Herbert A. Fried

Lee County Civil, Personal Injury & Family Mediator | Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil, Family, County & Dependency Mediator | Certified Arbitrator

Serving Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, Glades, and Southwest Florida in Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Insurance, Family Law, Hurricane Property Claims, and Hybrid Mediation/Arbitration
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Herb Fried is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil, Family, County Court, and Dependency Mediator, as well as a Florida Supreme Court Qualified Arbitrator. A practicing attorney since 1976, he brings five decades of legal experience and has conducted more than 3,000 mediations involving complex civil, insurance, personal injury, and family law disputes throughout Southwest Florida.

Mr. Fried has represented clients and resolved disputes throughout Lee, Collier, and the surrounding counties since beginning his legal career. During the first twenty-five years of practice, his work was divided almost equally between civil trial litigation and family law, providing him with a balanced understanding of both the legal and personal issues that often drive settlement negotiations.

Today, his practice is devoted primarily to mediation, arbitration, and hybrid mediation/arbitration proceedings, helping parties efficiently resolve disputes while avoiding the uncertainty, expense, and delay of litigation.

Today, his practice is devoted primarily to mediation, arbitration, and hybrid mediation/arbitration proceedings, helping parties efficiently resolve disputes while avoiding the uncertainty, expense, and delay of litigation.
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Mediation Philosophy

Mr. Fried believes successful dispute resolution requires careful preparation, practical evaluation, and open communication. His decades of courtroom experience allow him to understand both the legal strengths of a case and the practical considerations that motivate settlement.

Recognizing that every dispute is different, he works to create an environment where parties can openly evaluate risk, explore creative solutions, and make informed decisions. His objective is not simply to resolve cases, but to help participants reach durable agreements that withstand future challenges.

His attitude is that "everyone in mediation is reasonable...according to the rules of the world they live in". So, if a party appears to take an unreasonable position, it then requires the mediator to explore that world by asking questions. It is by understanding the parties' views of their world that we can help guide them, especially, though not exclusively, in family law situations, to an agreement that meets both parties' needs.

His presentation, "Mediation as a Hostage Negotiation," reflects his practical approach to overcoming impasse and guiding difficult negotiations toward resolution.
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Leadership & Professional Recognition

Mr. Fried has long been recognized as a leader within Florida's legal and ADR communities.

His professional leadership includes:
• President, Lee County Personal Injury Association
• President, Southwest Florida Trial Lawyers Association
• Member, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
• Member, Association of Family Law Professionals

Since 2020, he has also led more than 150 Zoom sessions of a twice-monthly statewide discussion group for arbitrators and mediators, focused on advanced arbitration techniques, hybrid proceedings, and emerging issues in alternative dispute resolution.

Mr. Fried has presented continuing education programs for Florida Rural Legal Services, the Lee County Bar Association, and the Association of Family Law Professionals. In the April 2025 issue of the Collier County Bar Association magazine, The Adverse Witness, he published an article examining the growing use of Hybrid Mediation/Arbitration.
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