Doug has acted as the mediator in numerous disputes ranging from complex business disputes to product liability.  The disputes have included personal injury matters that resulted from motor vehicle accidents and slip and falls.  One nine-hour mediation, conducted over Zoom, included 32 participants two of whom were self-represented. Due to all the participants’ patience and perseverance, the dispute came to a successful resolution.

Doug has developed and adapted his mediation practice in the age of COVID-19 and found that online dispute resolution is as effective, if not more effective, than in-person mediations.

Doug is a Diplomate Member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and became a Panelist, as an Arbitrator and a Mediator, for the American Arbitration Association. He is also Chair-Elect of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section, former Co-chair of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section Mediation Committee, and a Fellow of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators.

For most of his judicial career, Doug served as the Presiding Judge for Civil Matters in Stamford and Danbury, CT.  He regularly encountered truly vexing conflicts in both the legal and emotional dimensions, and developed a unique approach to working those situations that he now brings to his clients.

Doug was appointed to the Superior Court in 1993 and served as the Civil Presiding Judge and the Assistant Administrative Judge for the Judicial District of Stamford/Norwalk, and as the Administrative Judge and the Civil Presiding Judge for the Judicial District of Danbury. Prior to his service on the bench, he was a State Representative from Norwalk (1987-1992) and served as the Vice-chair of the Judiciary Committee for most of that time.

As a Judge, in 2008, Doug worked collaboratively with the Legislature to craft legislation that created the Foreclosure Mediation Program (the first statewide mediation program in the nation). This Mediation Program was created in response to the mortgage foreclosure crisis of 2007-08 and helped thousands of families retain their homes.

From his many years on the Bench, Doug has learnt that deep dedication to the values of human dignity and creative thinking, combined with the rigorous and fair application of factual analysis, almost always clears the way for successful dispute resolution.

Doug speaks at legal community virtual events on various topics, including online dispute resolution.

To reserve an appointment online, please click your preferred available date. The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals will contact you on receipt of your Appointment Request form.

Affiliations

• American Bar Foundation – Fellow

• American College of Civil Trial Mediators – Fellow

• American Bar Association – Dispute Resolution Section, Chair-Elect, 2025-2026

• American Bar Association – Mediation Committee, Former Co-chair

• Diplomat Member – National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, Connecticut Chapter

• Connecticut Bar Foundation – Sustaining Life Fellow and Knights of the Round Table

• Panelist – American Arbitration Association National Roster of Arbitrators and Mediators

• New Haven Bar Association

• Waterbury Bar Association

• Fairfield County Bar Association

• Greater Danbury Bar Association

Distinctions

• Best Lawyers® – Mediation, 2025-2026

• 250+ Top Lawyers in Fairfield County, 2023, Moffly Media

Community

• Board of Trustees, Mark Twain Library Association, Redding, Connecticut, 2022-2024
• Victim Services Coordinating Council, 1991-1993
• Executive Steering Committee Mid-Fairfield Substance Abuse Coalition, 1989-1993
• Honorary Advisor Mid-Fairfield Hospice, 1989-1993
• Board of Directors Norwalk Jewish Community Center, 1988-1993
• Board of Directors George Washington Carver Foundation, 1987-1992
• Board of Directors Mid-Fairfield Child Guidance Center, 1986-1993
• Board of Directors Friends of Norwalk Community College, 1984-1986