Barry Kohler Consulting mainly focuses on Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution. With more than 35 years’ experience as an attorney and as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) practitioner, Barry has experience helping clients, families, parties in conflict (business or otherwise), and groups reach fair and workable resolutions over a wide variety of issues. Presently, he mediates cases privately statewide via Zoom and serves on several rosters of the Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Service (CADRES). Also, he is certified as a mediator and arbitrator panel member for FINRA Dispute Resolution arbitrations, involving securities issues.
Although “mediation” technically refers to only one specific form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), it is commonly used (in Maine, at least) to refer to all types of ADR. His law practice convinced him of the benefits of mediation over litigation.
With his background as a Certified Financial Planner, he is particularly interested in mediations that involve the intersection of families and finances, such as:
Divorce
Family matters
Unmarried partners
Family businesses
In February 2018, he was appointed as one of nine members to the state-wide Maine Supreme Judicial Court’s CADRES Committee. In addition, he has been qualified by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to help resolve securities-related disputes, both as mediator and as an arbitration panel member. Finally, he has an active private mediation and dispute resolution practice.
Education
Cornell Law School, Juris Doctor, Law, 1974
University of Pennsylvania, BA with Honors, Philosophy, 1969
Memberships
Member, Maine Association of Mediators (former member of Board of Governors)
Member, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the Maine Bar Association
Member, Family Law Section of the Maine Bar Association
Member, Trusts and Estates Section of the Maine Bar Association
Practice Areas
Divorce/Family
Adult/Elder Issues
Commercial/Business (especially family business disputes)
