Solely Focused On Dispute Resolution
Florida • Alabama • Nationwide
Upchurch Watson White & Max is a Florida- and Alabama-based professional association of mediators. Our team of conflict resolution specialists practices in a wide range of alternative dispute resolution disciplines. Specific areas of practice include business mediation, corporate mediation, commercial mediation, family mediation, arbitration and more. We also offer niche services such as multi-party, complex, malpractice and class action mediation. Please explore our site to learn more about our mediators in Florida and Alabama and the mediation services we offer.
Meet Our Newest Mediators
Newsroom Updates
Michelle Jernigan to Present Plenary on Neuroscience of Mediation at ABA Construction Law Midwinter Conference
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DANA POINT, Calif. (January 24, 2026) — A. Michelle Jernigan, a principal and full-time mediator and arbitrator with Upchurch Watson White & Max, will be a featured presenter at the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law 2026 Midwinter Conference, a leading national program for construction law
4 UWWM Mediators Inducted Into National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
Upchurch Watson White & Max is pleased to announce that mediators Robin A. Blanton, Sheri L. Critelli, Vincent M. “Vinny” D’Assaro and Michael A. Weiss have been inducted into the Florida Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals for 2026. Their selection follows the Academy’s peer-vote review and due-diligence client interviews conducted in recent weeks.
In Memoriam: Michael B. ‘Mike’ Walls
Upchurch Watson White & Max mourns the passing of Michael “Mike” B. Walls, a Principal Mediator in our Birmingham office whose distinguished career, steadfast professionalism, and genuine kindness made him one of the most trusted neutrals in Alabama. Mike passed away on December 8, 2025, leaving behind a legacy defined by fairness, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to helping people resolve their most difficult disputes
The Latest Blogs
Mindful Mediation: Setting the Stage for Success
To avoid an impasse, the use and utility of a pre-mediation conference with counsel should not be underestimated. Under the active theory of dispute resolution, the mediator should have the requisite tools he or she needs prior to the mediation to facilitate the autonomy of the parties.
Mediating Emotional Business Disputes: Tortious Interference
Business disputes are well-suited for mediation. The confidential setting allows frank discussions about sensitive topics that will likely be problematic in court. Unlike litigation’s limited win-lose outcomes, mediation enables parties to craft agreements that resolve the issue that gave rise to the litigation as well as shape future endeavors. Finally,
Will Florida’s ‘Free Kill Law’ Finally Be Eliminated?
Will wrongful death non-economic damages in Florida for certain survivors, heretofore subject to the sardonically framed “Free Kill Law” in medical malpractice cases, finally apply equally to the healthcare profession? The playing field for both plaintiffs and defendants in medical malpractice claims is on the verge of changing again. Attorneys