About Michael Tobriner and Tobriner Mediation

Mediation and Collaboration Experience and Training

Michael is an experienced and respected family law mediator and collaborative practitioner. He has practiced family law in San Francisco for over 30 years and for the last 15 years has concentrated his practice in family law mediation and collaboration. He founded Tobriner Mediation in order to devote his practice exclusively to mediation and collaboration. Michael has mediated over 50 family law cases and has participated as collaborative counsel in more than 20 collaborative matters. He has served as a Settlement Conference Judge in the Family Law Departments of the San Francisco and Marin County Superior Courts. He is recognized by the family law bar as a leading family law mediator and collaborator.

Michael has taken mediation and collaborative training from the Center on Mediation and Law, the Northern California Mediation Center, the Mediation Society, the Bar Association of San Francisco, the State Bar of California, Collaborative Practice California, Collaborative Practice San Francisco, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and Community Boards of San Francisco.

Organizational Affiliations

Michael is a participating member of Collaborative Practice San Francisco, Collaborative Practice California, the Mediation Society, and the Mediators’ Roundtable. Michael was the 2011 President of Collaborative Practice San Francisco. He currently serves on the Mediation Services Panel of the Bar Association of San Francisco.

Michael has been a Certified Family Law Specialist, State Bar of California, since 1980 and a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers since 1989. He is a member of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of California and the Family Law Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco. Michael formerly served on the Family Law Advisory Commission of the State Bar of California and on the Property Committee of the Family Law Section of the State Bar. He is a former Vice-Chair of the Family Law Section of the San Francisco Bar.

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Teaching

Michael has served as a presenter on numerous CLE panels, courses, and webinars on family law, mediation, and collaboration topics, including for programs sponsored by Collaborative Practice San Francisco, Collaborative Practice California, Continuing Education of the Bar, the Rutter Group, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and Hastings College of Law.

Law School Teaching

Michael has taught courses in family law and community property as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco School of Law and Hastings College of Law.

Awards and Recognition

Michael has been named a Northern California “Super Lawyer” continuously since 2006. He continues to receive an “AV” (Highest) Rating from Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings.

Publications

Michael has contributed several articles on family law and mediation to publications of California Continuing Education of the Bar and of the Mediation Society.

Education

Michael holds a B.A. Degree from Stanford University, an M.A. Degree also from Stanford, and a J.D. Degree from Harvard Law School.

Personal

Michael is a native San Franciscan and continues to live in the City. He and his wife of many years have two adult children and four grandchildren.