I have had a national litigation practice including cases in California, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Tennessee, New Jersey and New York. I was admitted into the Illinois bar in 1994 and to Texas in 2019.
For mediation purposes I consider both Chicago and Austin to be home. Like other national mediators, I charge for travel. However, I give mediation parties the benefit of my two locations by charging the lower of the travel expenses from either Austin or Chicago. For example, if parties in Washington, D.C. want me to mediate I will charge the economy air fare rate from Chicago (if it is cheaper) even if I actually fly from Austin. In an effort to keep costs down, I do not currently have my own offices and if the parties cannot agree on hosting the mediation, I will arrange for and pass along the actual cost of the mediation venue.