Our Team
Michelle L. Vieira
Certified Mediator
My work as a neutral party in disputes began prior to graduating law school. As a law student, I helped pay my way through college working in the University Ombudsman Office. The Ombudsman was an impartial resource to help anyone with a conflict with the University. I enjoyed the work and found myself drawn to alternative ways to resolve disputes. After graduation from Southern Illinois University School of Law, my practice involved many areas of litigation. Irrespective of the nature of the lawsuit, the toll of the litigation was always apparent on my clients. In 1994, I accepted an opportunity to become a Panel Trustee and serve as a neutral party between Debtors and Creditors in Bankruptcy Court. I have 25 years experience as a Trustee serving as a neutral party. Mediation is an extension of the alternative conflict resolution that I have been drawn to my entire career. Too many times I have seen people have a dispute that ended up in Court and the end result is a relationship that can never be repaired. Mediation is a different way to resolve disputes that allows people the opportunity to preserve a relationship while ending conflict. I believe that adults have the ability to work out their differences in a constructive way through the mediation process.
Christine E. Brimm
Certified Mediator
I began practicing law 25 years ago. Over the years I have represented clients in litigation involving a wide range of issues, including foreclosure, debt resolution, lien priority challenges, business disputes, family law, construction law, workers compensation, employment, landlord/tenant, trust law, and breach of contract, among other issues. The South Carolina Supreme Court has certified me as a Specialist in Bankruptcy and Debtor-Creditor Law, and I am a Certified Mediator. In my legal practice, I do not hesitate to try cases to verdict when needed. However, I am ever mindful of the costs of litigation, and the stress that litigation puts on the parties. In every case, I counsel my clients on the benefits of settlement and encourage settlement whenever possible. Settlement enables the parties to have control over the outcome, and control over the expense. It is very satisfying to me when I help someone find a solution that works for them so that they can obtain closure. Mediation is a tried and true method and is an important part of the resolution process. To help the parties reach an agreement, I listen to them, focus on what is important to them, and look through a lens of objectivity to help identify common goals and objectives or some middle ground that might bring the parties together to resolve the dispute.