DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 3, 2013) – Upchurch Watson White & Max proudly announces that the National Law Journal has recognized John J. Upchurch, president and CEO of the mediation group, as the third-ranking individual mediator in the country.
In a nationwide survey, Mr. Upchurch ranked behind only
Judge Marina Corodemus (Ret.) of Corodemus & Corodemus, headquartered in Iselin, N.J., and
Kenneth R. Feinberg of Feinberg Rozen LLP, based in New York and Washington D.C. Mr. Upchurch was the only individual mediator in the Southeast to achieve finalist status in the 2013 Best of the National Law Journal poll.
John J. Upchurch
“Personally, I feel this is more an honor for the firm, as opposed to me individually,” Upchurch said. “Nevertheless, for a Florida mediator to be recognized in a national survey reflects the tremendous reputation for excellence our state’s legal community has earned nationwide.”
Nearly 5,000 Journal readers had cast votes for their favorite legal service providers and vendors in 70 categories, according to Kenneth A. Gary, J.D., publisher of The National Law Journal & Legal Times. “Given the size and scope of the survey, and the time that it takes to complete it, your responses overwhelmed our expectations,” he added.
Since founding the mediation group in 1996, Mr. Upchurch has been selected for membership in the Academy of Court Appointed Masters (2005) and inducted by the International Who’s Who of Commercial Mediation (2012). Recently, the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS) certified Upchurch as a member, assisting courts in their struggle with the flood of electronic data now being used as evidence.
In 1976, Mr. Upchurch was elected as the youngest Circuit Judge in Florida history, serving as Chief Judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit beginning in 1979. He was appointed by the Supreme Court of Florida as a charter member of the Supreme Court Committee on Mediation and Arbitration in 1989 and to the Panel of Distinguished Neutrals of the Center for Public Resources in 1993. Following his service on the bench, Mr. Upchurch was president and managing partner of Cobb Cole & Bell of Daytona Beach.
About Upchurch Watson White & Max
Upchurch Watson White & Max is a Florida- and Alabama-based professional association of 23 mediators. Our team of conflict resolution specialists practices in a wide range of alternative dispute resolution disciplines. Areas of practice include business mediation, arbitration, e-discovery mediation, and niche services such as multi-party, complex, malpractice and class action mediation. On the Web: www.uww-adr.com.
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