Howard R. Marsee, a longtime mediator and arbitrator with Upchurch Watson White & Max, is set to speak for two sessions at the Florida Dispute Resolution Center's 27th Annual Conference Aug. 15 to 17, 2019, at the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes. His "How Do You Deal With This? Ethical Dilemmas During Mediation" workshop "will explore, with audience interaction, the real-life ethical dilemmas and practical quandaries that mediators often encounter as part of the mediation process." He designed the scenarios to be true to life, with some requiring the mediator to "juggle standards of conduct that may seem at odds with one another."

Mediator Robert A. "Bob" Cole recently received the 2019 Joseph P. Milton Professionalism and Civility Award from the Florida Chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates at its Annual Convention/Board Inauguration Chapter Leadership & CLE Program in Orlando. FLABOTA established the award, which is given occasionally rather than annually, in 2012 in honor of its now deceased former president, Joseph P. Milton, who became known for his service to the organization and his high standards of professionalism, civility and ethics. This year's award was presented in late July at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World, and Bob was not the only Jacksonville honoree of the evening.

Members of the Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers will hear UWWM panelists speak on the topic "Getting the Most Out of Mediation."

Don Weidner, a Tallahassee-based neutral who joined the Upchurch Watson White & Max panel in 2016, recently was interviewed for a question-and-answer column in The Neutral, a newsletter published online by the Florida Dispute Resolution Center. Don was dean of the Florida State University College of Law for almost 25 years and still serves as dean emeritus, though he's also a full-time mediator/arbitrator. He told interviewer Susan C. Marvin, Chief of Alternative Dispute Resolution for the DRC, that he had gained valuable experience in managing conflict and resolving disputes during his academic and administrative career. "I decided to develop those skills and study to become certified as a mediator and qualified as an arbitrator," he said.

Dispute resolution professionals from Upchurch Watson White & Max, based in Florida and Alabama, and Georgia-based Miles Mediation & Arbitration will team up for three Webinars this year, accredited by bar associations for CLE in all three states.

Jeff Fleming, a shareholder with Upchurch Watson White & Max, will present two sections, “Mediation" and "Preserving the Record & Post-Trial Motions,” at Circuit Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts, produced by Pincus Professional Education on June 7, 2019, in Orlando. "If you are new, or somewhat new, to litigation – this seminar is for you. Recently graduated law school? – can’t miss it. You don’t get these skills, this practical advice, and this insight from sitting judges (and former judges like Jeff) in law school." Jeff was appointed Orange County judge in 2002 and Ninth Circuit judge in 2006, and he was later elected to each post without opposition. He also served as associate judge on the Fifth District Court of Appeal.

The panel of three Florida mediators will present "Online Dispute Resolution: What Attorneys Need to Know and the Potential Ethical Issues" as a live audio webcast from noon to 1 p.m.

Look for her in The Florida Bar YLD's Technology Roadshow, worth 4.0 technology/4.0 general/2.0 ethics continuing legal education (CLE) credits and sponsored by Upchurch Watson White & Max, in Sarasota, Clearwater, Orlando and West Palm Beach.

Mediator Robert A. "Bob" Cole recently received the 2019 ABOTA Foundation Founders Award at the American Board of Trial Advocates National Board Meeting in California. The award is for an individual who has shown "exceptional vision and commitment to furthering the goals of the ABOTA Foundation."

Florida State University recently honored mediator Donald J. Wiedner as the faculty winner of the 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Service Award. Don is dean emeritus of the FSU College of Law and Alumni Centennial Professor as well as, since August 2016, a member of Upchurch Watson White & Max's panel of neutrals.