I am admitted to practice law in California and the U.K. and I hold an LLM in Alternative Dispute Resolution from USC Gould School of Law. Raised in Hong Kong and educated in England, my path to becoming a mediator has been nontraditional.

I began my career with Dentons, working first in their London office before transferring with the firm to Los Angeles. After years of large-firm experience, I moved in-house, working with various entertainment companies handling business affairs and supervising litigation involving the defense of claims made against those companies. Eventually, I joined Paramount Pictures where I spent a decade as Executive Vice President, Motion Picture Business Affairs.

At Paramount I was constantly immersed in deal negotiations, ranging from matters as small as the per diem for Betty White’s limo driver to matters as complex as the contingent profit participation for A-level talent. Each negotiation, large or small, had to be handled with care and attention to detail — a philosophy that I bring to my mediation practice. In this environment, I was able to hone my negotiation skills on a wide array of issues, including contracts, financing, employment, intellectual property, and the myriad other business issues that arise in the corporate entertainment space.

Much of my work in the entertainment industry involved high conflict, emotionally charged situations requiring a creative approach extending far beyond mere toeing the company line. In my mediation practice, I continue to remain keenly aware of servicing the emotional component of any negotiation and am adept at dealing with high conflict and/or emotional parties.

In 2011, I was asked to spearhead Paramount’s China outreach, giving me broad exposure to Chinese culture and business practices. The experience focused me on the importance of identifying and addressing cross-cultural issues that influence our everyday lives. From differences in world views to differences in business cultures, I bring this valuable insight into the mediations I conduct.

In 2018, after two decades of working in-house for large and small companies, I was invited to join the legal team representing individuals injured during the 2015 Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Well Blowout in Northridge, California. As a member of the trial team, my focus was on gas storage well integrity, and I was honored to be named a finalist for Consumer Attorneys of California’s 2022 Consumer Attorney of the Year Award for my participation. When the case settled in 2021, I committed to mediation as a full-time career. In addition to my private mediation practice, I serve on the mediation panels of the United States District Court, Central District, California, and the Los Angeles County Superior Court.