Stephen H. Sulmeyer , J.D., Ph.D.

Stephen H. Sulmeyer, J.D., Ph.D., joined JAMS in 2019 as a full-time neutral after 20 years as a mediator in private practice. With a dual background as a commercial and intellectual property litigator as well as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Sulmeyer specializes in the settlement of disputes involving professional and intimate relationships (such as family law, probate and estate planning, elder law, closely-held and family businesses, workplace/employment, sexual harassment and partnership disputes), disputes involving high levels of conflict and emotion (such as professional liability, personal injury, partnership dissolutions, and family law), as well as commercial and business disputes.  As a mediator he brings a high level of sensitivity and empathic skills that are particularly useful in cases involving party vulnerability (such as sexual harassment, discrimination and personal injury matters).  His skill at working with the human issues that drive disputes has earned him a reputation for resolving the most challenging high-conflict and high-emotion cases. 

Dr. Sulmeyer’s approach to dispute resolution focuses on understanding as thoroughly as possible the parties’ material and non-material interests, as well as their financial and legal positions—hence his commitment to thorough and diligent pre-mediation preparation. His ability to listen empathically, think analytically and communicate clearly allows parties and counsel to feel genuinely heard and understood, and ripens negotiations for creative and pragmatic problem-solving. His combination of tenacity, legal acumen and amiable practicality contributes to his high rate of settlement.

In addition to his mediation and arbitration practices, Dr. Sulmeyer is highly sought after as a speaker and trainer of dispute resolution, nationally and internationally. He is also the founder and former president of Integrative Mediation Bay Area, an organization that brings together psychotherapist, financial industry and attorney co-mediators in family law and other cases. Mr. Sulmeyer is the co-founder (with Judge Verna Adams) of the Marin County Superior Court’s Interdisciplinary Settlement Conference program, in which mental health professionals and lawyers trained in dispute resolution team up to assist judges to resolve the most intractable child custody, probate and other civil cases. 

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• 12 years of private practice litigation experience covering a wide variety of intellectual property, entertainment and general business matters
• 20 years practicing as a psychotherapist, during which time he honed his skills in empathic listening and understanding human behavior and motivations
• Highly experienced in resolving matters involving current and/or future relationships among the parties (e.g., employment, divorce/separation, partnerships, closely-held businesses, family businesses); high-conflict, difficult personalities; mental health issues; and substance abuse
• Co-founded the Interdisciplinary Settlement Conference program at the Marin County Superior Court; in its 12-year history, the program has maintained a greater than 80% settlement rate while substantially reducing the number of return visits by litigating parents