John A. Gromala has over 30 years legal experience in transactional law and estate planning. He has mediated disputes involving all aspects of business relations, crisis management in large and small organizations, environmental and land use concerns, trusts, wills, and conservatorship disputes. While serving as executive vice-president and general counsel of a holding company with varied business interests, John became acutely aware of the frustrating and debilitating impact that the adversarial process has on businesses. That led him into the field of mediation.

Mediating disputes among business owners, management teams, and trust and will beneficiaries confirmed John's hypothesis that most conflicts can be avoided if people have the benefit of mediation during the planning and formative stages of their organizations and plans. For the past several years, John has practiced exclusively as a mediator. He has given many seminars for attorneys, business people, and mediators both in the U.S. and Europe. His roles have included the following:

• Mediator and West Coast Director, BMC Associates. 1999 to present.



• Mediator and Founder, Gromala Mediation Services. Eureka, CA. 1992 to present.



• Attorney specializing in business, environmental, estate, and trust disputes. 1992 to present.



• Executive Vice-President and General Counsel, Humboldt Group. 1988 to 1991.



• Board Chair, Bank of Loleta, Humboldt County, California. 1979 to 1988.



• Attorney, private practice. 1959 to 1988.

EDUCATION
1958 J.D. University of San Francisco, CA
1956 B.S. University of San Francisco, CA

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS (current and former)
Member, American Bar Association
Member, California Bar Association, including Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Section.
Member, Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution
Adjunct faculty, Institute for Study of ADR, Humboldt State University
Senior Associate, Center for Resolution of Environmental Disputes
Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel