Now Offering Community Mediation Services
The Community Mediation Panel expands MCLA’s mission of increasing access to justice by helping individuals, communities, organizations, and public institutions resolve disputes. While many conflicts may eventually become legal disputes, they often begin as communication breakdowns between members of common communities, workplaces, or towns.
The panel focuses on resolving everyday conflicts that affect communities, including disputes involving schools, students, neighborhoods, homeowners associations, municipalities, and civil rights concerns and legal issues before enduring a lengthy path to trial.
By providing an affordable and neutral forum for discussion, MCLA helps parties reach practical solutions while
preserving relationships and avoiding unnecessary litigation whenever possible.
“Empower the parties by giving them control to negotiate solutions. Remind them that no third party is telling them what to do. They hold the outcome in their hands.”
The panel features Crystal Williams, Devin Tucker, and Gayle Glazer, experts with years of experience specializing in a range of matters including parent and school district disagreements, special education disputes, neighbor and HOA conflicts, municipal grievances, public accommodation issues, and other community-based disputes.
Expert Advice
“Mediation can help explore creative solutions, and develop an educational plan everyone can support…
If the IEP team is unable to work through differences, early mediation is a great option.”
-Crystal Williams,
Mediator | Special Education Advocate and Specialist
Enrique Koenig
Bilingual mediator with two decades of experience, Enrique Koenig leads both Family and UD-L/T matters for MCLA as well as serving as a longstanding boardmember.
Personally inspired by a family dispute, Enrique Koenig set out to find a way for matters to be settled as amicably as possible. He utilized his legal training as a foundation for his mediation practice of nearly 20 years.
Enrique prioritizes preparation, advocating for pre-mediation sessions with his clients for an opportunity to emphasize the purpose of mediation, its range of possibilities and the lasting ways parties can craft a resolution.
His utmost goal being to create alignment all around the mediation table, parties with one another and counsel with their clients to really understand the cost of conflict.
With a curated approach for each case type, Enrique has mastered mediating in both English and Spanish for case types including commercial matters, family law, and housing.
“I work outside to release the tension of the day, usually with a bonsai I am tending, and the dogs keep me company while I do. We have had dogs in the family for many years, and they have helped all of us cope with the stresses of life.”
Welcome to the MCLA Panel!
Kira S. Masteller
Kira S. Masteller is a California trust and estate planning attorney, mediator, and Shareholder at Lewitt Hackman Shapiro Marshall & Harlan, a Law Corporation. Her practice focus includes Federal estate and gift tax planning, estate planning, business succession planning, trusts, wills, powers of attorney, post-death trust administration, and probate and trust mediation.
Robert Sacks
Robert N. Sacks practices exclusively in the area of trust, estate and conservatorship litigation. With more than 30 years’ experience, Mr. Sacks mediates cases across the full spectrum of trust, estate and conservatorship law. Mr. Sacks earned his J.D. from University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, and his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin.
What MCLA Clients are Saying
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“I really liked how our mediator, Bennett Root, was understanding, constructive and respectful. I also appreciated how he drove home a resolution.”
-Steven Mattson, Plaintiff
“Jennifer Johnston-Terando is patient, diligent, calm, vigilent, and keeps things moving and the parties focused on what is possible. She refused to give up on a very complicated case with high emotions and saw it through to its resolution. Exceptionally well done!”
-Leonard Sansanowicz, Sansanowicz Law Group, P.C.
“Our mediator, Lori Dobrin, was fantastic. She not only got this very tough case resolved, but she made my client feel comfortable with the entire process. She quickly gained my trust and was very prepared. She knew all the issues and was able to put the right pressure on both sides to get this resolved. I would not hesitate to use her again.”
– Almara Sepanian, Aghabegian Law Group