Christine M. Whalen
Owner
As an experienced attorney and mediator addressing divorce, co-parenting issues, elder care disputes and other family conflict, Christine Whalen is passionate about helping people reach effective agreements in a cost-effective manner. She brings more than 20 years of mediating, negotiating, and trial experience to her conflict resolution practice. Ms. Whalen is committed to helping her clients prioritize their children’s best interests throughout the process. When the dispute is elder-related, she helps families preserve their relationships while honoring the desires of their elderly family members. Ms. Whalen has a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College; a master's from the University of California, Berkeley; and a J.D. from the University of California College of the Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings). She worked as an associate doing civil litigation at a San Francisco firm; as a partner at a boutique family law practice; and had a solo law practice primarily focused on juvenile dependency law, family law, and elder law. Ms. Whalen now focuses on alternative dispute resolution, providing mediation, consulting, and conflict coaching in the areas of family law, adoption, elder law, trusts and estates, and small family business disputes. Ms. Whalen is a member of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators; the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution; and the Alameda County Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Executive Committee, where she served one year as secretary and one as vice-chair. She received mediation certificates from the Mosten Guthrie Academy and the Center for Understanding in Conflict. Ms. Whalen has also completed Conflict Management Coaching training with Cinergy Coaching; International Cross-Border Family Mediation training at UC College of the Law SF (formerly UC Hastings); and Conflict Coaching training at UC College of the Law's Center for Negotiation & Dispute Resolution (CNDR). She was a presenter for the CEB program Best Practices in Family Law Mediation
