

“Michelle, it is always a pleasure mediating with you.  As usual, you made the client feel heard, understood, and cared for.  He appreciated your wholistic approach.

 

(employment Pregnancy Discrimination case)

“Thanks for your follow up and for helping us move this matter to final resolution. On behalf of my client, we really enjoyed working with you and felt you did a solid job mediating this case. Your ability to connect on an emotional level with my client was very helpful. You instilled a sense of comfort and trust into the process.  These are valuable skills lacking in many mediators.

 

(Personal Injury Construction Site case)

“Michelle, my experience was extremely positive.  More than anything, we appreciated your willingness to follow up with what was probably over a dozen calls after the mediation among the parties to work through the relatively complicated worker’s comp issues that were holding up settlement.  You were even willing to talk to comp attorneys that did not participate in the mediation.” 

 

(Personal Injury Construction Site case)

           “Thanks Michelle and obviously you did a great job getting this over the finish line with a bunch of                         moving parts!”        

 

(employment Whistleblower/Wrongful Termination case)

           Thanks again, Michelle.  I greatly appreciate all your work and follow up on this file! 

 

(employment Sexual Harassment case)

           Michelle, thanks for your assistance in that case.  Your help was key to getting the case resolved.

​

(employment Wage & Hour Class Action/Harassment case)

“Thank you, Michelle. We very much appreciate your efforts.”

 

(employment Retaliation Whistleblower (1102.5), Wage & Hour & PAGA case)

“Thanks Michelle, I'm glad we resolved the matter, with your patience and assistance.  I think you did a very good job and I appreciate the role you played as the parties did exactly as one might expect, as did the lawyers.  It was a positive experience for me.”

 

(employment Disability Case)

“Thank you, Michelle.  Our clients really connected with you and I don’t think we could’ve resolved the case without your great work.  Hopefully we can get back to in-person mediations in the coming months!”

​

(employment FEHA Family Leave Act case)

 “Thanks. You did a great job.”

 

(employment Sexual Harassment Case)

 “Thanks, Michelle.  My client and I appreciated your assistance in this tough one.  You did an amazing job in making her feel comfortable!  Thanks again and look forward to seeing you in a few weeks with another challenging mediation!”

​

(employment Wage & Hour case)

“Good morning Michelle:  Thank you for the USB drives you sent to our office!  And thank you once again for getting our case settled. Honestly – (Client) was (and still is) so happy with the outcome.   Her matter had been litigated for over 2-1/2 years, and her previous experience with mediation was not good, to say the least. She mentioned to me that previously in mediation, she had felt bullied and cornered – that she should take whatever money she could get at the time because her case was really worth nothing.  You, on the other hand, listened to all the parties and validated everybody’s intense emotions. I really think that was a turning point for everybody involved in the case – the opportunity to be heard and have their feelings validated really pushed everybody involved to work towards resolving the matter and putting the case to an end. It really was the best outcome for all. Thank you for that. “ 

​

(employment Wage & Hour misclassification case)

“Hey, you rocked on this one, with (clients) who were unsophisticated and unrealistic about wage and hour issues.  But, they listened to you.  

 I know it was a big mistake to schedule a half day mediation instead of a full day.  Without your follow up, we never would have gotten it done.  And your resistance to my suggestion that you just make a mediator's proposal, was exactly right.  The whole thing needed to play out over time exactly as it did.  Thanks again!  Excellent work.  I'll sing your praises…"

 

(disability/wrongful termination case)

“Thank you for all you have done.  We could not do it without you.  I look forward to bringing you another case.” 

 

(pregnancy discrimination case)

"Everything was top notch, as always!!  My client is really pleased.  Always good to see you hard at work! “ 

 

(public entity disability case)

"“Michelle, Thank you for your hard work on this case. I will let you know next time we have an issue that needs a good mediator.”

 

(employment class action (W&H-meal breaks & overtime) and individual disability discrimination case)

"Michelle, it was a pleasure working with you again.”

 

(sexual harassment case)

"Hi Michelle..You achieved an excellent resolution to this case, which was even better than I had hoped given the challenges we faced. I also again appreciated your attention to my client as an individual, which I think makes a huge difference in making the client(s) feel satisfied with compromise and settlement. Thank you again."

 

(high dollar Disability discrimination and Wage & Hour case)

"Michelle, Thanks again for keeping the settlement negotiations on the front burner.  Another great settlement with your help.”

 

(Wage & Hour, misclassification case)

"Hi Michelle, Thank you for being a voice of reason. Appreciate what you did last month."

​

(pregnancy and gender discrimination case)

"Michelle, Thank you for being open and honest about our case and not leaning on us too hard despite the fact that I misevaluated the case. I’m glad that I can feel open to tell you the problems with my case and not have you kill us with them.  I appreciate that you are a grinder and a hard worker. That is extremely  important to us.   I cannot think of anything you could have done better at the time."

 

(whistleblower case)

"Hi Michelle – Thank you for your hard work.  It was not an easy case and you did great dealing with a client with high expectations.  We very much appreciated the post-mediation work you did.  We’ll mediate again soon. – Thanks."

 

(sexual harassment case)

"Michelle, The mediation was an overwhelmingly positive experience.  I referred an associate to you for an upcoming case. I think your input and certainly your input and expertise pushed it (to resolution).  I appreciated the tone of the mediation, and the balance between the (parties’ ) levels of advocacy, the process and the compromise within the mediation.  I hope to work with you in the future.  I will pass along your name to anyone looking for a mediator.  Thank you again."

 

(2 cases: age & disability case; sex/gender discrimination & sexual harassment)

"Michelle, We think you are a terrific mediator, and a hell of a nice person too."

 

(public entity whistleblower case)

"Michelle, My client and I were very pleased with the outcome, which was facilitated by your usual excellent efforts.  Your many years "in the trenches" as an employment lawyer make you particularly well qualified to be an evaluative devil's advocate in the mediation process."

 

(multi-plaintiff, public entity whistleblower/retaliatory termination case)

"Michelle - I wanted to thank you so much for your continued commitment and tenacity in getting our matter settled. Without a doubt you went far beyond the call of duty and much further than any other mediator I know.  You should be awarded the Mediator’s Distinguished Service Medal."

 

(wage & hour, overtime case)

"Hi Michelle, thank you for your efforts in resolving this matter. Overall, both my client and I were very happy with the result of the mediation.  I would gladly use your services again."

 

(employment retaliation and sexual harassment case with 2 plaintiffs)

"Michelle, I thought you did a great job mediating our case.  I have nothing but good things to say.  It was highly contentious, as you know, and none of the attorneys got along.  I look forward to mediating with you in the future.  Thank you."

 

(sex discrimination, harassment and retaliatory demotion/termination case)

"We really appreciate all your efforts. Thanks again for all your assistance and hard work in getting this matter resolved.  Your thoughtful and direct approach in addressing the issues with both sides were instrumental in resolving this matter.  No matter how far apart the two sides were, you never gave up.  It was a pleasure to work with you and to watch you so skillfully navigate between the two sides.  All in all, I think the outcome was great and our client was grateful to finally have closure!!!"

 

(multi-plaintiff wage & hour case)

"Dear Michelle:

I found the mediation only positive and your commitment to getting the case settled the main reason it did. When you told me (over and over) that defendant had no more money, I actually believed you :).  Of course I wanted to get my clients more money, but they were satisfied, so....fine with me.  The peanuts were a plus too.   I won't hesitate to use your services in the future."

 

(sexual harassment case)

"Michelle, Thank you for all your time and efforts in helping us to resolve the

case.  We look forward to working with you again in the near future."

 

(sex & religious discrimination & harassment case)

"Hi Michelle:

You settled a very difficult case with very difficult opposing party for us. We were amazed by your ability to follow up after the mediation. You didn't give up on the case, and that just goes to show your work ethic. Thank you for getting the case resolved for us."

 

(national origin/race/disability discrimination & misclassification wage & hour case)

"Thank you for  your diligence in forcing us to a resolution, for sticking with it and making it happen!!! "

 

(disability discrimination/failure to accommodate case)

"Michelle, Thanks again for mediating our case.  We are very happy with the result and plan to work with you again very soon.  Both the firm and our client enjoyed the experience.  The facilities are very convenient and accommodating, the staff was friendly, and the food was delicious.  During the mediation, we did not feel pressured to lower our bottom line and appreciated your understanding on that.  You did a great job of bracketing the numbers going back and forth to something that made sense to both parties.  We also appreciated you working late to get this resolved.  We know you were committed to making sure a deal got done that day and that was big. 

Thank you again!" 

 

(race discrimination and harassment case)

"Hi Michelle,  I was very pleased with the mediation, and not just because we reached a resolution.  Some of my more recent mediations were not resolved, and I believe the mediator was not working hard enough to get the case settled.  He took the approach too literal that he was just essentially a person to “relay facts and comments” back and forth, and would not express any opinions, etc.  As a result, opposing counsel and I were unable to reach an agreement, which happens, but we could have done that by ourselves.  I really felt that you genuinely cared about resolving the case, and you were very in tune with and helpful to my client.  I appreciated your candor, your obvious passion to resolve the case, and the fact that you were 100% invested in the case that day.  My client was very happy with the outcome, and spoke nicely of you afterwards.  When the client has that level of respect for the mediator, it makes it much easier for the client to accept things the mediator has to say, good or bad, about their case.    I look forward to using your services in the future.  I have also already told 3 attorneys of my experience with this case, and told them how pleased I was with your services."

 

(disability discrimination case)

"Hi Michelle,

 It was a pleasure mediating with you yesterday.  Thank you for the hard work and great result for my client.   I hope to mediate with you again soon!"

 

(from a Party)

"Michelle, I just wanted to thank you again for working so hard for me yesterday during our mediation. I say " our" because as Hillary Clinton says it takes a village, and I feel room 18 was one heck of a village with the 4 of us! I woke up this morning with such a peaceful feeling. I wish you much peace and happiness in your life and future. Again , thank you for your support . My best regards." 

 

(failure to hire discrimination case)

"Hi Michelle:     We were really pleased with the result of mediation.   We knew we needed a strong and skilled mediator for this case, not just to have the defendants be realistic, but also so that our client could understand the risks involved in litigating despite some of the good facts on her side at this relatively early stage. You had just the right touch with her and were exactly what this case needed.

 

In the end, our client got a very just result given this was a failure to hire case… I’m glad we all got this done with your very valued assistance.   Thanks"

 

(disability discrimination case)

"Thank you, Michelle. You did a great job and I hope we can do it again sometime."

 

(disability discrimination case)

"Michelle, we enjoyed working with you and will definitely consider mediating with you in the future."

 

(sexual misconduct case)

"Michelle, as for feedback, we have nothing but good things to say. You were conscientious and treated our client with the dignity and respect she deserves. And you worked tirelessly to assist us in getting this case settled. Something the defendant's lawyer and I would not have been able to do had it not been for your hard work and efforts. Thanks again and we will keep you in mind for future mediations!"

 

(employment race discrimination & harassment, wage & hour case)

"Hello Michelle,   I wanted to follow up on the mediation in the (X) matter and let you know how much we appreciate your work….You helped us reach a resolution our client could feel confident in,  and…(were) a mediator that would truly understand her case.

I look forward to working together again." 

 

(Whistleblower retaliation/wrongful termination case)

"Thanks Michelle.  That was a phenomenal job. You are one of the top mediators out there."

 

(wrongful termination/Labor Code 970-promissory estoppel case)

"Michelle, I just wanted to let you know how much we laud and appreciate your efforts yesterday, which enabled and achieved a fair and reasonable settlement, which looked highly unlikely at the outset of the Mediation.  You did an EXCEPTIONAL and EXEMPLARY job, and there would have been no settlement without your skilled direction at the helm.  Thank you so very much.  I hope we have the opportunity to work together again soon."

 

(wrongful termination/whistleblowing case)

"Nice work and thanks!”

 

(from plaintiff attorney)

"Thank you for  your diligence in forcing us to a resolution, for sticking with it and making it happen!!!"

 

(wrongful termination/disability discrimination case)

"Hi Michelle,  Thank you for your assistance in resolving this matter. 

You have a very friendly demeanor and I am sure that helped put the other side at ease when negotiating.   See you next time!"

 

(multi-plaintiff sexual harassment case)

"Michelle – thanks for the hard work!"

 

(sexual orientation & disability discrimination, harassment & retaliation case ...with wage & hour allegations)     

"Michelle ... Thank you so much for your hard work on this one. You really maximized the value of the case and my client was so happy with the outcome. The peanuts are always a plus too!   On this case, I especially appreciated the way you approached the facts when discussing them with my client... You talked to him about the weaknesses without putting him on the defensive, which I was worried about. Thanks again! I look forward to our next mediation!"

 

(wage & hour - misclassification, overtime, meal & rest break)

"Michelle, Thank you again for your efforts in resolving this matter."

 

(difficult business litigation case where defendants ended up going pro per)

“Michelle, we greatly appreciate your work on this case."

 

(public policy termination/retaliation case)

“Hi Michelle,  It was an absolute pleasure working with you.   Thanks for patiently working with all parties to get the matter resolved.  I sincerely believe that your background and experience was crucial in settling our case.    Thanks again."

 

(whistleblower/retaliation case)

"Your fact knowledge really paid off Michelle and its hard to imagine ANY other mediator getting this one done."

 

(disability & medical leave discrimination case)

"I thought you did a great job in mediating this case.  I really can’t think of anything you could have done to have enhanced the experience.  I know my client was very grateful for your help.  I made sure to share the experience…"

 

(difficult gender discrimination case that took a long while)

“Michelle, thanks for all your assistance.  The case would not have settled without your hard work.”

 

(from another attorney in the same difficult gender discrimination shown above)  

"Michelle, you are always the most professional mediator.  It was a tough case and opposing counsel certainly did not make it easy.  I thank you for the time that you spent with us and the client. As far as changing anything, there is nothing to change.  You are wonderful and I would certainly use you again as a mediator.”

 

(wrongful termination/whistleblower case)

“Michelle:   First off, let me thank you for the excellent job you did as a mediator in my client’s case.  This was a difficult case to settle, but you invested the time in familiarizing yourself with the facts and then went the extra mile by continuing settlement efforts even after the mediation was over..  It was not so apparent that we were going to be able to resolve it prior to litigation.  The follow-up is very important in your business.  I have had other mediators (names not mentioned) who promise to follow-up, but never do (and they are recognized by others as excellent mediators).  I can see the qualities that made you a good advocate  in employment cases.  Keep up the good work.” 

 

(mediation of 2 employment cases which were mediated together (1 was an add-on to the other) based on claims of age & disability discrimination, and wrongful termination)

“Michelle,  As you know, my holiday was a lot less stressful thanks to you and your excellent mediation skills.  Both clients are relieved that these matters are over and ready to put the litigation behind them.  Your expertise, guidance and insight were truly the reasons that these matters were resolved.”

 

(wage & hour, and retaliatory termination case)

“Thank you for you hard work. Client was definitely pleased with the resolution of the case and the helpful life tips provided after.”

 

(sexual harassment & retaliation case)

“As always, thanks for your help.  This was a tough one.”

 

(public policy/wrongful termination case with intellectual property elements)

“Michelle, Thank you once again for your skill, dedication, empathy to our client as well as donation of the additional time in helping the parties resolve the above matter. It was greatly appreciated.” 

 

(sexual harassment case, w/alter ego issues)

“Michelle:  I want to thank you for your tireless work.  One of the things that I appreciate with you is that you make the process extremely pleasant.  You have a great demeanor and my clients (now twice) always say how they feel you are tough with them but that you are listening (which is usually a big part of reaching a settlement -- the client feeling like some third party has heard and really listened to their story).  I will say that both times I felt that you weren’t “pushing” hard enough, only to have you reach a settlement that was extremely fair -- I guess that is the trick!  Anyway, thanks again for your hard work -- the amount of follow up you put into this was appreciated.  I look forward to working together soon.”

 

(wage & hour; unpaid overtime, meal & rest breaks)

“Michelle,  Thanks again for your help. I know you worked long and hard - much appreciated.”

 

(wage & hour overtime & penalty case)

“Michelle,  Thank you so much for doing such a great job with this case.  I knew going in from our experience last year that we were in good hands.  I think the little touches towards making the client feel comfortable go a long way.  While I could not see how things developed with the defendant, obviously you helped them get to where they needed to go.  It may have been a small case to us, but there are no small cases from the perspective of the client.”

 

(employment discrimination, multi-plaintiff case)

“Thank you so much Michelle for your persistence and hard work. I look forward to working with you again soon.”

 

(multi-plaintiff, wage & hour & FEHA national origin discrimination case)

“Thank you very much.  You did a great job.  I’ll see you in (another) case. Thanks again.”

 

(disability discrimination/wrongful term case involving long term employee)

“We really appreciate your efforts as well, and we will definitely be adding you to our list of potential mediators in the future.   I found your stories of past experiences to be most helpful in getting my client to look at the judicial process differently than he did before. Sometimes when we share similar stories with clients, it makes them feel like we are trying to tell them that they are going to lose if they go to trial. It always helps our clients to hear it from a third party even though it might not be what they want to hear.  Thanks again!”

 

(2-plaintiff sexual harassment case) 

“Thank you Michelle. You did a great job!  Above and beyond.”

 

(co-counsel attys) multi-plaintiff sexual harassment case) 

a)    “Michelle, thanks again for your time, persistence and patience. It was a real pleasure working with you and I look forward to doing so again. I think all sides are very happy with the result.”

b)   “Ditto.  Michelle, I was working with (another attorney) today, I was raving about you.”

 

(race/ethnic discrimination & wage & hour case) 

“Thank you very much.  You did a great job.”

 

(wage & hour, overtime, meal & rest breaks) 

“Thank YOU, Michelle for all your help.  Looking forward to working with you on other cases”

 

(sexual harassment/retaliation case) 

“Michelle, thank you again for all of your hard work on this matter.  I greatly appreciated your quick grasp of the issues and dynamics involved, and especially appreciated the way in which you interacted with my client.  This was a very messy case and you did a fabulous job bringing the parties together.  I hope to work with you on future cases.” 

 

"I was really very very pleased.  I think you are first rate and did great with our client in particular. Thank you very much. I am glad we were able to get you for this. I look forward to working with you in future.”

 

“You have a unique mediation style.  They always characterize mediators generally as "soft" or "strong".  I think you can do both and that is why you were so effective in the case.”

 

“It was a pleasure having you as the mediator in our matter.  I believe you were instrumental in helping us receive a fair and speedy resolution to the case. In particular you seemed to use your knowledge of the law and your experience in handling both plaintiff and defense cases to maneuver both parties into a settlement that--while not likely to please either party--was fair. I cannot think of any areas you could have improved upon.  I wish you the best of luck in settling future cases and look forward to using your mediation services again.”

 

“I thought you did a great job at our mediation. The client liked you and as you saw, it was an emotional issue for her because of a lifetime of feeling she had been treated poorly because of her national origin. You handled that well and were very respectful of her feelings.  My client would have reacted to any perceived insincerity, so kudos to you for realizing that the case had a lot more involved than was presented.”

 

 “I really thought you did a fantastic job and would recommend you to my colleagues.  I think your demeanor was perfect given the egos and personalities involved (litigants, not the lawyers).  Thanks again Michelle.  I appreciated your persistence and hard work.”

 

“My client and I thought you did a very good job.  She was at ease with you and felt like you listened carefully.  We were both happy with the outcome.  We hope to use your services again soon.”

 

“It was our pleasure having you as our mediator. Both my client and I appreciate the commitment you had in helping us reach a satisfactory resolution. I look forward to the next time!”

 

“Thank you for your initiative, patience and persistence. You're a 10.”

 

“I want to thank you for putting up with us at the mediation.  It was a long day but, in the end, you were able to get a case settled that I, at one point, never thought would resolve.  I and my client are grateful for your tenacity and positive attitude throughout the process. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

 

“Thanks!  Thank you for staying with the process to conclusion.  You did an excellent job!”

 

“You bring your knowledge, passion and enthusiasm. That is the key and that’s what it takes to be a closer …That's what makes you among the best of the JW crew…”

 

“You were incredibly sharp and grasped the issues as though it were your own case.”

 

“With your extensive trial background, you offered a very realistic view of how the case could play out, identifying the holes in the plaintiff's case and, presumably, in the defendants'.  You weren't abrasive as many mediators are; instead, you seemed to just "tell it like it is".  I think it was an effective way to mediate: it engaged both sides without making either side too defensive of its position.  Oftentimes, it seems as though mediators attack each side too hard, making each party cling to whatever quixotic views he/she/it has regarding the grandeur of that party's position.  Then, you get to your final hour of mediation, and both sides are scrambling, often futilely, to reach a middle ground from their poles.  You didn't allow things to come to that and I commend your tactics.  I would absolutely recommend you to any attorney and hope to work with you again in the future.”

 

“I wanted to tell you how awesome you were.  I know opposing counsel was just as impressed with your work.  I especially appreciated the way you talked to my client, and in his language!  You made my client feel like you understood his pain.  He asked me to thank you again for helping him.”

 

“Thank you for explaining the dynamics of the situation and for your persistent efforts in obtaining a great result. I truly appreciate your hard work! Our client is very happy, I’m very thankful you mediated this case.”

 

“As a young attorney, I have attended only a handful of mediations but even in my brief experience with mediators, I rank you as one the best I’ve come across.  I thought you were prepared, knowledgeable and straightforward.  Furthermore, you were not confrontational when we were arguing the case’s merits.   Most importantly, it was a pleasure negotiating this case with you.  I hope our paths cross in the future.”

 

“It was a pleasure having you as the mediator in the matter (X).  I believe you were instrumental in helping us receive a fair and speedy resolution to the case. In particular you seemed to use your knowledge of the law and your experience in handling both plaintiff and defense cases to maneuver both parties into a settlement that--while not likely to please either party--was fair.   Quite frankly, I cannot think of any areas you could have improved upon.  I wish you the best of luck in settling future cases and look forward to using your mediation services again.”

 

“Thanks again, Michelle.  I really thought you did a fantastic job and would recommend you to my colleagues.  I think your demeanor was perfect given the egos and personalities involved (litigants, not the lawyers).  Thanks again, Michelle.  I appreciated your persistence and hard work.”

 

“Michelle, accolades to you and thanks for bringing just the right touch to this case. And thanks to whomever you kept waiting at home while this resolved! Can't wait for our next one.”

 

“Dear Michelle,

Thank you so much for your help getting this case settled. Mediating the case with you was a very positive and educational experience. Your past experience and apparent passion for this area of law made it easy to trust your opinion and your efforts to connect with our client made it easy for him to trust the process and the recommendations that were being made to him.   Thank you again and I'm looking forward to working with you again”

 

“Michelle you are a tireless advocate.  Thank you for all your hard work and limitless energy!!”

 

“Thank you so much for all your help!!!!!”

 

“Michelle, Thanks again for getting it done for us.”

 

“To put it simply, I found your services to be very positive.  I think that your abilities as a a litigator serve you well as a mediator.  As a mediator, you are quite tenacious and I think I referred to you as a “pit bull”.  It serves you well.  I appreciate your services in this case.  I certainly would recommend your services to anyone and hope to use you again in the future.”

 

“Michelle, I was impressed with your style at the mediation, particularly how you handled the client’s emotions.  Thanks!”

 

“Michelle came up with the most creative solution to getting my case resolved for the most money.  I had my doubts that it could be done, but Michelle’s perseverance prevailed.”

 

“I recently had the pleasure and opportunity to have one of my employment cases mediated by Michelle Reinglass.  Even though the case was legally and factually challenging, Michelle’s background, persistence and knowledge prevailed.  The parties were vastly separated at days end, but Ms. Reinglass continued to work into the late hours of the evening with her limitless efforts to bring both parties to common ground.”

 

“Thanks for all your help.  Your input definitely kept us all from giving up!  (Client) is very appreciative.   Thanks again”

 

“Michelle, I am truly grateful for your work in getting this case resolved.  I believe you are one of the few mediators who could have done this, and did it, at this time--which I believe is in all of the parties' interests.”

 

“You calmed me down when I was very upset, you clearly settled (X) down.  I think you fairly saw the weaknesses of the case, and focused on figuring out a way for the other side to get something of the satisfaction he wanted, yet preserving the plaintiff's dignity in this settlement.  Truly you are terrific, and I know I will be working with you on other, and bigger cases.  You are the best.  Thank you for all of your help.  I know I will work with you in the future.”

 

“Thank you Michelle.  We appreciate your efforts to resolve this.” (following mediator proposal)

 

“Michelle, you did a good job as always at the “X” Mediation, thank you.”

 

“Michelle, we appreciated your hard work in staying on top of all this.  It would have been hard to get this matter resolved without an intermediary making calls and staying on the parties.  Although this didn't turn out to be a big case, you gave it the attention it needed to get resolved and everyone is better off for it. Thanks for all your assistance.”

 

“Overall, we are very happy with the outcome!  Sophisticated knowledge of employment law and understanding plaintiff-side dynamics, settlement demands and expectations; detailed fact-gathering at the mediation, proper focus on relevant details; credibility with opposing counsel; good client connection, very good food selection at the facilities; affordable mediation rates; prompt post-mediation follow up, prompt post-mediation updates about case progress; ability to connect despite busy schedule; post-mediation commitment to settlement, keeping parties talking, not giving up; good settlement result overall, getting the deal done; quick change of strategy, very good situational adaptation skills; self-initiative to negotiate mutual terms in the settlement agreement.”

 

“I don’t think you could do anything to improve.  I really feel secure with you as a mediator.  You will always be on top of our list.”

 

“To Whom it May Concern – Michelle Reinglass mediated the dispute between my client, Plaintiff “M” and the Defendants, Corp and three individual defendants.  The dispute was a bitter employment dispute, where the Plaintiff had been terminated after more than 25 years of employment with  the defendant and its predecessor company.  In addition, Plaintiff’s family member had been employed by the individual defendant.  In many respects it truly was a “family” dispute. 

            Michelle did an excellent job in diffusing the emotion and focusing the parties on the realities of the situation and the benefit of settling.  She has an excellent way of pointing out the weaknesses of a case directly to the client, without losing credibility as a neutral.  Likewise, I also found that she was willing to acknowledge the strengths of the case, where appropriate.

            I believe that if it weren’t for Michelle’s efforts this matter would not have been resolved, and I would highly recommend her as a neutral.  I have no hesitation in utilizing her in future matters for our firm.  Thank you.”

 

“Thank you so very much for coming through for us once again. I always enjoy mediating with you! You truly are the best as far as I'm concerned”

 

“Michelle, 

Thank you for everything that you did.  You really pulled the rabbit out of the hat.  Based upon what I know of my client's position and what I think I know about the other side's position, I honestly can say that I don't think anyone other than you could have settled it.  The combination of your experience, empathy and credibility brought them both together.  And as you know this was a unique situation with very strong personalities on both sides that would have gotten hung up if we had just used "some retired judge." 

            I was particularly impressed by your ability to connect with my client so that she truly felt that someone had heard her, understood her and allowed her to express and finally let go of her emotional pain.  Your idea of having her speak directly to the other side was ingenious not only to let them know how sympathetic a witness she would be (and get the offer where it needed to be), but also to allow her to begin the healing process.  That type of "dangerous mediation" is a bold move but was really needed here.  

            You were great.  Just like (X) said that you would be.  Thanks again!”

 

“Thanks for all your hard work in getting our case settled!”

 

“Thanks again Michelle.  I will definitely be using you again now that my mind has been changed about working with mediators who were also fellow Plaintiff's attorneys.”

 

“Thanks for your help Michelle! Look forward to working with you again.”

 

“Thank you very much for your assistance in getting our difficult matter resolved”.

 

“Dear Ms. Reinglass,

I appreciated the your organization and clear direction on how the process would develop. I also appreciate that you did encourage mediation, which I believe worked to everyone’s benefit. Although, the contact was limited, it was entirely positive. Thank you!”

 

“Dear Michelle,

I want to take this moment to thank you for the outstanding job you did in mediating the captioned matter to a successful conclusion. The case was very challenging on the merits and economics.   You were very effective in navigating the emotionally charged waters and achieving a result I and my client  consider to be fair. Thanks, again, for your fine work.”

 

“Thanks for making this happen, Michelle. I appreciate the hard work and all the follow up”

 

“Michelle, thank you so much for getting the case resolved.  I think it was a good result and my client is happy.”

 

“Michelle: 

You're a wonderful mediator.  I mean it.” (the latest of several cases)

 

“I thought you did a good job, and I would use you again.   This was a tough mediation because I think there were cultural issues…

Finally, I think you did a very good job getting the defense to put up the money needed to bring about the settlement.

 

"Hope to see you on future cases.”

 

“After a lot of work, we finally settled! Thank you for your tremendous work on this case.”

 

“The client is very pleased with the settlement, and we are both appreciative for what we perceive to be very strong and effective efforts to get this matter resolved.  Top notch job."