I enjoyed the opportunity to present to the international Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises (AFHE) Mid-Year Conference in Cleveland, OH on November 10, 2017. Richard Lutringer and I talked about “Using Mediation Within the Family Enterprise to Bring Positive Change From Internal Conflict”. It was a great chance to discuss (because interactive presentations are my favorite […]
Read more...It was a pleasure on November 2, 2017 to join fellow mediators and friends Peter Benner and Bill Logue at Quinnipiac Law’s Center for Dispute Resolution. Peter, Bill, and I were panelists at a Connecticut Mediation Association (CTMA) event, discussing a recent American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution Task Force report. The report didn’t […]
Read more...Paul Sullivan wrote a great piece on the benefits of using mediation, especially Transformative Mediation, to help wealthy families and family enterprises. Published on August 19, 2017, and aptly titled “Squabbling Over the Family Vacation Home? Don’t Hire a Lawyer Just Yet“, the article sets out the value of mediation for extended families who want […]
Read more...My article, “Harnessing the Power of Being Heard”, has been translated into Mandarin, and great illustrations have been added, courtesy of my friend, Pierre duPont, of HPM Partners in New York. The article has been posted on Pierre’s WeChat account. Here’s the article in Mandarin and English: 倾听的力量 （Harnessing the Power of Being Heard） 简.拜达尔 […]
Read more...My article, “Harnessing the Power of Being Heard“, was published today in the Family Firm Institute (FFI) Practitioner. It is the first article in a series leading up to the FFI annual conference in Chicago, in October, 2017. The conference theme is “Electrifying”, which explains this introduction by Asher Noor, of the Practitioner Editorial Committee: […]
Read more...It can be tempting for all of us to choose not to handle conflict. That’s part of why I work with ostriches: the human equivalent of the birds who (mythically) react to problems by burying their heads in the sand. It’s not a good option for birds (asphyxiation) or humans (problems get worse as you […]
Read more...I recently heard the ongoing conversations of a couple of healthy 70-something guys planning adventures to enjoy while they still can. (The occasion, sadly, was the funeral of a dear friend.) Hearing them continuing to add items to their bucket lists (while happily checking off others) reminded me of the value of having important family […]
Read more...The Connecticut Chapter of the Exit Planning Exchange (XPX) has started this year’s case study, involving a business whose partners are planning ahead for an eventual exit (bravo for advance planning!) The case study involves a business started nearly 20 years ago by three partners who were best buddies in college. Although theirs is not […]
Read more...As we close in on the last big holiday weekend, I am thinking about family vacation homes. Family vacation homes are the source of both joys and challenges. In the movies, it’s all about the joy of the family being together, in a treasured location. In reality, the challenges of maintaining, sharing, and planning for […]
Read more...Mediation and facilitated meetings address both the challenges and the opportunities of family businesses. Although the boundary can blur, there are a few differences between mediation and facilitation. Engagement in a mediation process is typically triggered by a specific dispute. The goal is for those involved to craft an agreement, with the help […]
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