Academy Member Inducted 2005
Map & Directions
Regularly travels out of state to: Arizona, Florida, New York, Washington
Other ADR Services: ADR Training/CME, Court-Appointed Neutral (Special Master), Discovery Referee, Fact Finding
Video ConferencingAvailable
- Practice Commenced1976
- # of MEDS (as of 23/11/24)8000
- # of ARBS (as of 23/11/24)100
Current Practice
Online / In-Person
- LOS ANGELES/ORANGE COUNTY
- NAPA
- SACRAMENTO-ROSEVILLE
- SALINAS
- SAN DIEGO
- SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND
- SAN JOSE-SANTA CLARA
- SAN LUIS OBISPO
- SANTA CRUZ
- SANTA MARIA/SANTA BARBAR
- SANTA ROSA
Biographical
Debra Mellinkoff has been a professional mediator for 39 years and has resolved thousands of cases throughout the United States and Europe. For thirteen years, she also practiced law in New York City and San Francisco and specialized in civil litigation.
Ms. Mellinkoff's high settlement rate is a result of diligent preparation, an ability to quickly identify obstacles to settlement, and her extensive experience in dealing effectively with a variety of personalities.
In addition to a full time mediation practice, Ms. Mellinkoff has trained attorneys both to be effective advocates in mediation and to use this ADR process to resolve disputes before they escalate into litigation.
ADR Experience & Qualifications:
- Member of mediation panels for United States District Court Northern District of California, San Francisco Superior Court, Marin County Superior Court, San Mateo Superior Court, California Court of Appeal, United States Bankruptcy Court and FINRA, Inc.
- Successfully resolved numerous disputes before a lawsuit was ever filed.
- Noted for resolving disputes which involve parties with preexisting business or personal relationships.
- Conducted independent fact-finding in employment, discrimination and sexual harassment claims, including interviews of key witnesses and review of confidential information.
- Authored Department of Defense's manual "Use Mediation to Resolve Base Closure Disputes."
Case Experience
- ADA Disability
- Appellate
- Banking & Finance
- Business Dissolution
- Civil Rights
- Class Actions
- Commercial/Business
- Construction
- Contract Disputes
- Discrimination
- Elder Abuse
- Employment
- Entertainment Sector
- Environmental
- Franchise
- Insurance
- Intellectual Property
- International
- Land Use/Planning
- Legal Malpractice
- Libel & Slander
- Local Govt./Municipalities
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Mortgage Foreclosure
- Partnerships
- Personal Injury
- Probate
- Professional Fees
- Professional Liability
- Professional Malpractice
- Professional Negligence
- Public Policy
- Real Estate
- Religious Institutions
- Securities
- Sexual Harassment
- Shareholder Disputes
- Technology
- Torts
- Trademarks/Patents
- Trusts / Estates
Education
- J.D. University of California Hastings College of the Law, 1981 (Recipient of Moot Court Award)
- Judicial Intern for the Honorable Charles E. Stewart, United States District Court Southern District of New York.
- B.A. University of California Santa Cruz, 1976 (Recipient of Crown Zellerbach Fellowship)
Memberships & Affiliations
Member of Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution, The Mediation Society, ABA Committee on Mediation, ABA Committee on International Alternative Dispute Resolution, Association for Dispute Resolution of Northern California and California Dispute Resolution Council.
Active member, State Bar of California and New York
Former Member of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Bar Association
Chairperson of Legal Employment Action Program of the San Francisco Bar Association
Rates Information
Please call for details.