Paula M. Lawhon
Lawhon Law & Mediation, P.C. · San Rafael, CA
Paula M. Lawhon is a San Rafael, California family law attorney and full-time mediator who founded Lawhon Law & Mediation, P.C. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1999, where she was a Public Interest Scholar with a Public Interest Concentration. She holds a bachelor's degree in Criminology, Law and Society from UC Irvine. She is a Certified Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. She has completed over 1,000 mediations and logged more than 200 hours of mediation skills training. She has been named to the Super Lawyers list every year from 2013 through 2025 and was a Rising Star from 2009 through 2012. She serves as a Bench Bar Settlement Panelist for Marin Family Court and a Settlement Conference Master for San Francisco Unified Family Law Courts. She has been named to the Best of the Bay Area Parent lists from 2019 through 2025. Her extensive experience with Bay Area-specific issues such as tech equity division, RSU vesting schedules, and high-value real estate markets makes her particularly effective for Silicon Valley and San Francisco families.
- Education
- University of California, Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 1999, Public Interest Scholar); UC Irvine (B.A., Criminology, Law and Society, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa)
- Specializations
- Divorce mediation, child custody mediation, support mediation, property division mediation
- Location
- 4040 Civic Center Drive, Suite 200, San Rafael, CA 94903
- Website
- lawhonlaw.com
Detailed Score Breakdown
| Category | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mediation Training & Certification | 20% | 19.0 / 20 |
| Professional Recognition | 20% | 19.0 / 20 |
| Specialization Depth | 15% | 13.0 / 15 |
| Years of Practice | 15% | 14.0 / 15 |
| Client Satisfaction | 15% | 13.5 / 15 |
| Pro Bono & Community | 10% | 8.5 / 10 |
| Professional Affiliations | 5% | 5.0 / 5 |
| Total | 92.0 / 100 |
Scores compiled from California State Bar records (Bar #203368), Board of Legal Specialization certification, Super Lawyers (2009-2025), Marin Family Court panel records, Google Reviews, and mediation training logs. Last updated March 2026.
Arlene Kostant
Law Offices of Arlene Kostant · Lafayette, CA
Arlene Kostant is a Lafayette, California family law attorney and mediator with over 33 years of practice. She earned her Juris Doctor from Golden Gate University Law School, a Master of Arts from the University of Rochester, and a Bachelor of Arts from New York University. She is a Certified Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California and maintains an AV Preeminent peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell. She has been regularly named a Northern California Super Lawyer and was selected as one of the Top 50 Northern California Women Attorneys in 2006, 2007, and 2008. The San Francisco Daily Journal named her one of the Top 25 Family Law Mediators in California. She serves as an adjunct faculty member at UC Berkeley School of Law, where she teaches Negotiation, and previously taught Mediation at Hastings Law School.
- Education
- Golden Gate University Law School (J.D.); University of Rochester (M.A.); New York University (B.A.)
- Specializations
- Divorce mediation, collaborative family law, negotiation, settlement
- Location
- 3620 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Suite 200, Lafayette, CA 94549
- Website
- arlenekostantlaw.com
Detailed Score Breakdown
| Category | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mediation Training & Certification | 20% | 18.5 / 20 |
| Professional Recognition | 20% | 19.0 / 20 |
| Specialization Depth | 15% | 12.5 / 15 |
| Years of Practice | 15% | 15.0 / 15 |
| Client Satisfaction | 15% | 13.0 / 15 |
| Pro Bono & Community | 10% | 7.0 / 10 |
| Professional Affiliations | 5% | 5.0 / 5 |
| Total | 90.0 / 100 |
Scores compiled from California State Bar records (Bar #79103), Board of Legal Specialization certification, Martindale-Hubbell (AV Preeminent), Super Lawyers, SF Daily Journal, UC Berkeley faculty records, and Google Reviews. Last updated March 2026.
Christopher D. Sawyer
Sawyer Mediation · San Francisco, CA
Christopher D. Sawyer is a San Francisco family law mediator who operates Sawyer Mediation, a practice focused exclusively on family law mediation. He earned his mediation training from the Northern California Mediation Center and previously served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Charlotte Walter Woolard at San Francisco Unified Family Court. Before establishing his dedicated mediation practice, he gained family law litigation experience at premier Bay Area firms including Hersh FamilyLaw Practice, PC (2006-2009) and Hoover & Bechtel, LLP (2004-2006). His exclusive focus on mediation covers divorce, child custody and parental responsibility, child and spousal support, premarital agreements, and domestic partnership dissolutions.
- Education
- University of California, Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 2003); University of Vermont (B.A., 1998); Northern California Mediation Center (Mediation Training)
- Specializations
- Divorce mediation, custody mediation, support mediation, premarital agreement mediation, domestic partnership
- Location
- 230 California Street, Suite 602, San Francisco, CA 94111
- Website
- sawyermediation.com
Detailed Score Breakdown
| Category | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mediation Training & Certification | 20% | 16.5 / 20 |
| Professional Recognition | 20% | 14.0 / 20 |
| Specialization Depth | 15% | 13.0 / 15 |
| Years of Practice | 15% | 13.0 / 15 |
| Client Satisfaction | 15% | 14.0 / 15 |
| Pro Bono & Community | 10% | 8.0 / 10 |
| Professional Affiliations | 5% | 5.0 / 5 |
| Total | 84.0 / 100 |
Scores compiled from California State Bar records (Bar #230764), Northern California Mediation Center training records, Google Reviews, and SF Unified Family Court records. Last updated March 2026.
Dina Haddad
Families First Mediation · San Francisco, CA
Dina Haddad is a San Francisco family law mediator and founder of Families First Mediation. She earned her Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute at Pepperdine University, ranked #1 in the nation for dispute resolution. She has been recognized for excellence in family law by Super Lawyers — a distinction awarded to no more than 5% of attorneys in each state. She has served as Judge Pro Tempore for personal property arbitration in Santa Clara County and as a mediator for the Agency for Dispute Resolution. She leads a team of four professionals with over 60 years of combined family law experience, each with 20+ years of individual practice.
- Education
- Pepperdine University, Straus Institute (LL.M., Dispute Resolution); ABA-approved law school (J.D.)
- Specializations
- Divorce mediation, family law mediation, complex financial cases, property division, child custody
- Location
- San Francisco, CA (with offices in San Mateo and Los Angeles)
- Website
- ffmediation.com
Detailed Score Breakdown
| Category | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mediation Training & Certification | 20% | 17.0 / 20 |
| Professional Recognition | 20% | 15.0 / 20 |
| Specialization Depth | 15% | 12.0 / 15 |
| Years of Practice | 15% | 13.0 / 15 |
| Client Satisfaction | 15% | 12.5 / 15 |
| Pro Bono & Community | 10% | 7.0 / 10 |
| Professional Affiliations | 5% | 3.5 / 5 |
| Total | 80.0 / 100 |
Scores compiled from California State Bar records, Super Lawyers, Straus Institute records, Santa Clara County court records, Agency for Dispute Resolution records, and Google Reviews. Last updated March 2026.
Katherine Shlaudeman
Shlaudeman Law & Mediation · San Francisco, CA
Katherine Shlaudeman is a San Francisco family law mediator who runs Shlaudeman Law & Mediation Practice. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors from Stanford University and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where she received the American Jurisprudence Award. She also holds an LL.M. in Tax Law from Golden Gate University Law School, giving her specialized expertise in the tax implications of property division. She has over 15 years of family law mediation experience and serves as a volunteer mediator for San Francisco Superior Court. She is Secretary of the Board of Collaborative Practice San Francisco and a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.
- Education
- UC Berkeley School of Law (J.D.); Golden Gate University (LL.M., Tax Law); Stanford University (B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, with honors)
- Specializations
- Divorce mediation, collaborative law, tax-focused property division, family law litigation
- Location
- San Francisco / Brisbane, CA
- Website
- kslmpractice.com
Detailed Score Breakdown
| Category | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mediation Training & Certification | 20% | 15.5 / 20 |
| Professional Recognition | 20% | 14.0 / 20 |
| Specialization Depth | 15% | 13.0 / 15 |
| Years of Practice | 15% | 13.0 / 15 |
| Client Satisfaction | 15% | 11.5 / 15 |
| Pro Bono & Community | 10% | 6.5 / 10 |
| Professional Affiliations | 5% | 3.5 / 5 |
| Total | 77.0 / 100 |
Scores compiled from California State Bar records, San Francisco Superior Court mediator records, Stanford University alumni records, UC Berkeley Law records, and Google Reviews. Last updated March 2026.