The Mediation Group

David Matz was stuck. He was working with a couple in a legal dispute with another couple with whom they co-owned a home damaged in a fire. While the law was clear enough, long-held emotions and other issues seemed to prevent a resolution. David shared some of the details with Brad Honoroff, a longtime UMass law colleague, and Brads wife, Jane Honoroff, a psychotherapist and social worker. Jane quickly understood the psychological dynamics at work, and offered some advice. As they worked together, David, Brad and Jane each experienced the same flash of insight: resolving some conflicts required combining the expertise of the legal profession with those of other disciplines. That simple insight sparked the creation of The Mediation Group, an entirely new kind of firm that brought together top attorneys but also retired judges, mental health professionals, researchers and experts in organizational development. At the time, the idea of taking a caring, interdisciplinary approach to conflict resolution was almost revolutionary. Some 30 years later, The Mediation Group applies that idea to a growing number of practice areas: legal, couples and family, organizations, healthcare and others.