News from Madge Thorsen

Construction mediation is unique. The parties are usually numerous, the issues can be complex, the dynamics among the players - the general, the architect, engineer, the trades - need to be taken into account in mediation as well as on the job. With her background in construction litigation and arbitration, Madge Thorsen has reintroduced herself as a construction mediator and has recently helped several parties avoid trial and satisfactorily mediate their construction disputes.

Madge was also recently accepted to the family mediation roster of neutrals under Rule 114, having completed the family mediation training with the Institute for Alternative Dispute Resolution at Saint Cloud State University and conducting family mediation through that agency.

As a co-facilitator, Madge conducted a retreat for a nonprofit group that wanted to explore bettering workplace communication. Developed originally for a presentation at the Kennedy Center LEAD Conference, a facilitation technique that Madge uses is role-playing mediation and communication skills - like deep listening, suspending judgment, guiding people to their own solutions - to demonstrate that tools from the mediators' toolkit can be useful in any interaction.

Madge is serving on a Minnesota State Bar Association committee to establish a peer mediation pilot program in city high schools. She is also actively coaching her mock trial team in its upcoming rounds in the High School Mock Trial Competition.

Madge has recently served as a guest lecturer teaching arbitration at William Mitchell College of Law and is a panelist for the ADR Section of the MSBA in January on "What Advocates Want (And Don't Want) in Arbitrators and what Arbitrators Want (And Don't Want) in Advocates."

News from Rick:

Rick recently became a co-owner and operator of a company that manufactures industrial air and water filtration products. He brings this hands-on business ownership and operation experience, along with his Harvard MBA and prior business experience, to his continuing commercial litigation and arbitration practice.