Lynn Rubinett

Lynn is known for her whole-hearted commitment to the mediation process. She relies on a wide variety of skills and a broad range of experiences to facilitate a balanced and productive mediation process. With an extensive litigation background as both a trial attorney and an arbitrator/hearing examiner, Lynn brings sharp analytic and evaluative skills to the mediation process, along with an ability to truly listen to the underlying concerns of the parties.  This combination enables her persistent, creative, and successful approach to problem solving.

Lynn began her law practice in 1995 as a labor, employment, and civil rights attorney with the Austin law firm of Van, Deats, Rubinett, and Owen, P.C.  Lynn represented a wide variety of public and private sector labor unions and individual employees in all settings, including state and federal courts, administrative agencies, arbitration, and negotiation. As a litigator, Lynn  developed substantive expertise in statutory and constitutional employment claims including sexual harassment, retaliation, discrimination, wage and hour, and wrongful discharge.

For the past twenty-five years, Lynn’s law practice has been devoted exclusively to dispute resolution, working as a mediator, independent hearing examiner, and arbitrator.  Lynn has garnered the trust and respect of both sides of the bar because of her quick grasp of the issues, and her balanced, insightful and even-handed approach to conflict resolution.

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Qualifications

As a Mediator, Lynn holds the credential of “Distinguished Mediator,” the highest credential awarded by the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association.  Lynn has successfully mediated all types of civil disputes but is particularly skilled and experienced in the areas of labor and employment, harassment and discrimination, disputes involving governmental agencies and small businesses, educational disputes of all varieties, and internal organizational dynamics, including nonprofits, small business, or professional corporations.  In addition to traditional mediation, Lynn also provides individual conflict coaching, as well as the design and implementation of longer-term dispute resolution processes for organizations and businesses.

As an Arbitrator and Hearing Examiner, Lynn serves upon selection of the parties in labor, employment, and commercial cases.  She works privately and under the auspices of the American Arbitration Association, National Arbitration and Mediation Inc., and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.  As an Arbitrator, Lynn has heard cases involving municipalities, counties, state and federal agencies, independent school districts, private corporations, individual employees, and public and private sector labor unions.  Lynn has also served for 25 years as an independent hearing examiner on contract with the Texas Education Agency, deciding disputes between families and school districts concerning the provision of educational services to students with disabilities.

Lynn served as a Commissioner of the Texas Commission on Human Rights, the state agency responsible for implementation and enforcement of fair employment and housing law (1994-1999) and as a Commissioner on the City of Austin Municipal Civil Service Commission (2013-2015), the city commission designated to draft rules for the City’s first civil service commission, and to hear and decide employment-related disputes for city personnel.

Lynn is an honors graduate of both Stanford University and Northeastern University School of Law. She has received extensive professional development training from the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation, Lehigh University, Pepperdine University Straus Institute of Conflict Resolution, the Austin Dispute Resolution Center, and the Seton Cove Contemplative Leadership Program. In addition, Lynn has presented workshops and trainings in advanced mediation skills to mediators, as well as other organizations.

Fee Schedule

  • FULL DAY MEDIATION – $1600.00 per party – full day (8 hours) in Austin or within 100 miles; over 100 miles, travel time and expenses to be divided equally by the parties. All additional hours billed at $350 per hour, to be divided equally by the parties.
  • HALF DAY MEDIATION – $875.00 per party – half day (4 hours) in Austin. All additional hours billed at $350 per hour, to be divided equally by the parties.
  • FULL DAY ARBITRATION – $3400.00 – full day (8 hours) plus $425.00 per hour for study time, writing an award, or preliminary work, to be divided as per the parties’ arbitration agreement.

REVIEWING PRE-MEDIATION SUBMISSIONS
The daily mediation rate charged each party includes up to two (2) hours per party for reviewing pre-mediation submissions.  All reading time beyond 2 hours shall be charged to that party at $350.00 per hour and shall be billed with the expense invoice after the mediation.

FOLLOW-UP AFTER THE MEDIATION SESSION
All post-session follow-up shall be charged at $350.00 per hour and divided equally by the parties.

CANCELLATION FEES
After a mediation or arbitration is scheduled and notices sent, no cancellation fee shall be charged if the mediation is cancelled FOURTEEN (14) days in advance of the date scheduled for mediation or the first date scheduled for arbitration. Such cancellation must be in writing.  If the mediation or arbitration is cancelled within 14 days of the date set, a cancellation fee of 50% of the daily rate per party shall be charged to each party for each mediation or arbitration day reserved. If the mediation or arbitration is cancelled within 2 business days of the scheduled date, the full fee will be charged to each party for the dates reserved.  The mediator may excuse the cancellation fee if the mediation or arbitration is rescheduled within a reasonable time frame or if the cancellation is due to medical reasons, court intervention, or an event beyond the parties’ control.

FACILITY FEES/LUNCH
For all full day mediations and arbitrations held at Lakeside Mediation Center, lunch, snacks, and beverages will be provided at no additional cost. For mediations or arbitrations held elsewhere, the parties shall be responsible for all facility costs including lunch, snacks and beverages.

Education

B.A., Stanford University (Human Biology, With Honors)
J.D., Northeastern University School of Law (With Honors)
Licensed to practice law in Texas since 1985

ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
National Academy of Arbitrators Southwest Regional Meeting (2010-2019)
Pepperdine Law School Advanced Mediation Training (2015, 2018)
American Arbitration Association Labor Arbitration Training (2011- 2017)
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service 40 Hour Labor Arbitration Program (2009)
State Bar of Texas Advanced Mediation Skills and Techniques (2009, 2013)
Texas Association of Mediator Advanced Mediation Training (2009, 2011)
Harvard Law School 40 Hour Advanced Mediation Training (2006)

Work History

ARBITRATION PANEL LISTINGS
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Labor Roster
American Arbitration Association, Labor Roster and Employment Panel
Allied Pilots Association Arbitration Panel
City of Houston/Houston Police Officers’ Union Arbitration Panel
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol/NTEU Arbitration Panel
Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority (DART) Trial Board Panel
National Arbitration and Mediation Panel Member