Alison Beck

Alison is an attorney, mediator, and founder of Resolve Forward, a California-based practice offering mediation, Collaborative Practice, and consulting for clients involved in mediation and other consensual dispute resolution processes. In addition to her work with clients, Alison is dedicated to helping professionals become better problem-solvers by connecting them with top-notch training and educational opportunities in mediation, Collaborative Practice, alternative dispute resolution, and practice building. She supports both experienced and beginning practitioners in understanding key areas for skill development, sequencing training, and identifying opportunities for continuing learning and mentorship. Alison encourages professionals drawn to conflict resolution to take that first step into a rewarding new practice.

Alison’s career experience has reinforced her belief in the power of transformative choices. After many years of traditional lawyering at big law and then in-house, she chose to follow a new path: to develop a thriving mediation and collaborative practice designed to help people and to solve problems rather than creating them. Walking away from litigation and conventional practice was both terrifying and exhilarating, but Alison has never regretted the choice to align her work with her values. She is passionate about helping people preserve their dignity, privacy, assets, and emotional health through the most difficult events of their lives.

Alison earned her law degree at the University of California Berkeley, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Berkeley Women’s Law Journal. She received her B.A. (cum laude) from the University of California Los Angeles. An active attorney and member of the State Bar of California for 20 years, Alison began her legal career at the firm of Bingham McCutchen, where her practice centered on intellectual property and employment law. A fortuitous move to an in-house position provided experience in the dual roles of business executive and legal/regulatory advisor. Ultimately, Alison was drawn to conflict resolution work and its potential for improving outcomes, reducing costs, and promoting understanding and healing for participants. She trained as a mediator and collaborative practitioner and today devotes her practice entirely to consensual dispute resolution.