ABOUT JUDITH STARR

A Harvard-educated lawyer, Judith Starr was recognized as one of the top 5% of all federal executives with the Presidential Rank Award.  She founded the mediation program at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, where she served as general counsel. As the agency's Suspension and Debarment Official, she adjudicated cases involving the fitness of individuals and firms to contract with the Federal Government.  Ms. Starr trained as a mediator with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, and is certified as a mediator by the State of Florida.  She is experienced in mediating in county court,  labor and employment (including ERISA), consumer, contract, and commercial claims.  Ms. Starr also has substantial experience in the financial services sector, having served as chief counsel to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and assistant chief litigation counsel with the Securities and Exchange Commission, where she received the Stanley Sporkin Award for outstanding contributions to securities law enforcement.  Ms. Starr trained as an arbitrator with the Financial Regulatory Authority and currently serves on its panel of arbitrators arbitrating securities claims.   Ms. Starr is a member of the State of Florida's Mediator Qualifications and Discipline Review Board.   She served for two years as co-chair of the American Bar Association's (ABA) Mediation Committee, and currently chairs the Dispute Resolution Section's Membership Committee. Ms. Starr has published and spoken on mediator education, for both the Florida Dispute Resolution Center and the ABA Dispute Resolution Section.  She is also a co-founding director of Suncoast Community Mediation, a community mediation center serving low income residents of the Manasota area.