Adam J. Maddeny MS, MBA, CCF, JDR, GDC

Principal

Adam J. Maddeny is a calm and collected Neutral who is intuitively attuned to participants. His decade long experience in the field of conflict analysis and resolution is focused on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Over the years, "AJ," as he's called, shifted his practice from the international facilitation sphere to a community based one, resolving conflicts between couples and individuals within a community. His practice is three-pronged: mediator, arbitrator, and coach.

AJ holds mediation in both facilitative and evaluative methods as required by the environment and sought after outcomes. As an arbitrator, he listens for the nuances and complicating factors and weigh them against the codes to arrive at a fair decision. However, AJ enjoys sharing his knowledge by leading workshops and by coaching. His passionate dedication to helping understand and address the issues and not only resolve the stated demands is what separates him from others in field of conflict resolution. As a coach he aims to help people manage their conflicts before their conflict manages them at the courthouse. To that end, AJ holds monthly workshops on divorce and couple’s conflict management free to the public.

AJ is a calm and collected mediator who is intuitively in tune with the parties. Throughout his mediation experience, he shows concern for the wellbeing of the parties involved bringing steadiness and purposefulness to the process. In a balanced manner and a soft approach, AJ is able to guide the process to the calm shores of a fair agreement.

AJ's commitment to facilitating agreements is exemplified in his dedication to helping people through alternative dispute resolution. He founded Aether Mediation to serve as a platform for dispute resolution education and avail the process to the communities of Washington, DC and Virginia. In addition to conducting mediations for conflicting parties, he also holds free divorce workshops to help guide people through a stressful period in their lives.

Mediation has yet to be an option for most people due to the lack of understanding of the process. Therefore, AJ holds educational workshops and talks to explain how mediation and dispute resolution tools and professionals can help. He is the Second Saturday's Washington DC leader holding divorce workshops on a rolling basis in the District. Also, he gives talks throughout Northern Virginia on the topic of dispute resolution and the mediation process. His pro bono work is offered through the Arlington County Department of Human Services. Beyond that, he offers a sliding scale fee structure for underprivileged disputants.

The Human Condition of "conflict" has been most pressing for him. His life's journey is focused on alleviating the destructive aspects of conflict by helping parties resolve their disputes amicably and fairly. AJ is a practitioner with a decade's worth of conflict analysis and resolution experience. He is a Virginia Supreme Court certified mediator and a member of the American Bar Association as well as the Virginia Mediation Network. Building on his Master's degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, and his undergrad in Decision Science he led discussions between the U.S. government and different groups and individuals around the world.

AJ's mediation style is a facilitative one. He insists on empowering the parties to reach an equitable agreement built on the principle of self-determination. Ensuring the balance of power between the two parties is most critical to his approach. Although he never sides with one party in favor of the other, he is always biased toward fairness, transparency and positive intentions.