Patricia Prince launched her mediation practice in 2001, providing dispute resolution services focusing in the areas of employment, wills and trusts and general commercial transactions, with a special emphasis on closely held and family-owned business disputes. Fluent in Spanish, Ms. Prince also offers Spanish-speaking services, bridging language and cultural divides.

Approach to Mediation

Ms. Prince is an energetic and tenacious mediator who gets to the root of the dispute.  She uses her extensive legal expertise, strong negotiating abilities and personable demeanor to help parties craft realistic and enduring agreements.  Ms. Prince creates a professional, yet empathetic, atmosphere through a combination of her legal knowledge, thorough preparation and ability to grasp issues quickly.  She is a highly effective communicator who injects flexibility, innovation and creativity into the resolution of disputes.

ADR and Legal Experience

Ms. Prince understands the concerns and interests of clients and attorneys as they go through or approach the litigation process.  In addition to her experience as a mediator, she has been a civil litigator for 15 years. Ms. Prince has significant expertise mediating and litigating business disputes, including cases involving breach of contract, fraud and misrepresentation, unfair competition, trademarks, trade secrets, licensing, entertainment, securities, antitrust, construction and employment law, as well as personal injury cases and disputes involving fiduciary law.

Patricia Prince has had her own civil litigation practice focusing in the areas of entertainment, construction, unfair competition, securities, antitrust, fiduciary and general contract law since 1999.  She continues to practice law on a part-time basis, although her primary focus is mediation.  Ms. Prince practiced complex civil litigation with the San Francisco firm of Makoff Kinnear Counsel from 1993 through 1998, specializing in the areas of intellectual property, securities, licensing, trademarks, employment and general contract law for the investment, media, entertainment and high tech industries. Clients included investment advisors, mutual funds, major entertainment studios, network television broadcast media, technology companies and other corporate entities.  Ms. Prince began her legal career in 1991, working for Feldman, Waldman and Kline, where she specialized in securities, employment, franchise, commercial landlord/tenant, property and general contract law.  Ms. Prince has represented domestic and international clients and practiced in both state and federal courts.

Business Experience

In addition to her legal background, Ms. Prince has significant experience in the field of business as an analyst and a sales and marketing executive with family-owned and start-up businesses for six years prior to attending law school.  Ms. Prince worked as a business analyst for Laventhol & Horwath, an accounting firm in San Francisco, where she performed market research and prepared feasibility studies.  Clients were hotel development and management companies seeking funding for development projects.  Prior to this, she worked as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Stein Eriksen Lodge, a luxury resort hotel located mid-mountain at the exclusive Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, and then as Vice President-Marketing for a hotel development and management company.

Education

Ms. Prince received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University in 1981and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1991. Ms. Prince is fluent in Spanish and conversant in French.

Mediation Training

Patricia Prince believes that ongoing exploration, evaluation and analysis of the practice of mediation is essential for a top tier mediator.   As part of her professional development, Ms. Prince regularly participates in training seminars, professional practice groups and trade associations.  Ms. Prince has had extensive mediation training with notable Bay Area mediators and mediation organizations, including Steve Rosenberg (Mediation Training, 2001), Contra Costa Small Claims Court (Mediation Training, 2001); Marin County Mediation Services (Mediation Training, 2002); Northern California Mediation Center (Divorce Mediation Training, 2002); U.C. Hastings College of the Law-Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (Critical Moments in Negotiation, 2005);Bar Association of San Francisco (Facing Your Toughest Mediation Challenges, 2005); Bar Association of San Francisco (Expectations, Skills and Success in Mediation, 2006); U.S. District Court – Northern District of California (Mediation Training, 2006).

Ms. Prince has also served as a panelist for the Bar Association of San Francisco [10 Reasons Mediations Fail (And How to Avoid Them), 2006] and has served over the years as a guest trainer for mediation classes taught by Jessica Notini at Stanford Law School, Gail Killefer at Hastings College of Law and Steve Rosenberg in Mill Valley.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Panels

• Mediation Panelist, United States District Court for the Northern District of California,   Alternative Dispute Resolution Program
• Mediation Panelist, Bar Association of San Francisco, Early Settlement Program &
   Mediation Services Program
• Settlement Conference Panelist, Marin County Superior Court
• Mediation Panelist, Contra Costa Superior Court ADR Program

Professional Affiliations

• State Bar of California, 1991-present
• Bar Association of San Francisco, 1991-present
• Marin County Bar Association, 2002-present; ADR Section Treasurer, 2003;
  ADR Section Chair, 2004
• Marin County Women Lawyers, 2004-present
• Queen's Bench, 1991-present; Director, 2000-2001; Various Committee
  Chairs 1997-2003
• The Mediation Society, 2005-present; Board of Directors, 2006-present
• Association for Dispute Resolution of Northern California, 2002-present