LEGAL EXPERIENCE

   Litigation at Sherman & Howard from 1959 to 1991 (Partner 1965-1991). President, Williams, Youle & Koenigs, P.C., a litigation specialty firm, July 1991 to January 2002. Owner, Michael A. Williams LLC, full time ADR professional, February 1, 2002 to present. Varied trial practice including criminal, domestic, and the full range of civil litigation including personal injury, product liability, insurance, aviation, employment, real estate, commercial, qui tam, intellectual property, trade secrets probate and corporate. Also representation of clients in ADR in both mediation and arbitration matters. Lecturer in various Continuing Legal Education programs on evidence, trial practice, ethics, federal practice, arbitration and mediation.  Listed 1987-2004 in Best Lawyers in America as Commercial Litigator and as ADR provider from 2005-2014.  Listed as Colorado Super Lawyer ADR provider 2006-2014.

   Admitted to try cases in State and Federal Court in Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, and Federal Court in Arkansas, California and New Mexico

ADR EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Member of the Denver Panel of Distinguished Neutrals of the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution,
• American Arbitration Association arbitrator and mediator,
• Member of AAA Large, Complex Case Dispute Resolution Panel,
• Member of AAA Denver Panel of Emergency Arbitrators,
• Member AAA Olympic Arbitrator Panel,
• Member AAA Health Provider Rules Panel
• Member of College of Commercial Arbitrators (President, 2011-2012)
• Member of the Dalkon Shield Arbitration Program and Piper Aircraft mediator for The Duke University Private Adjudication Center, Inc.
• Trained arbitrator since 1964. Has arbitrated approximately 450 cases since that time.
• Trained mediator since 1987. Has mediated approximately 400 cases since that time.

Arbitrations and mediations have included health insurance matters, health care provider disputes, real estate and construction matters, computer software, product liability, helicopter product liability, professional liability, employment contracts and employer employee disputes and FLSA disputes, ADEA cases, athletic eligibility disputes, NGB disputes, satellite television disputes, telecommunications disputes, intellectual property and trade secret dispute, asbestos abatement, auto dealer disputes (section 747 arbitrations), generic pharmaceutical industry contract disputes, tribal law matters, shareholder disputes, law firm dissolutions and internal management disputes, terminal uplift agreements, tort and personal injury matters, Olympic and Pan Am Games arbitrations, disputes under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, general contract and general commercial disputes. Have also acted as discovery master in a share valuation case and special master in trial of domestic relations matters. 

Substantial experience in administering private arbitrations.

ADR TRAINING

Formal training has included:

• AAA initial arbitrator training in 1964;
• AAA arbitrator and mediator training in 1987;
• AAA training for Large and Complex Disputes Arbitration in 1993 (was one of the trainers),
• Advanced Arbitration Training from the AAA in 1994,
• Construction Arbitration Training from the AAA in June of 1997,
• AAA Commercial Arbitration Training Workshop, 10/98,
• AAA Train the Trainer Course, 11/98. Qualified trainer of Commercial Arbitrators for AAA.
• AAA Large Complex Panel Retreat, 10/99 (Special Problems in Chairing and Conducting Large Complex Arbitrations)
• AAA Mediator Conference, September, 2000
• AAA Train the Trainer Arbitration II Course, 12/2000.
• ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Arbitrator Training Institute Comprehensive Training, May 18-21, 2005 (Attendee and speaker).
• Qualified trainer for Phase II of Commercial Arbitrators for AAA.
• AAA Health Care Provider Rules Training
• Required AAA arbitrator currency training.
• Drafted and chaired CLE presentation on arbitration to America College of Trial Lawyers.
• Presentations to Colorado CLE groups about arbitration
• Presentation of seminar on Mediation to Colorado Administrative Law Judges

Other formal training includes training in 1990 by The Private Adjudication Center, Inc. In addition to receiving training have trained arbitrators and mediators, and have spoken frequently on issues involved in arbitration and mediation.

MEMBERSHIPS

• Member of the Colorado Bar and the North Dakota Bar since 1959.
• Admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for Colorado, the Tenth Circuit, the U.S. Court of Claims and the U.S.Supreme Court.
• Member, College of Commercial Arbitrators (President 2011-12 )
• Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, (Chair of National Trial Competition Committee 2000-2001, Chair ADR Committee 2008-09).
• Advocate, American Board of Trial Advocates (Colorado Chapter Past President),
• Elected Member (now Emeritus) American Law Institute (Member Consultative Groups for Restatement of Law Governing Lawyers, Principles of Family Law, and Employment Law),
• Member of the Colorado Bar Foundation
• Member of the Colorado Bar Association Ethics Committee for seven years.
• Member of the U.S. District Court Committee on Conduct for six years and its Chairman for four years.
• Member of CPR-ADR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals for Colorado.

EDUCATION

B.A. St. Thomas College, 1954
J.D. Harvard University, 1959

MILITARY SERVICE

U.S. AIR FORCE Active Duty 1955-1957. Intelligence Officer, Strategic Air Command.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Licensed Pilot since 1956, Multi Engine , Commercial, Instrument
since 1975.

COMPENSATION

Hourly rate to be agreed on:

Study time charged for study in preparation for arbitration or mediation, award writing, discovery disputes, prehearing motions, prehearing conferences with parties. Cancellation fees individually negotiated if appropriate on settings of one week or more. For hearings outside of Denver area, necessary air travel, hotel accommodations and meals will be charged. No charge for travel time. For arbitrations and mediations in Hawaii, charges from Kauai only.