Speakers: Hon. Mary H. Strobel (Ret.), Gideon Kracov, Esq., and Pamela Graham

Moderators: Michael J. McDonnell

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Hon. Mary H. Strobel (Ret.)

Judge Mary Strobel (Ret.) is a mediator at Signature Resolution in Los Angeles. With a long and distinguished career, Hon. Mary H. Strobel (Ret.) brings extensive experience in a wide range of civil matters and unparalleled expertise in claims by and against public entities.  Judge Strobel served as a Superior Court Judge in Los Angeles for more than 20 years. For the past eight years, she presided over a specialized department focused on challenges to governmental action, handling over 200 writ trials. Her caseload included complex matters such as CEQA and Coastal Act challenges, land use disputes, public employment issues, and public office candidacy claims.

Previously, she served as a deputy city attorney in the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office as the senior land use attorney. Judge Strobel later became staff counsel and deputy director for the City of Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission.

Gideon Kracov

Gideon Kracov, Esq. is a distinguished mediator at ADR Services, Inc. in Los Angeles.  He has 30 years of experience specializing in environmental, real estate, and land use cases.  With a diverse background representing plaintiffs, defendants, and governmental entities, Mr. Kracov is uniquely positioned to mediate complex civil disputes. His experience includes serving as a Deputy Los Angeles City Attorney in the Real Property Division, where he counseled the Departments of Planning and Sanitation on public works and real estate projects and successfully defended the City in high-stakes trials. Mr. Kracov serves as the Governor’s appointee to the California Air Resources Board, the state’s lead air pollution and climate change regulatory agency. He also serves as the Governor’s appointee to the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board.  He is on the adjunct faculty at Loyola Law School where he teaches land use law.

Pamela Graham, Attorney

Pamela Graham, Esq. is Senior Counsel and a member of Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley’s litigation practice group in Pasadena. She also leads CHW’s Public Safety Defense Practice Group. Pamela’s practice covers a wide range of litigation, including municipal finance and public revenues, police liability defense, land use, employment law, cannabis regulation, and water issues. Her current engagements include defending Coachella Valley Water District in five lawsuits challenging various components of its water rates under Propositions 26 and 218; defending the City of Los Angeles in challenges to its utility user tax on telephone and gas charges; defending the City of Vallejo and its police department on civil rights and excessive use of force claims;  litigating civil code enforcement actions against illegal medical marijuana dispensaries in the City of Pasadena; and advising the City of Chico on its police policies. She presently serves on the League of California Cities’ Editorial Board for the California Municipal Law Handbook, the essential treatise for local government lawyers.

Michael McDonnell

Michael McDonnell currently serves as Assistant General Counsel with the San Diego County Water Authority and previously served as a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Chula Vista.  Michael serves as Chair of the Public Law Section Executive Committee of the California Lawyer’s Association.  His practice focuses on public works, real estate, contracts, procurement, public records, public meetings, and other municipal law matters.  

Michael received his J.D. from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law.