WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (January 24, 2024) – John A. Lurvey, who developed a reputation for handling complex and catastrophic claims over 37 years of litigating all areas of tort and contract liability, recently became a full-time mediator with Upchurch Watson White & Max.

Robert “Bob” Cooper recently retired as a founding partner at one of Birmingham’s leading firms in favor of becoming a full-time neutral. He has tried well over 100 cases to a jury verdict, defending a wide variety of claims, over the course of his 46-year career. He has tried cases in most of Alabama’s 67 counties and in all three of the state’s federal district courts.

A 27-year judge for Florida’s 4th Judicial Circuit, Mediator/Arbitrator Karen K. Cole has been a problem solver for far longer than that. She is now using her collected skills as a member of Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group’s panel. During 12 years of civil law practice before becoming a judge, Ms. Cole tried 19 civil jury trials as sole or lead counsel. She was AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell while in the practice of law.

Well-known attorney F. Bradley “Brad” Hassell recently made dispute resolution his full-time profession and is currently booking mediations and arbitrations through Upchurch Watson White & Max. “Brad Hassell has been a major player in the civil litigation arena in our region for over 40 years,” the mediation group’s CEO, John Upchurch, said.

Rick Kolodinsky, a litigator of over 40 years, brings his real-world experience to bear as a Circuit Civil and Appellate certified mediator and qualified arbitrator with Upchurch Watson White & Max. As he describes it, Mr. Kolodinsky uses the benefit of this deep experience to help parties discover “the point where their interests intersect so as to avoid the risks inherent in litigation and achieve the satisfaction of a reasonable resolution to their dispute.”

Before joining the panel at Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group earlier this year, Ms. Critelli represented individuals, corporations and insurance companies. During her career, she litigated civil lawsuits throughout Florida and also conducted approximately 100 jury trials.

Michael Weiss has joined the panel of professional neutrals at Upchurch Watson White & Max. Mr. Weiss began his lengthy legal career in insurance defense litigation, and then switched to representing plaintiffs in personal injury matters. “His broad trial experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants over the course of his career inspires confidence in the skills Michael Weiss brings to the table as a neutral,” John Upchurch, UWWM’s CEO, says

"Over the past 14 years, my friends, along with lawyers and many law firms, have donated time and money to help provide turkeys and fixings to loving families who need our help, and I want to say thank you. As many of you know, I have asked for donations to help this cause for years. This year is no exception."

Russell C. Gallagher, most recently a captain for Southwest Airlines, has landed as a full-time neutral with Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group. Mr. Gallagher’s legal career extended from 1986 to 1992, and he was a commercial litigator with Boult, Cummings, Conners and Berry (now Bradley Arandt et al), with emphasis on contract disputes, for five years. He also represented a music management group, individual musical artists and a business aircraft leasing company, and he remains a licensed attorney to this day. In keeping with his Nashville home base, he received both his bachelor of arts and law degrees from Vanderbilt University. He first became a Tennessee Rule 31 Court Certified Civil Mediator in 2012 and took a dispute resolution training course at Pepperdine University the next year.

Reginald D. Hicks, an experienced civil mediator and arbitrator, has joined Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group as a full-time neutral. Since 1987, he has represented both individual and corporate clients throughout the state, primarily litigating civil cases before juries and judges.