After more than twenty-five years as an attorney, Joan now serves as a mediator and arbitrator. She brings to those roles the skills and knowledge she learned as a lawyer, where her primary areas of practice were environmental, natural resources, occupational safety and insurance law. Joan represented parties in litigation, in enforcement proceedings, in arbitrations and mediations, in environmental compliance work, and in real estate and corporate transactions. Before turning to the law, Joan studied biology, chemistry and environmental engineering and worked as an industrial chemist, which helps her grasp both the complexities and the practicalities of environmental and natural resources dispute resolution. In training to become an arbitrator and mediator, Joan has taken off her advocate hat and learned tools to help drive toward the process goals—efficiency and fairness in arbitration, and neutral, facilitated resolution in mediation.
Snyder Dispute Resolution LLC--Mediator and Arbitrator
I am accepting mediation matters in my areas of legal experience: environmental disputes of all kinds; natural resource related claims and litigation, insurance coverage disputes arising out of environmental and natural resource claims, and disputes involving occupational safety and health matters. See below for specifics on my prior legal experience. I have served as a volunteer mediator for Multnomah County Circuit Court, Small Claims Department, in Portland, Oregon since 2022.
Currently mediator and arbitrator with Snyder Dispute Resolution; Certified as Mediator in Multnomah County, Oregon, Small Claims Department since June 2022; American Arbitration Association Panelist since 2022; Attorney, Stoel Rives LLP, 1986-2022 (partner 1992-2020; Chair of Environmental, Natural Resources and Land Use Practice Group 2008-2011); Law clerk to Honorable Benjamin F. Gibson, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan (1984-85); Water Treatment Chemist, Betz Laboratories, Inc., Trevose, Pennsylvania (1978-81)
I have been an Arbitrator on the American Arbitration Association Panel since 2022, primarily handling commercial and consumer disputes. As an lawyer, I frequently represented clients in arbitrations, mediations and negotiations including in disputes arising out of environmental cleanups, environmental issues in transactions of all kinds (purchase and sale agreements, stock purchase agreements, leases), natural resource claims, and issues of insurance coverage arising in those contexts. For specifics of the kinds of disputes I handled, please see my resume at SnyderADR.com.
I have mediated over 30 cases for the Multnomah County Circuit Court, Small Claims Department, in Portland, Oregon, including claims under property law, contract, tort and collections matters.
As I developed my skills as a mediator, I mediated a wide variety of claims, including claims under property law, contract and tort. I am now accepting mediation matters in my areas of substantive legal experience: Environmental, Natural Resources and related insurance coverage matters.
My mediation style will vary based on the type of dispute and desires of the parties. I engage primarily as a facilitative mediator but, with my background, I am able to take the parties through their own evaluative assessment. I am particularly interested in working with parties to prepare for a successful mediation, which may include using Early Dispute Resolution protocols (www.edrinstitute.org) to make sure the right information is in the room to get to resolution. And I am tenacious!
Proficient with video platforms for on-line mediations; Excel; probabilistic risk assessment tools.
University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 1984, cum laude; Drexel University, Graduate study in Environmental Engineering, 1979-80; University of Delaware, B.S., Chemistry, 1978, with high honors
Early Dispute Resolution Neutral certification by EDR Institute (www. edrinstitute.org), 2023.
American Arbitration Association Panel Arbitrator; Oregon Mediation Association; American Bar Association: Dispute Resolution Section (Technology Committee; Women in Dispute Resolution Committee); Environment, Energy and Resources Law Section; Oregon State Bar: Alternative Dispute Resolution Section; Environmental & Natural Resources Section; Northwest Environmental Business Council; Oregon Association of Environmental Professionals; Women in CERCLA; Women in the Environment—Oregon
" Will Early Dispute Resolution work for my case?," Sept. 2023, snyderadr.com blog.; "Claim uncertain? Tips for dispute resolution success," June 2023, snyderadr.com blog; "What is the right time to pursue ADR for an environmental or natural resources dispute?," May 2023, snyderadr.com blog.; “ADR in Environmental and Natural Resource Disputes,” Chapter 31, Alternative Dispute Resolution in Oregon BarBookTM , Oregon State Bar, 2019 ed.
$350 Per Hour
English
Portland, OR
The AAA’s Rules provide the AAA with the authority to administer a mediation including, mediator appointment, general oversight and billing. Accordingly, mediations that proceed without AAA administration are not considered AAA mediations, even when the parties select an mediator who is on the AAA’s Roster.
The information contained in this resume has been supplied solely by the individual mediator and may, or may not, be a complete recitation of their experience. The AAA assumes no responsibility for the content, completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in a mediator’s resume. If you have any questions about a mediator’s experience or background, you are encouraged to contact your case manager.
Mediators on the AAA Roster are not employees or agents of the AAA.
The information contained in this resume has been supplied solely by the individual mediator and may, or may not, be a complete recitation of their experience. The AAA assumes no responsibility for the content, completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in a mediator’s resume. If you have any questions about a mediator’s experience or background, you are encouraged to contact your case manager.
Mediators on the AAA Roster are not employees or agents of the AAA.
