Michael D. Young, a former employment, intellectual property and business litigator and mediator with the national firm Alston & Bird, has been mediating cases since 1989. Building off of his extensive litigation experience, and his training through the nationally acclaimed Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine Law School, Mr. Young assists parties to resolve contentious and complex civil disputes, often in creative and innovative ways that the parties themselves had not previously considered. Mr. Young has extensive experience both litigating and mediating all varieties of employment, intellectual property, and business disputes, including class actions and single-plaintiff matters.
On the employment side, these have included wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, disability, public policy, wage and hour, and misclassification disputes, among others. On the IP side, Mr. Young had handled disputes over trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, patents, and restrictive covenants. In addition, in his 25-plus year legal career, Mr. Young has mediated, litigated, and tried hundreds of disputes involving unfair competition, antitrust, and environmental issues (including CERCLA and RCRA cases), among other complex business disputes.
Attorney's have praised Mr. Young's creativity and doggedness. Said one attorney following a difficult employment mediation: "Your ideas were very creative, and your no-nonsense approach was exactly right for this case. I've been in over 200 mediations from all perspectives, but the job you did this week really stands out." Commented another: "Mike was very effective in building credibility with both plaintiffs and the defense in an emotionally charged case involving several plaintiffs. He was able to get to the heart of the issues and put the parties on a path to resolution while giving everyone an opportunity to be heard. His tireless follow up and accessibility was crucial to the resolution of the case." Said a third: "I have used mediators for over three decades, and Mike came up with approaches, ideas, and solutions that were new to me. That mediation was a success because Mike Young refused to let it fail."
"Mike was fair and understood copyright law better than many other mediators."
- Attorney, Nevada
"Just wanted to personally thank [him] again for all of [his] hard work and diligence. Without question this case could not have settled without [his] diligence and perseverance in emphasizing to the parties that life is too short to find yourself in the quagmire of what could very well have been never-ending litigation."
- Attorney on a Business Contractual Fraud Dispute
"Mike astutely and skillfully brought our two sides to a settlement in a case that I didn’t think would settle given how far apart the parties had been to that point. He very quickly zeroed in on the relevant facts and issues, and seemed to know all the right buttons to push to get us to move off our opposite ends and towards an acceptable middle. At the same time, Mike was cordial, respectful, and empathetic—traits that made him all the more effective as a communicator, and earned him a great deal of credibility with my client. I’m thankful for Mike’s help on this matter and look forward to using him again in the future."
- Attorney on an Employment Breach of Contract Dispute
"I appreciated the way he gave our side room to talk and express emotional issues at the beginning but then moved to practical issues to bring the parties to a close."
- Attorney on an Employment/Discrimination Wage & Hour Dispute
"Mike got quickly up to speed on a year-long settlement process an hour after stepping in. He did a great job."
- Attorney, Santa Ana, California
"Mike was able to overcome strong emotions and animosities that had prevented the resolution of this dispute. Throughout the process he was calm and professional; and he was able to keep the parties focused on making progress in the negotiations. I would gladly use Mike Young as a mediator again."
- Attorney, Irvine, California
"Great demeanor, effective use of time, moved the negotiation along until the case resolved."
- Attorney on an Employment Wrongful Termination Matter
"Recommending creative solution on an impossible case."
- Attorney on an IP Patent Dispute
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