In 2008, Mr. Webb co-founded The Engineering Society of Detroit Institute (ESDI) and has served as its volunteer director since its inception. ESDI is modeled upon the facilitative process of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. Over the last six years, ESDI has brought together 1000’s of stakeholders to tackle public policy issues relating to economic development, water & energy resources, construction, infrastructure, healthcare and education. The work of ESDI represented by its Portfolio is available on our website Resources page.
ESDI was focused upon its Pre-K to Job® Initiative to address the current workforce shortages in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) fields as well as the skills gap in both construction and manufacturing. The center of its work addressed the acute lack of reading and math proficiencies of our children and the resulting decline in our employable youth. With the support of ESD’s Board of Directors, the Institute tackled our lack of workforce readiness in order to attract investment and employment to Michigan, thereby transforming distressed communities to vibrancy. Bringing together key stakeholders and best practice providers, the Institute facilitated the creation of an integrated and optimized educational delivery system as a replicable and scalable model for “Next Public Education” that is now being realized through DH212 discussed earlier.
Mr. Webb also serves today as a self-employed mediator, arbitrator, facilitator and trainer practicing in a wide variety of areas ranging from business to public sector disputes. From 1977 to 2002, he was Vice-President and General Counsel for the Jervis B. Webb Company, a closely-held global engineering, manufacturing and construction firm, responsible for the firm’s legal affairs and certain subsidiary, joint venture and licensee operations in the United States, China, India, Japan, England, Australia, South America, and Europe serving the automotive, airport, defense, distribution, energy, software, technical and other sectors.
Past accomplishments include serving on the State Bar of Michigan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Section Governing Council and its Access, Effective Practices & Procedures, Higher Education, Judicial Access, and Section to Section Task Forces, chairing the State Bar ADR Section Michigan Business Mediation Program and the ADR Committee of the Oakland County Bar Association. He was a co-founder & executive committee member of the ADR Section of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, a Master Emeritus of the American Inns of Court, and a past Trustee of the Oakland Mediation Center.
Past awards include recipient of the State Bar of Michigan George N. Bashara Distinguished Service Award in the Field of Alternative Dispute Resolution, the Oakland County Bar Association ADR Committee of the Year Award, and the Distinguished Service Award of The Engineering Society of Detroit. Mr. Webb was named a Fellow of The Engineering Society of Detroit in 2009 and has served as a mentor to children participating in its Future City Competition.
In addition to his work at the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources, Mr. Webb is currently a mediator and arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association, a member of the Panel of Neutrals of the International Institute of Conflict Prevention and Resolution in New York, a contributor and member of the faculty of the Institute for Continuing Legal Education, and member of the ADR Advisory Board of the Michigan State University College of Law. With extensive experience in facilitation and negotiation, he is a frequent speaker and instructor and has authored many articles and other materials in the field of corporate law practice, negotiation, and conflict resolution.
Career Highlights and Contributions
- Chief Legal Counsel and Vice President, Jervis B. Webb Company, a global engineering, manufacturing and construction firm (1977-2002)
- Member of the American Arbitration Association as rostered Mediator and Commercial Arbitrator (2003-Present)
- Member Panel of Neutrals of the International Institute of Conflict Prevention and Resolution, New York (2003-Present)
- Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Oakland County Bar Association, Michigan (2007-2008)
- Recipient of the Oakland County Bar Association Committee of the Year Award (2008)
- Chair, Business Mediation Program, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, State Bar of Michigan (2006-2008)
- George N. Bashara Distinguished Service Award in the Field of Alternative Dispute Resolution, State Bar of Michigan (2008)
- Member of the ADR Advisory Board of the Michigan State University College of Law, Lansing (2006-2008)
- Distinguished Service Award and Fellow of The Engineering Society of Detroit, Michigan (2009)
- Co-Founder and Director, Engineering Society of Detroit Institute modeled upon the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. (2007-2014)
- Contributor and member of the faculty of the Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Ann Arbor, Michigan (2007-Present)
- Recipient, Horace H. Rackham Humanitarian Award, Detroit, Michigan (2014) (Video of Acceptance Speech) (Transcript of Acceptance Speech)
- Lead Project Facilitator, UAW-GM Center for Human Resources, Detroit, Michigan (2014-Present)
- Recipient, Detroit Bar Association President’s Award, Detroit Michigan (2021)
- Over 250 Mediations exceeding $15,000,000 in aggregate disputes in controversy with 75% success rate (2003-present)
- Facilitator, Detroit Metropolitan Regional Water Public Policy (2006-8)
- 7th Advance Negotiation & Dispute Resolution Institute, Institute for Continuing Legal Education (2008)
- 6th Annual Advance Negotiation & Dispute Resolution Institute, Institute for Continuing Legal Education (2007)
- Business to Business Mediation Training Program, Michigan State University, College of Law (2006)
- 5th Annual Advanced Negotiation & Dispute Resolution Institute, Michigan State Bar, Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Emphasis Judicial Track (2006)
- AAA Commercial Arbitrator II: Advanced Case Management Issues (2006)
- Attended AAA Neutrals Conference (2005)
- AAA Dealing with Delay Tactics in Arbitration ACE004 (2005)
- AAA Arbitrator I Training-Fundamentals of the Arbitration Process (2005)
- 4th Annual Advanced Negotiation & Dispute Resolution Institute, Michigan State Bar, Institute for Continuing Legal Education (2005)
- Domestic Violence Screening Training, Michigan State Bar, State Court Administrator Office (2004)
- 40-Hour Domestic Relations Mediator Training, Michigan State Bar, Institute for Continuing Legal Education, State Court Administrator Office (2004)
- 40-Hour General Civil Case Mediator Training, Michigan State Bar, Institute for Continuing Legal Education, State Court Administrator Office (2003)
- Faculty & Contributor, Institute of Continuing Legal Education, University of Michigan School of Law et al. (2006 to present)
- Author & Co-Presenter, “Advanced Negotiations Workshop: Secrets to Successful Deal Making,” Dispute Resolution Centers of Michigan, Inc. (2008)
- Faculty, “The Perfect Storm: Triangle Negotiations of Owner, Prime and Subcontractor: A Hands-on Role Play Exercise,” 7th Annual Advanced Negotiation & Dispute Resolution Institute (2008)
- Moderator, “Real-Time Construction Dispute Resolution through Standing Neutrals,” Engineering Society of Detroit (2008)
- Presenter, “Arbitrate, Mediate or Litigate: Managing your Legal Risks & Expenses,” Michigan State Supreme Court Administrative Office Approved Training Program (2008)
- Trainer, “Attorneys as Allies in Mediation,” Michigan Council for Family & Divorce Mediation (Michigan State Court Administrative Office Approved, 2007)
- Trainer, Wayne Mediation Center, The Resolution Center (Macomb) & Oakland Mediation Center, “Case Studies: Under $25,000 Case Evaluated Mediation Exercises” and “Advocates as Allies in Mediation” Exercises (Michigan State Court Administrative Office Approved, 2006)
- Instructor, City Year Detroit, “Introduction to Facilitative Mediation with related Case Studies” (2006)
- Instructor, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, “Mediating Disputes within International Joint Ventures” (2006)
- Instructor, Michigan State University College of Law, “Effective Advocacy Practices in Mediation” (2005)
- Instructor, Wayne State University School of Law, “Negotiation and the ADR Process” (2004)
- Speaker, Wayne State University School of Law, Detroit, Michigan, “The Art of Preventive Law: Representing the Organizational Client in External & Internal Disputes” (2002)
- Co-Trainer, University of Colorado School of Law, Boulder, Colorado, “Today’s Role of Counsel in Organizational Disputes” (2002)
- General Managers Business Conference, Keynote Speaker and Trainer, “The Business Manager’s Legal Risk Tutorial,” before key business managers and marketing personnel from the United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, and Australia (2001)
- “Open Letter to the Detroit Legal Community: Let’s Do Something Extraordinary Again!” Detroit Lawyer, Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association (August-September 2016)
- Keynote Speaker, “Leadership Michigan: Advanced Negotiations Workshop,” Engineering Society of Detroit (2008);
- “Future Jobs & Investment: Michigan ADR Enterprise Courts” Detroit Lawyer, Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association (September 2008);
- “Confidentiality in Mediation: A Reality Test for the Process” co-authored with Brian A. Pappas, Michigan State Bar, Alternative Dispute Resolution Quarterly (April 2008) Laches, Oakland County Bar Journal (May 2008) and Detroit Lawyer, Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association (June 2008);
- “Reality Testing in Business Mediations: Beyond a Legal Risk Analysis Model” Michigan State Bar, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section Newsletter (April 2007 Issue); Speaker, MCFDM Annual Meeting, Mediation Forum, “Effects of Private and Voluntary Mediation,” (2007);
- “Business Disputes: Litigation, Arbitration or Mediation?” Laches, Oakland County Bar Journal (May 2007 Issue);
- Advocacy in Mediation from the Neutral’s Perspective (2006);
- Effective Resolution of High Conflict Cases (2006);
- “Advocates as Allies” Training Manual and Exercises for Non-Lawyer Neutrals (Michigan Supreme Court Administrative Office Approved, 2006);
- Volunteerism in Alternative Dispute Resolution, White Paper Syllabus, Best Practices and Procedure Task Force, ADR Section of the Michigan State Bar (2006);
- “Greetings from Legal Land: A Satirical Writ” Laches, Oakland County Bar Journal (May 2006 Issue);
- Mediation of Post-Case Evaluated Disputes, Training Materials & Program (2006);
- Returning the Legal Process to the Client (2005);
- Essays and Studies in Effective Dispute Resolution and Preventive Law (2005);
- Criteria for Selection of Outside Litigation Counsel (2005);
- Comparative Study of Dispute Resolution Models for Organizations (2005);
- Litigation Management Tools & Techniques (2005)
- Successful Subjective Management (2004);
- Thoughts on Organizational Conflict Resolution and Growth (2004);
- Mediation with & within Organizations (2004);
- Organizational Change and the Role of Middle Management (2004);
- “Office of General Counsel,” Textbook Syllabus and Summary (2003);
- “Legal Methodology & Problem Solving within an Organization,” Textbook Syllabus and Summary (2003)