Berger Kahn Principal Lance LaBelle combined his talents as attorney and mediator, and also as gifted pianist of over 40 years, on July 22, 2013, at an Orange County Bar Association section meeting, titled “A Musical Presentation About Mediation,” where he illustrated effective techniques to achieve a successful mediation. Using music as a metaphor, he encouraged attendees to consider the following when in mediation:

Composition: Mediator as arranger
Concert Venue: Setting the stage
Metronome: Keeping up the tempo
Harmony: Building a bridge 
Crescendo: Paying attention to dynamics
Improvisation: Creative solutions
Coda: The end and how to get a standing ovation

We anticipate even more presentations like these in the future as Lance becomes more involved with the O.C. Bar Association as ADR section Chair for 2015.