Michele Sales

Accomplishments: A full-time mediator and arbitrator through WAMS, Ms. Sales has a primary mediation practice focus on employment-based disputes and serious personal injury claims. Specific employment case experience as a neutral and litigator has involved significant work in the areas of sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, race, age, sex and disability discrimination claims. In the personal injury context, Ms. Sales’ work as a litigator, arbitrator and mediator has emphasized product liability matters and automobile accident cases. She has specific experience in the field of neuropsychological testing and short-term memory loss associated with chemical exposure claims. She has served as a Referee in conjunction with the Dalkon Shield litigation through the Eastern District of Virginia Bankruptcy Court and as a neutral for the breast implant litigation for the Northern District of Alabama. She has served as a mediator for the Merrill Lynch gender discrimination class action and the Smith Barney sexual harassment class action, as well as a compliance monitor in an EEOC Consent Decree/class action involving hostile work environment claims. Ms. Sales is a Rule 39.1 mediator for the U.S. District Court in Western Washington and an arbitrator of UIM and private arbitration hearings throughout Western Washington, serving as a sole or swing panel arbitrator. She has served as an appointed Discovery Master in King County Superior Court proceedings.

Ms. Sales is an experienced litigator in Superior and Federal courts, having tried product liability and personal injury cases lasting four weeks or more. She has served as an instructor for mediation, negotiation and trial skills seminars sponsored by Washington State Association of Justice, Washington Defense Trial Lawyers, the Defense Research Institute and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.

Education: USA&M Mediator Training, 1988; USA&M Advanced Mediator Training, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2005; Duke University School of Law, JD, 1981; Duke University, AB Public Policy Studies, 1978.

Affiliations: Washington Arbitration and Mediation Service; American, Washington and King County Bar Associations; Washington Women Lawyers; and numerous civic and social organizations.