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Mediators

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Click HERE for list provided by Olmsted County

Jill Frieders (Rochester)

  • jill@friederslaw.com
  • email Jill and her assistant Jacquelyn: jacquelyn@friederslaw.com
  • Emphasis on Mediation, Financial Neutral Evaluations, and Arbitrations
  • New mediator as of Nov 2024. Rates unsure
  •  ONCE SHE RETIRES: (Per Jill on 12/22/25) I will probably set up a unique email address for mediation.  In the meantime, if you want to contact me for mediation, please contact me on my cell—507-254-1061.

Linda Heine (New Ulm)

  • linda@heinelaw.legal
  • email her assistant Callie to schedule: calliet@heinelaw.legal
  • 507-354-0327
  • $350/hour   (4/7/26)
  • Good for less feel-good cases, she is very analytical and numbers-oriented, and comes across as focused and calm.
  • Married to Judge Docherty (Brown County Judge) so can’t take mediations for cases assigned to Docherty.

Jeff Johnson

  • jeff.johnson@johnson-mediation.com>
  • Phone: 952-401-7599
  • $300/hour ($150/hr for each parent)
  • Jeff Johnson is a fantastic mediator for tough parenting time/custody issues. Elizabeth really likes him and uses him often for custody/PT issues.

Kathy Snyder (Rochester)

  • Email her assistant, Wendy to schedule: snyder@conflictmanagementresolution.com
  • 507-288-6653
  • $325/hour (4/14/26)
  • solid mediator, but should be used on less complex financial cases as she gets lost in the details
  • great for kids, will listen to concerns from mom/dads.
  • Sliding fee is available upon request

Mary Dunlap (Rochester)

  • email her assistant, Wendy to schedule: snyder@conflictmanagementresolution.com
  • (Wendy at Conflict Management Solutions schedules for Mary, but Mary is NOT a part of Conflict Management’s Business)
  • $260/hour (3/5/26)
  • Mary’s direct email: mdunlap60@gmail.com
  • Will NOT do binding mediation agreements signed by both parties at mediation. Probably don’t want to use if trying to get a formal settlement done that same day or concerns w/ OPP/OPA backing out of deal
  • Will immediately note and discuss the difference in pre-tax vs. post-tax accounts, so may not be a good fit on a case where we’re trying to be more low key about that
  • Excellent mediator, with both numbers and kids.
  • Would consider sliding fee scale, pro bono, low bono upon request
  • resume: 2025-02-18 Mary Dunlap Resume

Carl Arnold

  • carl@arnoldlawmediation.com
  • 507-786-9999
  • Arnold Law & Mediation LLC; arnoldlawmediation.com; 220 Division St. S, Northfield 55057
  • Does child-inclusive mediation in addition to regular mediation
  • Client fees are fixed and based on blocking off time for sessions lasting up to four hours.  In other words, if a mediation takes less than four hours, the fee does not change.  
    • If a client is represented by a privately hired attorney, their fee is $600. 
    • If a client is represented by a free legal services organization such as SMRLS or Justice North, their fee is $300. 
    • If a client is not represented, their fee is calculated according to the sliding fee scale available at arnoldlawmediation.com/fees.  
    • There is a minimum charge of $300 per participant for each mediation session.  If a mediation takes more than four hours, an additional fee shall be prorated based on their base fee for each additional tenth of an hour.  Mediator’s billed time includes time in mediation and a summary writing if that is jointly requested.

Dax Stoner

  • dax@daxstoner.com
  • 952-851-5525
  • $425/hr (as of Oct 2024)
  • Expert when it comes to finances
  • Will request lots of financial docs prior to mediation
  • Will request advance payment of $850 per client ($1700 total) for half day mediation.

Thomas Jones

  • thomasajones136@centurylink.net
  • 320.403.3292
  • $200 per hour w/ 3 hour minimum
  • Generally well liked.

Jonathan Fogel 

Michael Halvorson

  • mike@wrightcountylaw.com
  • Michael G. Halvorson — Halvorson Legal
  • 763-999-7499
  • $275 (as of 5/23/24)
  • Does a good job being direct with clients about the reality of their proposals.
  • Very straight forward and direct, not good for emotional people/cases
  • Will do fully signed, binding agreements at mediation
  • sort of gave up in a case during arly 2025, dissapointed, perhaps a one off

Ben Henschel

  • ben.henschel@henschelmoberg.com
  • email Angie Wright to schedule: angie.wright@henschelmoberg.com
  • $450/hr (as of 8/16/24)
  • Once mediation date is set, Angie will set up a pre-mediation phone call between Ben and attorneys to discuss the issued to be mediated and what documentation would be helpful for him to review.

Gena Braaten

  • Email her directly at gena@braatenlawyers.com
  • $300/hr (October 2025)
  • “If a party is unrepresented and IFP or represented by a court appointed lawyer or legal aid attorney” she will do an hourly rate of $100/hr. Also happy to discuss fees on a case-by-case basis with the attorney if they are representing a client at a reduced rate.
  • She’s a bit cold, sort business only, always likes (and pushes a bit ) to start and stay in one room, have to push back on the breakout room.
  • well liked by all, does lots of ENEs and is really good with those,
  • Good for custody/PT issues
  • Will do signed, binding agreements at mediation
  • Very nononsense Jason Likes her

   Retired Judge Timothy Connell

  • timcon9@yahoo.com>
  • Usually wants a statement of issues emailed beforehand
  • Doesn’t typically require a signed mediation agreement
  • Hourly rate is $250 (as of 2/6/25)
  • $.50 per mile, but does NOT charge travel time
  • Doesn’t do zoom – only in person so both parties would be at the same office together in separate rooms.

Daniel Honsey     (Rochester & Hutchinson) 

  • -dhonsey@kraftwalser.com
  • 320-587-8150
  • $300/hour (5/1/26)
  • prepayment for first 3 hours required ($450 per party)
  • Generally asks parties to provide: brief statement of background info, major issues for mediation, copy of court orders, any additional info that would be helpful
  • good

Michael Black

  • 651-222-2587
  • $450/hour (as of 9/19/24)
  • solid lawyer, no-nonsense, works better with men than women.

Rob Hill  (John R. “Rob” Hill)

  • $350/hr (as of 11/6/24)
  • rhill@larkinhoffman.com
  • Biography | John R. ‘Rob’ Hill
  • Melk, Julia L. <jmelk@larkinhoffman.com (include on scheduling emails)
  • Excellent with complex financial cases, businesses, non-marital, farm, high asset, etc.
  • Does well with high conflict cases, will provide clients with his opinion on their positions.
  • Will want lots of documents and information in advance to prepare for financial complex mediations and will bill for time reviewing those documents.
  • Does fine with custody/pt stuff and incorporating that with finances
  • Will do a fully binding, signed mediation agreement

Zachary A. Kretchmer 

  • Kretchmer Family Law
  • zak@kretchmerfamilylaw.com (does his own scheduling)
  • Bills “Per Session” so it’s $950 total per session, or $475 each. Sessions are scheduled for 3 hours. (Essentially $316/hr as of 9/16/24)
  • He will cancel if you don’t pay ahead of time as required
  • Sends zoom info once everyoe has paid.

Henry Panowitsch

Larry Lucht (Worthington)

  • luchtlaw@frontiernet.net
  • 507-372-2220
  • $150/hour charges for travel (flat fee $125)  (not verified as of 2024)
  • older and not that active anymore
  • Will NOT do zoom mediations, will need to travel to location, so both parties would be at the same office together in separate rooms.

Terri Wintering

  • terri@winteringlaw.com
  • 507-281-5857
  • $265/hour
  • better for less complex mediations, seems to get confused/lost with too many details, can also lose control of the mediation. But can be really good with more simple cases
  • has handled appellate mediations

Kristine L. Dicke

  • kris@grindelaw.com
  • 507-282-8118
  • Mediation, FENE, SENE, Child focused ADR
  • Grinde & Dicke Law Firm PA;  grindelaw.com; 407 NW 14 St, Rochester 55901
  • $260/hr as of March 2025. Open to sliding fee

Steven Dittrich

  • Probably avoid
  • steve@dittrichlamers.com
  • 507-288-7365
  • FENE, SENE, Interviews w/ Children
  • Dittrich & Lamers PA; dittrichlamers.com; 3143 Superior Dr. NW, Suite C, Rochester 55901
  • Agreeable to using the Olmsted County Fee Schedule (for Olmsted Co Cases) as outlined below (need confirmed)
    • • 0-$25,000 annual gross income – $50 for initial 4-hour session, $100 hourly rate after initial 4-hour session
    • • $25,001-$50,000 annual gross income – $100 per hour
    • • $50,001-$75,000 annual gross income – $150 per hour
    • • $75,001-$100,000 annual gross income – $200 per hour
    • • $100,001-$150,000 annual gross income – $250 per hour
    • • $150,001-$200,000 annual gross income – $300 per hour

Kevin McGrath 

  • 612-424-6505
  • $425/hr as of Sept 2024
  • Good but quite expensive
  • Prepayment is absolutely required
  • Will bill for time spent reviewing docs beforehand (which he indicates is usually 1 hour), then schedules mediation for 3 hours, so he expected payment for 4 hours right away, then at the end of the mediation he will provide a summary invoice.
  • Refuses to value pension other than using the “current value.” This would be really bad if OPP is the one who has a high value pension but he’ll only say it’s worth the current cash value when we all know it is much higher than that.
  • Not willing to get creative with settlement. Essentially says that if the court wouldn’t order it at a trial, he won’t consider it as an option for negotiations.
  • Not recommended by Jacob due to the above 2 reasons

Steven Schmidt

  • steve@stevenbschmidtmediation.com
  • 952-876-4001
  • $395.00 (not verified)

Julie Ketcham Corbett (Mankato)

  • jcorbett@blethenberens.com
  • 507-345-1166
  • $220/hr as of 9/30/24
  • Also charges $110 in administrative fees (split between partes – so $55 each) to cover scheduling and administrative services.
  • Let’s not use her if possible, she comes off very condescending and cold
  • Must provide payment info 5 days before mediation, which will be run after mediation

Gerald Wolf

  • geraldjwolf@gmail.com
  • 507-332-4001
  • $125 (not verified)

Susan Chambers     (Mankato)

  • schambersmediator@yahoo.com
  • 507-388-1432
  • $175/hour (not verified)
  • very feel good, not to be used on high assets, plus talks a LOT about feelings.

Joseph Bluth (Mankato)

  • -bluth@highconflictmediation.com
  • 507-381-0270
  • $1000 for up to 4 hour session. $300/hr after 4 hours
  • not Jason’s favorite, good for some things, but talks a a lot and has trouble with younger clients.

 

BLACK LIST:

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK

  1. Gail Baker – NEVER USE HER FOR ANYTHING EVER list, please.  She was a terrible referee and she’s terrible at whatever she’s trying to sell us on in her retirement.
  2. Gail Finley
    • –gailefinley@gmail.com
    • -507-514-0117
    • -$120
    • -ELW and SJJ have had issues with this mediator
  3. Andrew Moran
  4. Herb Kroon   
    • herb@mankatomediator.com      
    • 507-387-3989
  5. Steve Dittrich
    • steve@dittrichlamers.com
    • 507-288-7365
    • FENE, SENE, Interviews w/ Children
  6. Dittrich & Lamers PA; dittrichlamers.com; 3143 Superior Dr. NW, Suite C, Rochester 55901
  7. Agreeable to using the Olmsted County Fee Schedule (for Olmsted Co Cases) as outlined below (need confirmed)

 

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