JAMS welcomes its newest addition, Stephen H. Sulmeyer, J.D., Ph.D. to its panel of neutrals. Mr. Sulmeyer joins JAMS as a full-time neutral after nearly 20 years as a mediator in private practice. He has a dual background as a commercial and intellectual property litigator as well as a clinical psychologist, specializing in the settlement of disputes involving professional and intimate relationships.
Mr. Sulmeyer will be based in the San Francisco Resolution Center, where he will serve as a mediator in a variety of practice areas, including business/commercial, employment, estate/probate/trusts, family law, intellectual property, partnership disputes and business torts.
“Mr. Sulmeyer has built a strong reputation based on his empathy, legal acumen, and creativity, as well as his tenacity in helping parties reach settlements,” said Chris Poole, JAMS president and CEO. “We are honored that he has decided to join the panel in San Francisco.”
Prior to joining JAMS, Mr. Sulmeyer co-founded (with Judge Verna Adams) the Interdisciplinary Settlement Conference program at the Marin County Superior Court, which in its 12-year history has maintained a greater than 80% settlement rate while substantially reducing the number of return visits by litigating parents. He is also the founder and immediate past president of Integrative Mediation Bay Area, an organization dedicated to interdisciplinary co-mediation.
“I am a creative problem-solver who likes to think out of the box. I have found over the years that the best way to help parties reach resolution is a combination of helping them talk with each other about what the dispute is really about and how it has affected them; a thorough and objective evaluation of the available evidence; and a firm commitment to diligence and tenacity,” said Mr. Sulmeyer. “I believe that my experience and knowledge will translate well to this new journey as a neutral at JAMS.”
Mr. Sulmeyer earned his B.A., with distinction, in history at Stanford University; his J.D. at Stanford Law School; and his Ph.D. at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, Calif.