Heather cringes at the words "I'll see you in court." Not because she can't handle it, (quite the contrary) but because she knows it often means certain death for the relationship. Heather has a great passion for people. Her view is that conflict can actually strengthen relationships, both personally and professionally. In an effort to make that happen, she has chosen to pursue her legal career outside the confines of the courtroom, determined to change the way conflict is viewed and resolved.

Heather is a graduate of Michigan State University's James Madison College and Cum Laude graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Heather was inducted into the Frank Murphy Honor Society, Managing Editor of the Law Review, as well as a published author.

Early in her career, Heather practiced in the Labor and Employment Group at Butzel Long, P.C. In 2002, she joined her husband in private practice where she specialized in employment defense litigation. The mission of their firm was to provide clients an opportunity to resolve disputes early, with as little financial and emotional cost as possible. Recognizing the traditional court system to be stagnate, with little hope of immediate change, Heather became a member of the Michigan Collaborative Law Institute, an organization focused on out-of-court settlements for families and businesses. She has received more than 150 hours of mediation, negotiation and conflict resolution training, including dispute resolution systems design, from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law. The Straus Institute has been named number one, seven times by U.S. News & World Report as the most comprehensive academic program in conflict management in the nation.

Heather has been speaking and teaching group seminars on interpersonal conflict, negotiation, discrimination/harassment and collaborative culture. She has taught in various places throughout the United States and abroad in Belo Horizante, Brazil. She was also asked to present a seminar on conflict resolution to the Caribbean Leaders at the 2007 National Prayer Breakfast, where in typical, fun-filled fashion, she used personal experiences to teach and encourage those in attendance.

What Heather finds most gratifying in her work is her opportunity to serve others. Mother Theresa was a major influence in her life. Heather enjoys the idea of a culture that values people as respected individuals, each with their own talents and attributes, which become readily apparent once fully engaged.

Heather's fresh approach is evident and effective in settling even the most imbedded disputes. Her ability to get to the issues through listening and asking the right questions is much more of an art than a science.

Heather lives in Troy, Michigan with her husband, Michael and two children, Jake and Kate.