Diplomacy Not War!

Barbara Smith, J.D., is the principal and founding member of SMC. With over 30 years of experience practicing law,  she has now focused her career on alternative dispute resolution. She has served as a Magistrate, an Administrative Law Judge, the former Chairperson of the Attorney Grievance Commission, and a member of the Michigan Gaming Control Board. Additionally, she is a former president of Michigan Malpractice Mediators, Inc. and a court-approved  mediator.

Her extensive background as a business owner, an advocate and a judicial officer provides her with a well-rounded perspective. As a neutral mediator, she does not represent either party but instead facilitates discussions to help couples reach fair, balanced agreements. At SMC, she fosters a calm and supportive environment where parties can work toward resolving disputes amicably without the financial and emotional cost of court intervention.

Independent Mediation Services

In addition to her role as a mediator and facilitator, Ms. Smith has leveraged her expertise to make conflict resolution more accessible and cost-effective in straightforward disputes.   She has developed independent document packages with step-by-step guidance, enabling individuals to navigate and resolve these disputes without the need for a professional mediator or court intervention.  

 Asa Smith, Esq., is a co-founding member of Smith Workforce Management Consulting Group. He is a member of the state bars of California, New York, Michigan, and Maryland. Mr. Smith focuses his work in multiple areas of employment law, with a focus on workplace management and advising. Specifically, Mr. Smith has experience creating employee handbooks and updating policies and procedures on an annual basis. Mr. Smith resolves  issues such as pre-litigation workplace disputes and has experience at every stage of the employment lifecycle, from hiring to termination. Asa Smith also spends time with employers and employees, understanding the business as well as the employees. His years advising business entities has given him the ability to mediate  business issues with clarity of purpose for all parties. 

Mr. Smith has years of experience in multiple industries. He has advised clients in the following industries regarding a wide range of business and legal issues, including but not limited to: Finance, Pharmaceutical, Construction, Real Estate, Retail, Non-profit, Manufacturing, and Government Contracting.

Lynn Preswick, the legal assistant at SMC has almost 40 years of experience in the legal field. She is responsible for a multitude of essential aspects of services provided by SMC. Lynn has a strong commitment in making client relations a number one priority and as such Lynn works with clients on a consistent basis to ensure that ongoing needs are timely met.

Lynn was also a divorced single mother of three children who knows firsthand how difficult divorce can be for the parties and children involved. She understands the pain, fear and doubts that our clients sometimes experience. This insight helps Lynn offer support to our clients in a very unique way.  She has personally successfully navigated the situation and is now happily involved in another relationship and has three happy and highly productive adult children!