MCLA Welcomes William Birdsall to Board of Directors
We are proud to welcome William Birdsall to our Board of Directors. William is an accomplished attorney, entrepreneur, and public servant with decades of leadership experience across industries including artificial intelligence, medical devices, real estate, entertainment, and finance.
He has a remarkable track record of founding and growing transformative companies, including his pivotal role as a founding Executive Vice President of Ticketmaster, where he helped build the company into a global leader in entertainment services. Beyond the private sector, William has an extensive record of public service, having served as Legal Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Interior Committee, Counsel to the Joint Oversight Committee for the Office of Technology Assessment, and as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Arizona. His legal and policy expertise, especially around complex environmental and technology issues, reflects his deep commitment to public impact. William’s leadership in the real estate industry is equally distinguished. He cofounded Host Funding, Inc., a public REIT listed on NASDAQ, and served as Chairman and CEO of The Price REIT, which he co-founded with retail pioneer
Sol Price and grew into a $1 billion enterprise.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, William’s passion for conflict resolution and access to justice is clear. He pursued post-graduate studies in Mediation and Negotiation at Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law. He also volunteered his time in conflict resolution initiatives and served on the Scripps Hospital Foundation Board. William’s broad expertise across law, business, governance, and dispute resolution will be invaluable as we continue to expand our mission of making high-quality mediation services accessible to all. His strategic insights, entrepreneurial spirit, and dedication to community service will strengthen our Board’s leadership for years to come. Please join us in warmly welcoming William Birdsall to our Board of
Directors!
Probate Mediator John P. Glowacki joins MCLA Panel
We are pleased to have Probate Mediator John P. Glowacki join the MCLA panel! John has advocated for hundreds of clients in mediations, settlement conferences, and informal negotiations to try to resolves their disputes. He has served as a volunteer mediator in Orange County since 2016 and Los Angeles County since 2023.
Learning from the Littlest Communicators: Thank You, Crystal Williams
We want to thoroughly thank Crystal Williams for her valuable contribution to our MCLE webinar series. Her presentation offered a thoughtful exploration of communication through the lens of her experience as an educator, emphasizing the important lessons we can learn from children about listening, clarity, and connection.
Crystal Williams is a Disability-Informed Mediator and ADR consultant, leading White & Williams ADR Services LLC, specializing in Special Education Dispute Resolution and Trauma-Informed Workplace Mediation. Her expertise includes IEP facilitation, conflict management coaching, professional development, and trauma-informed practices.
Winning Versus the Other Guy Losing: The Emotional
Costs of Litigation
by Stephen Marcus
Stephen Marcus explores how emotional motivations—like revenge, vindication, or a desire to punish the opposing party —can cloud judgment during legal disputes. While these feelings are valid, they often lead to costly and risky litigation outcomes. Marcus emphasizes the importance of recognizing emotional drivers and weighing them against the practical benefits of settlement, especially during mediation, to avoid turning a potential win into a mutual loss.