Teresa F. Frisbie, Esq. is Director of the Dispute Resolution Program at Loyola University of Chicago School of Law. She is a skilled mediator and arbitrator, specializing in disputes involving employment matters, family businesses, trusts/ estates and other emotionally - charged litigation.  

In mediations, Ms. Frisbie is able to quickly assimilate complex legal and business issues. She uses primarily a facilitative style, but will move to an evaluative style upon specific agreement.  She views the dispute broadly and employs caucus selectively.  She helps the parties sort through complex, personal concerns which often find their way into monetary disputes.  She excels at assisting parties in attaining a creative and durable resolution; one that serves the unique, individual interests of everyone involved. Her ability to engage clients, and to use a variety of mediation strategies, as well as her wide legal experience, help her bring parties to resolution in hotly contested matters with intertwined family or co-worker communication issues.

When serving as an arbitrator, Ms. Frisbie is not hesitant to apply the law. She actively manages the arbitration using such techniques as thorough preliminary conferences and comprehensive case management orders so that the arbitration is conducted efficiently and quickly. Having represented both plaintiffs and defendants, she is able to reach a fair and unbiased result based on the evidence and applicable law.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• Director, Dispute Resolution Program, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2010-Present
• 15-years experience as mediator and arbitrator, served as neutral in hundreds of cases
• 25-year legal career focused on business and tort litigation
  • 2006-present, Of Counsel, DeGrand & Wolf, P.C.
  • 2001-2006, Of Counsel, Davis, Mannix & McGrath
  • 1986-2000, Associate, then Partner, Foran & Schultz
• AV- rated, named by peers to Illinois Leading Lawyers – The Top Lawyers – for ADR/Commercial Litigation, ADR/Employment and ADR/International, 2004 to present
• Ms. Frisbie has experience in the following types of disputes:
  • Employment: wrongful termination, race and sex discrimination, sexual harassment, benefits, restrictive covenants, employment contracts
  • Estates: family trust/estate disputes, probate matters, guardianship and elder care disputes
  • Business/Commercial: variety of business litigation including contract, partnership, closely held corporations, professional license regulation, fraud, international arbitration, celebrity privacy, UCC warranties, packaging, computer software, manufacturing, distributors, entertainment, franchise, and insurance
  • Real Estate: condominium, zoning/ special permit, commercial purchase contracts and leases, management contracts, tax protests, environmental enforcement actions, Real Property Disclosure Act.
  • Family Business: partnership and closely held corporate disputes, shareholder agreements
  • Construction: negligent design, construction management, Structural Work Act, luxury condominium common elements
  • Insurance: coverage disputes
  • Torts, including products liability, medical malpractice, personal injury, wrongful death, dram shop, premises liability, auto, food borne illness

Representative Matters

• Mediated estate/trust dispute involving $1M contested bequest and portfolio of real estate held by LLC 
• Mediated partnership dispute involving custom software and sensitive customer relationships
• Arbitrated restrictive covenant/non-compete claim involving high net worth customer list
• Mediated extended family estate $1.2M dispute with complex legal and family history issues and allegations of undue influence
• Mediated condominium association $1M claim of diminished unit owner interests in common elements
• Mediated numerous cases concerning employment discrimination, including sexual harassment and involving parties with wide ranging ethnic and cultural backgrounds
• Mediated numerous cases involving commercial and residential real estate disputes including latent defects, landlord/tenant and family businesses
• Arbitrated numerous personal injury and property damage claims
• Mediated and represented clients in employment contract disputes
• Obtained 2.9 million dollar judgment on behalf of purchaser of commercial property. Successfully defended judgment on appeal
• Represented clients in commercial real estate lease and installment contract litigation. Obtained return of the property and $100,000 in attorney fees.
• Defended physician in attempt to pierce corporate veil in sale of medical practice
• Represented Fortune 500 corporation in numerous wrongful death, personal injury, products liability, and dram shop arbitrations and trials
• Represented individual investors re: violations of franchising laws
• Obtained injunctive relief for individuals in civil rights action concerning water rights
• Represented individuals in personal injury and medical malpractice claims (settlements up to $1M)
• Represented U.S. corporation in international arbitration dispute concerning virtual reality entertainment equipment manufactured in U.K.  and delivered to South America
• Represented martial arts celebrity in dispute regarding well known video game

Select Training

•  Master Mediator Institute, Duke University, North Carolina, May 2012
• Professional Skills Program (Mediation Advocacy), Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, June 2011
• Advanced mediation skills roundtable, ADR Systems of America, Chicago, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012
• Commercial Arbitration Symposium, DePaul Center for Dispute Resolution, Chicago, March 5, 2009
• Wisconsin Association of Mediators Training Institute, November 3, 2004
• Forty hour mediation training course, Center for Conflict Resolution, Chicago, 1998
• International arbitration training, assessment and exam to become Fellow, Chartered Institute of    Arbitrators Charleston, South Carolina, 1997
• International arbitration training and exam to become Associate, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and American Arbitration Association, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1996
• Circuit Court of Cook County arbitration training, July 16, 1990.

Honors, Memberships and Professional Activities

• Certified mediator, Circuit Court of Cook County, IL.
• Certified arbitrator, Chair qualified, Circuit Court of Cook County, IL, 1990-2006.
• Member, Association for Conflict Resolution, Chicago Chapter, 1999 – present.
• Member: American and Illinois State Bar Associations
• Member: Board of Directors, International Academy of Dispute Resolution
• Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London, 1997-2004: Executive Committee, North American Branch, 2001-2004; Chicago international arbitration course tutor/ local course coordinator, 1998 and 2002.

Articles, Presentations and Teaching

• Director, Dispute Resolution Program, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2010-Present. Coach, INADR international mediation team.
• “Ten Tips For a Successful Mediation,” Women’s Bar Association of Illinois Journal, ____2012
•  “Practical Applications of Neuroscience in Negotiation and Mediation,” American Bar Association, Chicago, August 2012.
• “Effective Use of the Preliminary Conference in Arbitration,” Association for Conflict Resolution, 2012
• “Creative Solutions to Interpersonal Conflict in Negotiation,” McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, CA, October 2011
• “Selecting the Mediator in e-Discovery Disputes,” Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, February 2012
• INADR International Mediation Competition training, BPP Law School, London, March 2011
• Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, “Creativity in Settlements,” February 2011
• Moderator, Debate: “Should U.S. Style Discovery Should be Used in International Arbitration?” Loyola International Law Journal Symposium, 2012
• MentorCLE, online Illinois continuing legal education course, mediation instructor:  http://www.mentorcle.com 2009 to present
• Television interview, Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Law, “Alternatives to Court: Mediation, Arbitration, Collaboration,” April 2011
• American Bar Association- American Law Institute, Partnerships, LLPs and LLCs, “Mediation of Partnership Disputes,” July 2009
• Illinois State Bar Association, ADR in a Nutshell, “Online Dispute Resolution,” February 2008
• Illinois Bar Association- Trusts and Estate Section CLE, “Mediation of Estate and Trust Disputes” July 2008
• Adjunct professor, Loyola University of Chicago, School of Law, Mediation Advocacy, 2006-2008
• Coach, Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition, Loyola University of Chicago, School of Law, Vienna 2007
• Coach, International Competition for Online Dispute Resolution (“ICODR”), Loyola University of Chicago, School of Law (First Place Mediator) 2003
• “Bringing Mediation to the Balkans,” Chicago Bar Record, May 2003
• Television interview for CLTV Your Money, “Benefits of Mediation for Small Businesses,” February 2003
• “Mediation Skills Workshop,” presented to the Croatia Bar Association, Zagreb, Split and Rijeka, Croatia, February 10-14, 2003
• “Online Mediation Can Benefit International Trademark and Domain Name Disputes,” published in ADR Online Monthly, June 2002
• “International Mediation and Arbitration on Main Street: What Medium-Sized Businesses and Their Lawyers Need to Know in the Global Age,” American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Section, Washington D.C., April 2001
• “Negotiating and Drafting the Dispute Resolution Clause in Major Business Agreements,” Negotiating and Drafting major Business Agreements Conference, The Drake Hotel, Chicago, ILL, December 6-7, 2001
• “Mediation, Arbitration and Litigation in the Global Economy,” First Year Dinner, Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, September 25, 2001
• “Applying a Systematic Approach to Conflict Resolution in Mediations Involving Small Business,” American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution section, Washington D.C., April 2001
• Numerous presentations to Chicago Bar Association ADR and International Law Committees
• Editor – Undisputed Facts, newsletter of the Chicago International Dispute Resolution Association, 2000-2003
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, North American Branch, Course Tutor- Entry Level Course on international arbitration, Chicago 1998; Tutor and Coordinator, Fellowship and Entry Level Courses, Northwestern Law School, Chicago, 2002
• Guest Lecturer – Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Kent Law School courses on international arbitration and negotiation
• Mock Arbitrator – VIS International Commercial Arbitration Competition, Loyola University Chicago School of Law Regional Competition, Chicago, IL. 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007

Background and Education

• J.D. Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois, 1986
• B.A. University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, 1983
• Foreign Studies, Salzburg College, Salzburg, Austria, 1982