Who We Are

Rita Burns and Byron Yaffe (read speech honoring Yaffe for his 2010 Mediators Distinguished Service Award) are experienced practitioners, trainers, and academics in the fields of dispute resolution, communications and negotiations.

We have mediated hundreds of disputes involving a variety of legal and non-legal issues. In addition, Yaffe is an arbitrator, having served on federal and several state panels for over 25 years. We have both served as ombudspersons in educational and religious settings.

As trainers and meeting facilitators, we have worked in a broad array of organizational settings, including school districts, municipalities, hospitals, corporate groups, government agencies, churches and other not-for-profit groups.

Both of us have been involved in the undergraduate and graduate-level education and training of professionals mediators, as well as advocates, in a number of public and private sector settings. In that regard, we belong to a number of professional organizations in the field of dispute resolution.

National Academy of Arbitrators, Association for Conflict Resolution, International Ombudsman Association, Wisconsin Association of Mediators

In addition, we offer the best practices consulting services of Allen Yaffe, who has over 30 years experience in property management and leasing. Allen has also been an officer and director of several national and state housing associations, a member and officer of a community planning and zoning commission, and a member of state and national realtor associations.

Locations

Offices in Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Louis

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or would like more information.