ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Contact
  • Testimonials
  • Demographics & Advertising Rates
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Search
    Generic filters
    California Business Journal
    63 °f
    Los Angeles
    61 ° Fri
    61 ° Sat
    60 ° Sun
    58 ° Mon
    60 ° Tue
    65 ° Wed
    • Front Page
    • Business
      • Insurance
      • Real Estate
    • Finance
      bitcoin of america

      The power of Bitcoin of America intensifies

      venture-capital-investment

      Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv Firm NextLeap Ventures Rising To The Next Level

      Bitcoin

      Big Changes May Be Coming For Cryptocurrency

      bitcoin2

      What the average person needs to know about Bitcoin

    • People
    • Featured
      lights, camera, action2

      Lights, Camera, Testing!

      Dennis Weiss Lead Gen

      Commentary: Preventing Lead Generation Fraud

      yacht fishing sunset1.1

      J. Douglas Hines has shaken up the food industry with a plant-based seafood alternative product

      stock-market-3

      How the Inflow of Retail Traders is Changing Stock Market Dynamics

      Dr. Chris Harts4

      Oventus Medical Is Revolutionizing the Treatment of Sleep Apnea

    • Technology
      Higher Education Adapts to Covid Using IT

      How Higher Education Has Adapted to Covid-19 Using IT Tools

      NEC X Figure 3_Shige Ihara

      Fast Tracking Technologies … To The World

      Welcome to the construction industry’s automated augment

      Tech Future Healthcare1

      Technology and the Future of Health Care

    • Law
      Doctor getting second opinion on patients x-ray

      Improper Medical Treatment: What To Do Next?

      Mediation-For-Couples (1)

      What is Mediation and How It Can Help?

      Legal obligations of businesses: What happens when these duties are breached?

      Nicole Kuklok-Waldman Headshot

      Commentary: How to Bounce Back from a Canceled Career 

    • News
      blockchain2

      Blockchain.com Value Reaches $5.2 Billion

      Negative Google reviews1

      How to Handle Negative Google Reviews

      SleepScore Labs

      The Final Score

      Passports on a map of the world

      If Your Employees with U.S. Passports are Traveling in 2021, Start Planning Now

    • Human Interest
      • Food
      • Art & Culture
    • Education
      Take care of Mind-Body-Soul

      4 Steps to Taking Better Care of Yourself in 2021

      Health insurance claim form

      How to file an insurance claim: Everything you need to know

      safe workplace

      9 Essential Steps for a Safer Workplace

      trust3

      7 ways to build trust on your business website

    • Health & Fitness
      Take care of Mind-Body-Soul

      4 Steps to Taking Better Care of Yourself in 2021

      Woman climber on a Klettersteig (Via Ferrata)

      6 Unique Ways to Stay Fit Outdoors This Summer

      WOMAN WORKING OUT

      Taking the Gym Home: Hot Selling Items During the Pandemic

      silhouette-of-man-and-woman-running

      3 Reasons to Start Working Out … This Month

    California Business Journal
    • Front Page
    • Business
      • Insurance
      • Real Estate
    • Finance
      bitcoin of america

      The power of Bitcoin of America intensifies

      venture-capital-investment

      Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv Firm NextLeap Ventures Rising To The Next Level

      Bitcoin

      Big Changes May Be Coming For Cryptocurrency

      bitcoin2

      What the average person needs to know about Bitcoin

    • People
    • Featured
      lights, camera, action2

      Lights, Camera, Testing!

      Dennis Weiss Lead Gen

      Commentary: Preventing Lead Generation Fraud

      yacht fishing sunset1.1

      J. Douglas Hines has shaken up the food industry with a plant-based seafood alternative product

      stock-market-3

      How the Inflow of Retail Traders is Changing Stock Market Dynamics

      Dr. Chris Harts4

      Oventus Medical Is Revolutionizing the Treatment of Sleep Apnea

    • Technology
      Higher Education Adapts to Covid Using IT

      How Higher Education Has Adapted to Covid-19 Using IT Tools

      NEC X Figure 3_Shige Ihara

      Fast Tracking Technologies … To The World

      Welcome to the construction industry’s automated augment

      Tech Future Healthcare1

      Technology and the Future of Health Care

    • Law
      Doctor getting second opinion on patients x-ray

      Improper Medical Treatment: What To Do Next?

      Mediation-For-Couples (1)

      What is Mediation and How It Can Help?

      Legal obligations of businesses: What happens when these duties are breached?

      Nicole Kuklok-Waldman Headshot

      Commentary: How to Bounce Back from a Canceled Career 

    • News
      blockchain2

      Blockchain.com Value Reaches $5.2 Billion

      Negative Google reviews1

      How to Handle Negative Google Reviews

      SleepScore Labs

      The Final Score

      Passports on a map of the world

      If Your Employees with U.S. Passports are Traveling in 2021, Start Planning Now

    • Human Interest
      • Food
      • Art & Culture
    • Education
      Take care of Mind-Body-Soul

      4 Steps to Taking Better Care of Yourself in 2021

      Health insurance claim form

      How to file an insurance claim: Everything you need to know

      safe workplace

      9 Essential Steps for a Safer Workplace

      trust3

      7 ways to build trust on your business website

    • Health & Fitness
      Take care of Mind-Body-Soul

      4 Steps to Taking Better Care of Yourself in 2021

      Woman climber on a Klettersteig (Via Ferrata)

      6 Unique Ways to Stay Fit Outdoors This Summer

      WOMAN WORKING OUT

      Taking the Gym Home: Hot Selling Items During the Pandemic

      silhouette-of-man-and-woman-running

      3 Reasons to Start Working Out … This Month

    Search
      Generic filters
      California Business Journal

      MASTER MEDIATOR

      by Rick Weinberg, Editor-in-Chief, California Business Journal
      A A
      Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

      For 17 years, Colleen McNamee has flourished as a divorce mediator and is heralded by clients as an angel for helping them through their nightmare.

      BY RICK WEINBERG, CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL

      The negativity and insults had reached a fevered pitch. Colleen McNamee couldn’t take it any longer. Her mind began to slowly wander off. She just wished she was somewhere else. Anywhere else. Instead, here she was, a young attorney, entrenched in a divorce litigation case, listening to a wife rant and rail against her husband, who was not present.

      As McNamee’s mind drifted amidst the violent storm of slurs, she thought to herself, “Wouldn’t it be great to hear the other side of this story — we all know there are always two sides to every story? Wouldn’t it be great to hear what the husband has to say? That would help me be so much more effective in my job.”

      It was at that moment that McNamee’s life and career swerved 180 degrees. She decided that this form of combative litigation was not for her. Mediation was. She resolved from that point forward that she would devote herself to building a practice that would serve both husband and wife – together – and strive to minimize the damage done to the family unit as a result of the divorce.

      Seventeen years later, McNamee is flourishing as the only Certified Family Law Mediation Specialist in Orange County and is heralded by clients as a saint and angel. She has handled more than 4,000 cases and in virtually every instance the couple walks away on friendlier terms than when the process first began. Some have even gotten back together again.

      McNamee points out that mediation is a combination of law and psychology, and having a strong skillset in both of these areas due to her educational background, years of experience, and dedication to helping others, she has emerged as one of the top mediators in the area, one who is now very highly sought-after by couples.

      As McNamee sits in her Irvine, Calif. office, she says, “Mediation is a true and effective alternative to the adversarial manner in which typical divorce cases are handled by attorneys. In litigation you’re essentially pitting one spouse against the other and taking as much as you can from them.  It just doesn’t have to be that way. It doesn’t have to be so combative, abusive and adversarial. It can be the opposite, if you really want it to be.  The bottom line is, especially if you have children, you are going to have to co-parent when everything is all said and done – why make things worse than they already are.”

      And it will also cost far less – like 90% less.

      Joe Brain didn’t believe mediation was possible in his divorce case. He already had retained an attorney and his wife had one too. He was paying for both attorneys. “I was already into it for $60,000,” he says. The attorneys also told him, “This won’t be easy. You have a lot of assets and a lot of money. This is going to take two years and it’ll cost you between $200,000-$300,000.”

      The argumentative and confrontational manner in which the attorneys were handling the case made it unbearable. So Brain and his wife Traci decided to find new attorneys. But then good fortune intervened when a friend mentioned the mediation experience they had with McNamee.

      “At first I said ‘no way – there’s no way we’ll be able to settle this with a mediator,’” Brain says. “But I was willing to try because I felt I’d be broke if we did it the other way.”

      When Brain and his wife walked into McNamee’s office the first time, “I had no expectations,” he says. Yet all it took was 15 seconds for Brain to believe his world was about to change.

      “I felt such a relief fall off my back,” he says. “Colleen came off as a sweet, genuine, down-to-earth person who was totally opposite of the attorneys we had. She wanted to get the divorce done, get it done quickly, and she wanted to save us as much money as possible.”

      Brain pauses for a moment and reflects deeply to that difficult time in his life. “It was the first time I had hope that something good might come out of it,” he says.

      Through the entire process, Brain says McNamee “was incredible.” Often times, he walked into her office miserable and dejected, yet “she would console me,” he says. “I was devastated. There were times I’d come in crying. But Colleen got me through it.”

      Not only did McNamee save Brain mentally and emotionally, but financially too.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      “Instead of two years, Colleen got it done in four months and it cost just $13,000 instead of $300,000. She is an angel,” he says. “I feel so strongly about her that I would recommend every single person in the world going through a divorce to go to her.”

      By the time the case was complete, “Colleen actually got me to not despise my wife anymore,” he says. “I went in hating her. I left there as her friend.”

      McNamee embraces and excels at the therapeutic part of her job – she takes it very seriously. It’s what makes her job so rewarding for her.

      “The way I look at it, I have a great responsibility to my clients,” she says. “Not only is it imperative to keep the environment civil during meetings, without escalating fights or arguments, but I feel it is my responsibility to minimize the damage being done to each party and to bring the couple closer together, if it’s at all possible.”

      Says Brain: “Colleen convinced me that since my ex-wife and I were going to have to deal with each other rest of our lives because of our two boys, we might as well be friends. To this day, my ex-wife is a true friend and I owe it all to Colleen. I was probably on the verge of having a heart attack because of all the anger that was inside of me. Colleen helped me get rid of that anger.”

      McNamee had the same extraordinary impact on Carolina and Eddie Tourgeman, who were married 10 years, got divorced and then they amazingly got back together again, thanks to McNamee.

      “Right from the beginning, Colleen makes you feel like she’s there for the both of you,” Carolina says. “It’s already a very tense situation and process, but Colleen’s calm, patient and understanding nature significantly reduces the tension and paves the way to sensible behavior.”

      When the Tourgemans initially went to see McNamee, they were simply inquiring about the divorce procedure. They weren’t prepared to cross the line at that point.

      “What I first saw from Colleen was that she reads people really well,” Eddie says. “After 30 minutes or so, Colleen told us, ‘I don’t think you guys are done.’ That stunned me.”

      He goes on to say, “Colleen really saved us and our marriage.”

      When McNamee envisioned her business model decades ago, this is exactly what she projected.

      “I just wanted to be in a position to help people, to assist them in getting through this difficult period of their life, and I wanted it to be affordable,” she says. “I love what I do because it’s so impactful. I firmly believe the primary cause for divorce is a breakdown in communication. What I hope to do is open up those lines of communication and if there’s a way to help save the marriage, then I do everything I can to make that happen.”

       

      Contact

      Colleen McNamee, Owner

      McNamee Mediations

      4590 McArthur Blvd. Suite 500

      Newport Beach/Irvine, Calif. 92660

      949-223-3836

      Email: mmediations@msn.com

      Web: www.mmediations.com

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Colleen McNamee on YouTube

       

       

       

       

      Tags: attorneyBeachbrainCaliforniaCalifornia mediacertifiedCertified Family Law Mediation SpecialistchildrencloserColleen McNameedivorcefamily lawIrvinelawlawyerlitigationLos Angeles Business JournalLos Angeles Business NewsMcNamee MediationMcNamee MediationsNewport BeachOrange CountyOrange County Business Journalpsychology
      ADVERTISEMENT
      Rick Weinberg, Editor-in-Chief, California Business Journal

      Rick Weinberg, Editor-in-Chief, California Business Journal

      Rick Weinberg is Editor-in-Chief at California Business Journal. He is a well-known journalist, writer, reporter and on-air talent who has worked for the New York Times, FOX and ESPN. He launched California Business Journal to focus on California businesses and business professionals as well as California business news and information. Contact: Rick@CalBizJournal.com / 949-648-3815

      WHAT TO READ NEXT

      lights, camera, action2
      Featured

      Lights, Camera, Testing!

      April 21, 2021
      yacht fishing sunset1.1
      Featured

      J. Douglas Hines has shaken up the food industry with a plant-based seafood alternative product

      April 16, 2021
      Dr. Chris Harts4
      Featured

      Oventus Medical Is Revolutionizing the Treatment of Sleep Apnea

      April 10, 2021
      alone at beach
      Featured

      One Fine Outlook

      April 3, 2021
      Graham-Michael-Byers No. 4
      Featured

      The Prince of Puerto Rico

      March 30, 2021
      electric-car-charging-station
      Featured

      Charging the Future of Electric Vehicles

      March 26, 2021
      Next Post

      PERFECTLY-EXECUTED TRANSITION

      Follow Us

      ADVERTISEMENT

      Categories

      • Art & Culture
      • Business
      • Editor's Choice
      • Education
      • Featured
      • Finance
      • Food & Dining
      • Health & Fitness
      • Human Interest
      • Insurance
      • Law
      • Marketing
      • Medical
      • News
      • People
      • Popular
      • Real Estate
      • Social Media
      • Technology
      • Uncategorized

      CBJ Partner Firebrand Media

      Laguna Beach Independent Newspaper

      Laguna Beach Magazine

      Laguna Beach City Guide

      On The Menu Laguna Beach

      Newport Beach Independent Newspaper

      Newport Beach Magazine

      Newport Beach Country Club Magazine

      Coastal Real Estate Guide (NB,LB, CDM)

      Montage Magazine

      Monarch Beach Resort Magazine

      Pacific Coast Magazine (SoCal)

      Omni Escapes Hotel Magazine

      Sea Island Life Magazine

      Salamander Hotel & Resorts Magazine

      Bespoke Concierge New York

      Evans Hotels

      View our entire portfolio here

      ADVERTISEMENT
      1REALTOUR-SAN DIEGO-WEB DESIGN
      ADVERTISEMENT
      Facebook Twitter LinkedIn LinkedIn Instagram
      C B J   LOGO  SVG-01
      • About
      • Contact
      • Testimonials
      • Demographics & Advertising Rates

      Newsletter

      Most Viewed

      • Judge gavel, scales of justice and law books in court

        Lawsuit Basics: How Much Does It Cost to Sue Someone?

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • THE ONLY WAY

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • REPORT: TECH GIANT CISCO ABOUT TO LAY OFF 14,000

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0

      Latest Articles

      Take care of Mind-Body-Soul

      4 Steps to Taking Better Care of Yourself in 2021

      April 22, 2021
      Health insurance claim form

      How to file an insurance claim: Everything you need to know

      April 22, 2021
      safe workplace

      9 Essential Steps for a Safer Workplace

      April 22, 2021

      California Business Journal | California Business News, California News Media, California business articles | Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, Northern California, San Francisco | Huntington Beach CA 92649 | (949) 648-3815
      ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL.
      Site Design by 1REALTOUR

      Search
        Generic filters
        • Front Page
        • Business
          • Insurance
          • Real Estate
        • Finance
        • People
        • Featured
        • Technology
        • Law
        • News
        • Human Interest
          • Food
          • Art & Culture
        • Education
        • Health & Fitness

        California Business Journal | California Business News, California News Media, California business articles | Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, Northern California, San Francisco | Huntington Beach CA 92649 | (949) 648-3815
        ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL.
        Site Design by 1REALTOUR