Howard Thomas, BSME, MBA, JD

Business disputes waste time, money, and managment attention that should be devoted to developing, marketing, and delivering value.  Your dispute will continue to burn money until both sides identify core interests and accept reality. A neutral mediator who understands technology and finance can accelerate the resolution process.

After working as a cost engineer on billion dollar energy projects, providing financial services to public and private businesses, developing financial software, marketing internet services, and mediating over 100 disputes, Howard is prepared to help both sides understand and explore their options from a practical business perspective.

From his Walnut Creek office, Howard settles commercial disputes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.  Viewing mediation as a facilitated negotiation, Howard finds success in working with opposing interests to find the optimum commmon ground so they can stop the waste and get on with their lives.

If you want to move on with your core business, call Howard at (925) 274-0432 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (925) 274-0432      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (925) 274-0432      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (925) 274-0432      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (925) 274-0432      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Mediation Training

• Pepperdine University School of Law
• John F. Kennedy University School of Law
• University of California at Berkeley Extension

Degrees

• BS, Mechanical Engineering, UC Santa Barbara
• MBA, California State University Long Beach
• JD, John F. Kennedy University

Member

• Silicon Valley American Marketing Association
• Estate Planning Council of Diablo Valley
• National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors 
• Association for Advanced Life Underwriting
• California State, American, & Local Bar Associations
• Diablo Regional Arts Association

Over 100 Mediations Since 2004

Howard is available to mediate a broad array of commercial disputes with a focus on finance and technology.

Energy & Technology

Personally skilled in object oriented development and advanced mathematics, Howard combined his programming and financial skills to develop software that is used by insurance companies and financial advisors across the nation. As a cost engineer schooled in both mechanical engineering and finance, Howard supported scientists and engineers in the evaluation of energy alternatives ranging from garbage recovery to advanced nuclear reactors for both domestic and international clients.    

Financial & Estate Planning

For two decades, Howard was a financial advisor who was registered for general securities and licensed as a life insurance agent. Howard acquired financial products for public and private entities. He is a Chartered Life Underwriter and Fellow of the Life Management Institute. Howard consulted with financial planners regarding their estate planning, private placements, and benefit financing practices. He has been a regional director and then a variable life product manager for an insurance company. 

Real Estate & Construction

Howard has drafted and negotiated commercial leases from both the landlord and tenant perspectives. He is experienced in commercial property management. He has worked through tenant bankruptcies. He has been a construction cost engineer responsible for estimating, forecasting, change control, and international bid evaluations on billion dollar projects.  He has lived in a construction camp, pounded nails, pulled wire, and walked high steel. He was once a young Army combat engineering officer.