Talia is an accomplished mediator who helps couples find a way to creatively reshape the present and create a bright future. She believes transformation can begin through conscious collaboration and conflict can bring about positive changes when we are open to possibilities. A South African living in Los Angeles, Talia completed her law degree cum laude and practiced law in South Africa for seven years. She immigrated to the USA in 2006 and received a degree in law and conflict resolution from Pepperdine in 2020. She has conducted research and studied the use of mindfulness in dispute resolution, which she integrates into her mediation practice. “You have the power to create the destiny you deserve. Let me assist you on this path. Peace is possible, it’s in your hands!”

Kimberly Sullivan is an attorney and mediator, specializing in family, divorce, business, and workplace conflicts. After years as a federal litigator, Kimberly is passionate about mediation, because she has seen harmful conflict transformed into breakthrough opportunities for the parties through empathetic listening and future-focused discussions. When parties are empowered to find their own solutions, relationships are honored, and more underlying needs are met. Kimberly studies and utilizes neuropsychology, mindfulness techniques, and interest- based negotiation to help parties deal with their root communication and conflict issues in a more holistic way. Kimberly is a graduate of UMASS Amherst and Yale Law School and has taught and coached mediation and negotiation at Harvard Law School and the University of Texas School of Law.

Becoming a Family Law Attorney & Mediator has enabled me to align my core values of fairness and justice with the work that I love to do, which is to help families get through what could be a difficult transition in life. These values come from my experience as a bi-racial woman, raised by my Mexican mother, my grandparents, and my stepfather, who adopted me. My mediation training was through the Center of Understanding in Conflict where I learned how the power of empathy and understanding can transform the outcomes between the parties. Alongside my practice, I am a mother of three, spend hours in my garden, and I recently have taken up horse backing riding lessons.

Leyla Balakhane is a certified and experienced mediator, coach, and trainer who specializes in divorce and family mediation. Leyla is a passionate mediator who has always felt drawn to helping others navigate conflicts and advocate for children who will inevitably shape our society. Leyla serves as an arbitrator for the Los Angeles County Bar Association Mandatory Fee Arbitration panel and a mentor for mediators of the Edelman Children's Court, as well as having provided mediation training at several universities and professional organizations. Her approach to divorce is comprehensive, effective, and compassionate. Every child deserves to have a happy, safe and loving home environment and Leyla is committed to helping make that a reality.

Even under the most challenging circumstances, you and your family can find a new way forward with kind, understanding and experienced mediation support. I am an experienced family law attorney, with 18 years of experience handling all aspects of divorce, including property division, child custody, child support, and spousal support. I also have 7 years of family law mediation experience working at the Santa Clara and San Mateo County Superior Courts. I am passionate about using mediation to help families through the often difficult divorce process. To this end, I have gone through extensive training at The Center for Understanding in Conflict, the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University, and the Northern California Mediation Center. I consider it my privilege to assist you and your spouse as you navigate these unchartered waters. I look forward to meeting you.

In addition to being an experienced mediator, LDA and President of Divorce Resource, Inc., Judith is one of those rare individuals who can make you smile while you’re going through a painful experience. Her ability to see through the complexities of emotion to help people think through and reach a negotiated settlement is rare in the field of divorce mediation. Judith’s mediation career started with the Dispute Resolution Program at the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney, where she won the coveted Community Mediation Award. She has more than 10 years of experience providing mediation and document preparation services for divorces, legal separations, paternity cases, and post-judgment revisions of settlement agreements. Her philosophy is simple yet effective: Be Honest and Authentic, Speak from the Heart, and Take Responsibility for Your Actions.