Michelle Sylvain of ADR Solutions, LLC is really good at guiding parties beyond impasse, helping them engage in productive conversations and preserve critical connections. She leads people through challenging relationship transformation - whether they are at the beginning of a personal or business relationship, or on the verge of dissolving certain ties. She helps parties successfully navigate conflict and transform disagreement into win-win solutions. Michelle’s mediation sessions include impactful tools to supports folks who want to transcend power struggles, conflict avoidance, and/or explosive disputes.
Michelle Sylvain grew up in Denver, Colorado, earned business and law degrees from the University of Denver. She was editor of several publications and held leadership positions in several Colorado non-profit organizations and published an award-winning commentary regarding disputes and political action in minority communities. After graduating from law school Michelle obtained impactful recoveries for her clients as lead counsel in one- and two-week jury trials. In 2018, after 20 years as a litigator and court officer, Michelle switched to mediation and consulting to help people find a more effective way to disagree. She now offers services for all types of contract and family law disputes and for all types of business owners and individuals.
Michelle’s expertise as a former journalist, attorney-mediator and conflict coach have given her the ideal skillset to guide her clients through conflict toward agreements that they can live with. She is also expert at creating a living documents memorializing your intention and mutual agreements. If you are already engaged in the legal process, these agreements can be formalized by the court, rather than dictated by a judge. She was been trained in Boulder Colorado by CDC as a mediator and through Newfield-Boulder as a conflict coach. For more information see her profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msylvain/
Professional Synopsis
Michelle is an effective neutral, and expert in facilitating respectful conversations where people can be heard. Her career super powers were her ability to remain client-focused and purposefully listen and help others communicate their story. As an attorney-mediator, her edge is she is well versed in trial litigation, as well as several facilitative and evaluative conflict resolution processes. Michelle Sylvain earned her MBA/J.D. at Denver University School of Law (now Sturm School of Law) and her B.S. at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where she majored in communications and journalism. In 2018, after a twenty-plus year legal career (and teaching law school as a tenured track law professor) Michelle acted on her passion for access to justice to become a full-time mediator. While she continues to thrive in dynamic environments, she is convinced that there is a better way to do conflict resolution. In 2020 she was asked to join the Colorado Judicial Department as a Contract ODR Mediator.
In addition to being a confident courtroom professional, Michelle has more than a decade of experience in persuasive writing, complex research, and factual analysis – both as a successful journalist with McGraw-Hill, a tenured-track law professor and a former prosecuting Assistant Attorney General. She is fluent in English and has very basic Spanish Proficiency.
Education
- Harvard University School of Law: Post-graduate certification
- University of Denver, Sturm College of Law: J.D., Corporate Law
- University of Denver, Daniels College of Business: M.B.A., Org. Development and Strategic Leadership
- University of Colorado, Boulder: B.S., Journalism and Communication
SERVICES PROVIDED
When you disagree but need/want to keep dialogue open, let Michelle Sylvain of ADR Solutions help. We provide the tools for arriving at mutually-acceptable, peaceful resolution.
- Asset Division/Contract Mediation
- Business Contracts & Succession Mediation
- Conflict/Divorce Coaching
- Early Neutral Evaluation/Risk Assessment Consulting
- Family Law Mediation (including Dissolution/Parenting Time/Child Support)
- FED/Eviction Mediation
- Pre-Nuptial Coaching
~Mediators serve as a neutral third party to guide people through a process of being heard and talking about ways to solve their disputes by creating win-win solutions.~
People also look to ADR Solutions for coaching in preparation for complicated conversations. The firm is expert in guiding clients through the discussion needed to develop a pre-nuptial agreement, dissolution decisions such as support and alimony, or conversations needed to arrive at fair and mutual parenting and visitation agreements.
ADR Solutions has also helped people beginning or concluding a business relationships work beyond important roadblocks. In situations such as succession, it has helped people collaboratively figure out what to do to avoid needless litigation. This works as well for parties wish to do it themselves, as for parties working with attorneys. Attorneys are welcome to attend the process to help their clients understand the legal issues, but in all ADR Solution processes, our clients are in charge of making the ultimate decisions.
ADR Solutions is committed to bringing compassion, open communication and support to each of its mediation and other alternative dispute resolution engagements. By taking a pragmatic and proactive approach, ADR Solutions helps clients get where they want to be – through productive conversation. ADR Solutions has been successful in helping clients forge a stronger relationship and clarity with their significant other or ex-spouses, figure out the agreed terms to a quick separation agreement, or the best choices for a fast and inexpensive divorce. The company has also been lauded for successfully leading clients toward a workable pre-nuptial agreement, parenting and visitation agreement, and business succession plans.