Mediator A. Michelle Jernigan helped to organize and, on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, introduced a CLE program presented by the Central Florida Association for Women Lawyers at Upchurch Watson White & Max's Maitland office. Beth Kassab, enterprise editor for the Orlando Sentinel, moderated the panel discussion, "Running for Office, The Do's and Don'ts."

For the fifth consecutive year, Upchurch Watson White & Max will sponsor the major fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida: Bowl for Kids' Sake. Only five lanes remain for teams who want to participate from 2 to 8 p.m. this Saturday (April 29, 2017). Bowl America Mandarin, 10333 San Jose Blvd. in Jacksonville, is the venue for this year's event.

Mediator/arbitrator Jeffrey M. "Jeff" Fleming, a shareholder with Upchurch Watson White & Max, will share his insights with new or transitioning attorneys at the sixth annual Circuit Court Boot Camp in Orlando on Friday, April 28, 2017. His two sessions are "Mediation" from 1:30 to 2 p.m. and "Post-Trial Motions & Preserving the Record" from 5 to 5:20 p.m. The seminar, presented by Pincus Professional Education, will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista.

Mediator/Arbitrator Lawrence Kolin of Upchurch Watson White & Max has continued to examine the evolving news accounts about arbitration and to speak on the current state of affairs. Join him on Thursday, March 30, for all the latest on arbitration. He will speak at the Orange County Bar Association in downtown Orlando from noon to 1 p.m., offering attendees 1.0 credit of general CLE (Continuing Legal Education) through The Florida Bar.

The Florida Bar News recently quoted Upchurch Watson White & Max mediators, who are well represented among the leadership of the Bar's Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, in a story explaining why the section has recommended that all who mediate disputes filed in the state's family and circuit civil courts be certified by the Florida Supreme Court. “As professional mediators, we believe that if there are people out there mediating ­— serving our courts, serving the public, serving our judges, our judicial system — there needs to be some level of competence and understanding of the ethical rules and some control over those people,” said Bob Cole, a UWWM shareholder and the section's chair-elect.

Mediation topics will play a big part in a timely "Professionalism in Negotiation" seminar presented by the Professionalism & Business Law Committees of the Orange County Bar Association. Two mediators with Upchurch Watson White & Max, Howard R. Marsee and Lawrence Kolin, will speak for the program, subtitled "Transactions, Litigation and Mediation," at the bar association's downtown center Thursday, Feb. 16.

At The Florida Bar's 2017 Winter Meeting, Robert A. "Bob" Cole of Upchurch Watson White & Max, along with fellow panel members David W. Henry and Mindy McLaughlin, presented a CLE seminar with a topic geared toward trial lawyers and a secondary goal of promoting relationships between the Bar's sections.

"For the mediator to be insensitive to the cultural or ethnic differences discussed here could result in missed opportunities," Ricardo Cata writes. "If the mediator recognizes cultural differences and learns how to address them, a new set of 'tools' becomes available."

"We are pleased to announce that your blog, Orlando Mediator, has taken 3rd place in the Legal News category of The Expert Institute's Best Legal Blog Contest for 2016! "