Nancy Neal Yeend

Nancy Neal Yeend is a national dispute management specialist with over twenty years ADR experience and maintains a bi-coastal mediation practice. Principal of the West Coast Regional mediation offices of The John Paul Jones Group, and former president of Appropriate Dispute Resolution Applications. As a mediator and arbitrator, Nancy has facilitated settlements or decided issues in cases involving business, employment, real estate, construction, and a broad range of contract matters.

Business/Commercial: business contracts; real estate matters including leases, condominium and disclosure issues; planning and zoning; construction cases including foundation, soil, structural and other liability and insurance matters; complex, multi-party cases; governmental entities; and professional fee disputes.
Employment: matters involving wrongful termination, sexual harassment; race and age discrimination; issues involving the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII matters. Works with human resource professionals facilitating and mediating pre-suit employment issues.
Team Mediation and Strategic Planner: large complex cases: where a mediation process expert is teamed with a subject matter expert; employment cases where gender, age, ethnic and cultural issues are involved. Serves as strategist for counsel representing clients in mediation and other ADR processes.
Panels: Serves as a mediator for the California First District Court of Appeal and Santa Clara County Superior Court. Mediated for California and Florida Districts of United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and mediates ADA cases nationally for Key Bridge of Washington, DC. Mediates business and technology related cases for Silicon Valley Mediation Group

FACULTY Member: The National Judicial College, 11 years: Commercial Mediation and Developing Court-Connected Mediation Programs, Mediation Advocacy and Advanced Mediation. Franklin Pierce Law Center, 12 years: Mediation of Intellectual Property and Business Disputes. Former Adjunct Faculty at Stetson University Law School and at San Francisco Law School where she taught Alternative Dispute Resolution. National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts, 5 years: Mediation Advocacy.
Author: Wrote and co-authored numerous articles and book chapters including Mediation Advocacy: Seven Steps for Effective Preparation;  Avoiding Mediation Advocacy Pitfalls; Are Mediation Settlement Rates Linked to Advocate Competency; Legal Ethics and ADR; Summary Jury Trial and ADR and Intellectual Property.
Research: State Appellate ADR: National Survey and Use Analysis with Implementation Guidelines, Second Edition, 2002. Palo Alto Medical Foundation: management of conflict in the workplace and impact on health and absenteeism: WorkSkills™ 1991.

Ms. Yeend draws on over thirty years of practical business experience in a variety of industries. Proficient mediator at all levels of litigation: pre-suit, trial and appellate. Works effectively with counsel, human resource personnel and parties to take the emotional sting out of sensitive workplace related issues and complex employment matters. Owned real estate firm handling a variety of transactions involving developed and undeveloped land. Experience with subdivisions, easements, zoning, land use and tree farm issues. Served as president of a publishing company acquiring experience with intellectual property issues related to copyright and trademark. Geology experience includes mapping, mining and sedimentary deposits (sand and gravel). This unique background provides the mediator with a broad understanding of issues relating to business, employment, real estate, geology and intellectual property.

Mediation, negotiation, arbitration and ADR courses from Harvard University, Antioch University, University of Missouri, CDR Associates and National Center for Collaboration.
DeAnza College, Small Business Institute, certificates in Marketing and Finance.
University of Wisconsin, Bachelor of Science.

Memberships: Mediation Society, Association for Conflict Resolution, California Dispute Resolution Council, Association for Dispute Resolution for Northern California.
Service:  Served on Alternative Dispute Resolution and Fee Arbitration Committees for the California State Bar, Bar Association of San Francisco, Palo Alto Bar Association and Santa Clara County Bar Association. Served as mediator for several mediation organizations and served on Board of Directors for Project Sentinel.
Awards:  Received the Mediation Award from the Mediation Society for Outstanding Contributions to the Mediation Profession, 2002. Received commendation for 20 years of service to mediation, 2002, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. Received special recognition for service to judicial education, 1998, The National Judicial College. Recognized for service by the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California for service, 1994.

To preserve confidentiality of mediation participants, references will be provided only upon request. If references are preferred from only one side, please specify either plaintiff or defendant, otherwise to provide balance, references will be from both counsel.