Overview
The Board of Governors oversees the New York State Fee Dispute Resolution Program (FDRP) with the goal of ensuring that attorneys and clients have access to cost-effective, high-quality methods of resolving fee disputes. The Board of Governors consists of six members who are not attorneys and twelve members who are attorneys. The Chief Judge and the Presiding Justices of the four Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court appoint the Board Members to three-year terms.
The Board monitors local programs across New York State with assistance from the Unified Court System Division of Alternative Dispute Resolution. The Board supports the efficient operation of those local programs by overseeing the training and approval of volunteer arbitrators, promoting the Program, and responding to substantive and operational questions from staff of local programs as well as attorneys and clients. The Board regularly reviews questions arising under Part 137 of the Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge and the Board’s Standards and Guidelines to promote consistent practices where appropriate. The Board also reviews the website for the Program to ensure that parties and local programs have access to the information and forms they need.
Co-Chairs
Robin Abramowitz, Esq., Bond Schoenick & King Attorneys
Gene A. Johnson, Jr.
Members
Simeon H. Baum, Esq., Resolve Mediation Services, Inc.
Susan L. Bender, Esq., Bender & Crane
Lewis M. Bernstein
Rev Dr. Derrick L. Boykin
Caitlin Curtin, Esq., Donnellan Law, PLLC
Matthew F. Didora, Esq., Law Office of Matthew F. Didora, P.C.
William J. Dockery, Esq.
Rasheim J. Donaldson, Esq., Grey & Grey, LLP
Franklin Jerome, Jr., Bank of America
David McNamara, Esq., Phillips Lytle LLP
Hon. Thomas E. Mercure (Ret.), RLGC Law Group
Katrina Nobles, Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations
Shari Jo Reich, Esq., Reich/Emerson LLP
David Richardson
Alicia N. Washington, Esq.
Abigail A. Wickham, Esq., Wickham Bressler, P.C.
Counsel
Jeremy Zeliger, Esq.
Staff
Federica Romanelli