Bar Admissions
Pennsylvania Supreme Court; 1987
New Jersey Supreme Court; 1987
United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; 1987
United States District Court for New Jersey; 1987
Professional Memberships
Association for International Arbitration
Association for Conflict Resolution-Greater Philadelphia Chapter
New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators
New Jersey Bar Association; Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
Pennsylvania Council of Mediators
Global Alliance of Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Attorneys
International Forum of Travel and Tourism Advocates (IFTTA)
Philadelphia Bar Association; Business Section, International Law Committee
Education
Delaware Law School of Widener University, JD; May 1987
- Honor Grades: Evidence, Contracts, Commercial Transactions, Property,
- Class Rank: Top 17%
Villanova University, BA, Communications; May 1982
- Dean's List
Career Overview
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Expert;
Consult regarding international commercial arbitration law; design dispute resolution systems for court connected and private institutions.
Mediator, 2013-Present;
New Jersey Superior Court, Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, Suburban West Realtors Association and Private. Successfully mediated over 80% of cases assigned in areas such as:
- Commercial
- Employment/Workplace
- Real Estate
- Contracts
Arbitrator, 2002-Present;
Philadelphia Courts of Common Pleas and New Jersey Superior Court. Served as an arbitrator for approximately 200 cases mostly in the areas of:
- Tort, Personal injury, Premises Liability and accidents
- Contracts
- Property damage
Adjunct Professor, January 2014 to Present; Philadelphia University, Philadelphia, PA.
Private law practice, 2000 to present;
Represent business clients and private individuals in litigation, mediation and arbitration in a variety of areas including:
- Commercial
- Employment/Workplace
- Personal Injury
- Premises Liability
Represents clients in transactional matters including:
- Real Estate
- Contracts and Commercial matters
Chair, 2013 to Present;
Dispute Resolution/Enforcement Section of International Forum of Travel and Tourism Advocates (IFTTA) for contribution to the United Nations World Tourism Organization project: The Enforcement of Legal Protection of Tourists and Providers of Tourism Services.
Executive Director and Board Member, Montgomery Conflict Mediation Center, Norristown, PA
- Executive Director (Interim), October 2013 to December 2014
- Member of Board of Directors, January 2012 to September 2013;
Of Counsel Attorney, Messa and Associates P.C. Philadelphia, PA, 2007 – Present;
Assistant District Attorney, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office;
Assignments included: Major Trials and Homicide Units.
Publications
“Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Passenger Contract”, Cruise Tourism & Innovation: Improving Passengers' Experiences and Safety, Alexis Papathanassis, Michael H Breitner and , Ate de Groot, Editors, Published by Logos Verlag, Berlin, Germany June 9, 2014.
“Developing Alternative Dispute Resolution for Armenia” 69 pages including more than 27 recommendations, time-line and roadmap for implementation. USAID & EDMC November 15, 2013
“The International Forum of Travel and Tourism Advocates (IFTTA) response to the European Commission's Consultation Paper on the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as a means to Resolve Disputes Related to Commercial Transactions and Practices in the European Union” which was presented at IFTTA's 5th European conference in Rostock, Germany March, 2011.
Presentations
The National Courts, ADR and the Hague Conference on Private International Law, IFTTA's 8th European Conference, Tucepi, Croatia, May 2015.
Developments in Online Dispute Resolution IFTTA North America, Ft. Lauderdale FL, March, 2015
Designing Fair, Effective and Efficient Dispute Resolution Systems for the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Industries IFTTA North America, Ft. Lauderdale FL, February, 2014 and 25th World Conference Dublin, Ireland, October 2014
Legal Lessons from the Costa Concordia, 5th International Cruise Conference, Cruise Research Society, Bremerhaven, Germany, March 2014.
The Pros and Cons of Online Line Dispute Resolution IFTTA 24th World Conference Prague, Czech Republic October, 2013.
What Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Executives need to know about Alternative Dispute Resolution. IFTTA 6th European Conference Yerevan, Armenia April, 2013
Alternative Dispute Resolution for Vessel Owners and Operators, PVA, Jacksonville, FL February, 2013
Alternative Dispute Resolution for the Travel and Tourism Industries, IFTTA North America, Ft. Lauderdale FL, February, 2013
Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Passenger Contract, Cruise Research Society, 4th International Cruise Conference, Leeuwarden, Netherlands, May 2012
“The International Forum of Travel and Tourism Advocates (IFTTA) response to the European Commission's Consultation Paper on the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as a means to Resolve Disputes Related to Commercial Transactions and Practices in the European Union” IFTTA's 5th European conference in Rostock, Germany March, 2012.
The ABCs of ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution), Passenger Vessel Association (PVA), Portland, OR January, 2012
Continuing Legal Education instructor for: Florida Bar Association and Pennsylvania Bar Association sanctioned programs presented by International Forum of Travel and Tourism Advocates, Montgomery Conflict Mediation Center, The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.