Arbitrator & Impartial Neutral
Since 2005, I have helped parties resolve many hundreds of labor and employment matters as a neutral legal services provider. As an abitrator serving parties through various panels and rosters as well as by direct appointment, I have addressed a wide range of issues in a variety of public and private sector settings. In addition, I am the alternate neutral chair of Maine Labor Relations Board, presiding over prohibited practice complaint hearings. I have extensive experience mediating grievances as well as collective bargaining agreements, serving as a neutral fact finder, and presiding over administrative hearings for a wide range of state agencies in Maine in disciplinary matters and licensing appeals regarding professional licenses. In addition, I have conducted a significant number of independent outside investigations in employment matters in corporate, governmental, educational, and private sectors.
Panels / Appointments
American Arbitration Association Labor Arbitration Panel
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Alliance Arbitrator Panel (including AFSCME Council 93, National Association of Government Employees/SEIU, Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists, and SEIU Local 509)
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services Labor Arbitrator Panel
The Labor Relations Connection Labor Arbitrator Panel
State of Maine and Maine Service Employees Association / SEIU Local 1989 Labor Arbitrator and Grievance Mediator Panel
Maine Labor Relations Board, Alternative Neutral Chair
Maine Labor Relations Board Panel of Private Fact Finders
Maine Labor Relations Board CBA Mediator Panel
Maine Human Rights Commission Mediator Roster
New York State Education Department 3020-a Teacher Tenure Panel
Former Neutral Chair, Maine Labor Relations Board of Arbitration and Conciliation
Former Panelist, American Arbitration Association Consumer Arbitrator Panel
Offices/Satellites
MAINE | P.O. Box 912, Union, ME 04862
MASSACHUSETTS | 1101 High Street, Bridgewater, MA 02
WASHINGTON DC | 1125 4th Street, NE, Washington DC, 20002
Contact
EMAIL | rsmith@seventreesolutions.com
PHONE | (207) 542-6015
Download Resumes
AAA CV | Rebekah J. Smith AAA CV
PROFESSIONAL | Rebekah J. Smith Professional Resume
Publications & Speaking Engagements
Featured
Rebekah Smith is featured in the fall 2024 edition of the Maine Bar Journal - Volume 39, Number 3 in an article titled “Beyond the Law: Rebekah Smith.”
Click HERE to
download the
full article.
Author
“George Mitchell, Esq., Interview Review”
Summary of video interview of George Mitchell, Esq., by NAA Arbitrator Sheila Mayberry, Esq., National Academy of Arbitrators Chronicle (Fall 2024).
“Maine Labor Relations Board Confirms of Neutral Chairs”
Explanation of Gubernatorial Nominations and Legislative Confirmation of Neutral Chairs of Maine Labor Relations Board. National Academy of Arbitrators Chronicle (Fall 2024).
“Just Cause - Is It Time to Bury the Seven Tests?”
Coverage of panel presentation on the relevance of the tranditional seven tests of just cause at URI Schmit Center for Labor Relations & Human Resources Fall 2023 Labor Arbitration Conference. National Academy of Arbitrators Chronicle (Spring 2024).
"ADR In Maine: A Legacy of Female Leadership"
Survey of female leadership in the development of alternative dispute resolution systems in Maine. Maine Bar Journal (2021).
"If You Want to Revive Civility, Choose Mediation over Litigation"
Overview of mediation process and benefits. Co-authored with Peter Schroeter, Esq. Maine Municipal Association: Maine Town and City (2019).
"Mediation Practice Tips"
Suggestions for mediation success. Maine Lawyers Review (2018).
Speaker
“Red Light/Green Light: How Arbitrators Decide”
Co-presentation on arbitrator decisions in grievance hearings including procedural and evidence issues. Labor and Employment Relations Association - Maine Annual Conference (2024).
“An Arbitrator’s Perspective on Openings and Closing Briefs”
Co-presentation on effective openings and closing briefs for labor and management s.advocate URI Schmidt Center for Labor Relations & Human Resources Labor Arbitration Conference (2024).
“Is that Really What the Contract Says? Presenting Contract Interpretation Grievances"
Co-presentation on will issues of contract interpretation including issues such as precedent and past practice, politics, duty of fair representation, economics, the problems in contract interpretation as well as an overview of the process. American Arbitration Association (2024).
“The Neutral Legal Career”
Description of development of neutral legal services career. University of Maine Mediation Courses (Annually 2021-2024).
"Conducting Due Process Proceedings”
Conduct training on due process hearings for licensing board members and other agency decisions makers. Licensing Boards of Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation (Regularly 2015 - 2024).
“Mediation in Employment Matters”
Tips for mediating employment issues in municipal environments. Maine Municipal Association (2021).
"Remote Labor Arbitrations: How Far We've Come and Where We Go From Here"
Review of development of remote labor arbitrations and future opportunities. Maine Bar Association Summer Meeting (2021).
"Reflections on Mediating and Facilitating in the COVID Era"
Discussion of lessons learned from conducting proceedings as a neutral during the COVID pandemic. Maine Association of Mediators (2021).
"Conducting Zoom Mediation - A Practical Guide and Ethical Considerations of Online Mediation"
Training for mediators on various considerations when using the Zoom platform to conduct proceedings. Maine Association of Mediators (2020).
"Ask The Arbitrator"
Open session for advocates to ask questions of arbitrators. Labor and Employment Relations Association - Maine (2018).
"Maine Human Rights Commission Mediation Tips"
Training on successful strategies for parties to Maine Human Rights Commission discrimination matters. Maine Human Rights Commission (2013).
Moderator
"Just Cause - Is it Time To Bury the Seven Tests?"
Moderate panel presentation on the relevance of the traditional seven tests of just cause. URI Schmidt Center for Labor Relations and Human Resources Labor Arbitration Conference (2023).
"Due Process Violations"
Moderate panel presentation on due process violations in discipline matters. URI Schmidt Center for Labor Relations and Human Resources Labor Arbitration Conference (2022).
"Mediation in the Me Too Era: Mediating Sexual Discrimination Cases and Managing Harassing Behavior."
Moderate panel presentation on the impact of the Me Too movement on legal standards and mediation practices in sexual discrimination cases. Maine Association of Mediators (2020).
Affiliations & Memberships
Maine Dispute Resolution Affinity Group. Convener.
Labor and Employment Association - Maine. Former Board President & Current Board Member.
Boston Labor and Employment Association. Member.
National Labor and Employment Relations Association. Member.
Maine Association of Mediators. Past Board President & Current Ombudsman.
National Association of Hearing Officers. Member.
Maine State Bar Association. Vice-Chair of Alternative Dispute Resolution Section & Member of Labor and Employment Section.
Knox County Bar Association. Member.
Professional Biography
After graduating from law school, I served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Daniel Wathen of the Maine Supreme Judicial Clerk and subsequently to Judge Frank M. Coffin of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, both of whom were outstanding mentors in the role of neutral decision maker. I then undertook a two-year Skadden Arps Fellowship, the only University of Maine School of Law graduate to be selected to date.
Since beginning Seven Tree Solutions, LLC, in 2005, I have garnered significant experience in a wide range of neutral roles. Beginning as a guardian ad litem in child protective and child custody matters and a community mediator, I transitioned to serving as an administrative hearing officer for a wide variety of state agencies, ranging from licensing boards to disability and housing benefits. A sampling of state agency clients includes the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, the Maine State Police, the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, the Department of Education, Maine State Housing Authority, the Department of Public Safety, and the Maine State Retirement System. Continuing with my mediation practice, in 2012, I solicited a Skadden Arps Fellowship Flom Incubator Grant to assist the Maine Human Rights Commission to resurrect a mediation program in cases involving alleged harassment or discrimination in employment, housing, education, or places of public accommodation. I have also been selected to conduct independent investigations into allegations of workplace misconduct, harassment, and discrimination in a range of sectors, including municipal, public safety, corporate, and education .
I continue to mediate employment matters for participants before the Maine Human Rights Commission and labor matters in in grievances and collective bargaining through the Maine Labor Relations Board and by direct appointment.
My labor arbitration practice spans a variety of states, agencies, and rosters. I am honored to participate in the system of dispute resolution created by labor and management over the decades.
Education & Selected Trainings
University of Maine School of Law
Portland, Maine.
J.D.
May 1998.
Magna cum laude.
Class rank: 3/89. G.P.A.: 3.46.
Dean's List all semesters. Maine Law Review, Articles Editor and Author of Student Article. Legal Writing Instructor.
Graduation awards: Law Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contribution to School, Student Bar Association Award for Distinguished Service, Legal Writing Award, and Performance in Evidence Award.
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine.
B.A. in Economics and Government
May 1993
Cum laude. Dean's List.
2020 to Current | Mentee of Sheila Mayberry, Esq., National Academy of Arbitrators Member & Former New England Region Co-Chair, and John Alfano, Esq., National Academy of Arbitrators Member & DEI Trainor.
2020 to Current | Invitee to National Academy of Arbitrators New England Region Weekly Drop-In.
May 2024 | National Academy of Arbitrators: Annual Three-Day Conference.
May 2024 | Association of Workplace Investigators: Top Takeaways for Investigators from the EEOC’s New Guidance. May 2024.
January 2024 | National Association of Hearing Officials: Pride & Pronouns: Practical Tools to Address Gender Identity & Expression in the Hearing Room and Beyond
May 2023 | National Association of Hearing Officials: Conducting a Prehearing Conference.
Spring 2023 | National Academy of Arbitrators: New England Section DEIB Five-Part Training.
November 2022 to June 2023 | National Academy of Arbitrators Salon Participant.
November 2022 | American Arbitration Association: Process Essentials for AAA Arbitrations.
April 2022 | Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service: Arbitrating in the Federal Sector.
November 2021 | Association of Title IX Administrators: Civil Rights Investigator Level Four.
October 2021 | American Arbitration Association: Impartiality: Do You Know Where Your Biases Are?
November 2020 | American Arbitration Association: Labor Arbitrator II.
October 2020 | Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services: Becoming a Labor Arbitrator.
June 2020 | American Arbitration Association: Labor Arbitrator I.
September 2019 | Labor and Employment Relations Association - Maine: Recognizing Unconscious Bias.
Industries
Public Works
Professional Licensing
Police
Security
Real Estate
Restaurants
Retail Stores
Transportation
Universities
Utilities
Insurance
Machining
Manufacturing
Maritime
Nuclear Security
Office Workers/Clerical
Pharmaceuticals
Plumbing
Police
Food Manufacturing
Government (State, County, and Local)
Healthcare
Health Insurance
Higher Education
Hospital/Nursing Home
Hotels/Motels/Casinos
Housekeeping/Janitorial Services
Human Resources
Airport Hospitality
Agriculture
Chemicals
Construction
Corrections
Education (Public and Private)
Emergency Medical Services
Fast Food Restaurants
Fire Fighters
Issues
Absenteeism
Accomodations
Alcohol Service
Arbitrability (Procedural & Substantive)
Bargaining Unit Work
Benefits (Holidays, Insurance, Leave, Vacation)
Bullying
CBA Mediation
Conduct (On & Off Duty)
Demotion
Disability Insurance
Discipline (Termination)
Discipline (Non-Termination)
Discrimination (Disability, Gender, National Origin, Race & Religion)
Drug/Alcohol Use & Offenses
Duty to Bargain
Fact Finding
Fitness for Duty
Fringe Benefits
Grievance Mediation
Health and Safety
Health Insurance
Hiring Practices
Holiday Pay
Investigations
Job Classification and Rates
Job Performance
Job Posting
Layoffs/Bumping/Recall
Leave
Management Rights
Merit Pay
Overtime
Past Practices
Pension Plans
Promotion
Public Sector Fact Finding
Retirement
Safety/Health Violations
Seniority
Severance Pay
Sexual Harassment
Strikes/Lockouts/Work Stoppages/Shutdowns
Subcontracting/Contracting Out
Tenure/Reappointment
Unfair Labor Practices
Unilateral Actions
Union Governance
Vacation
Vacation Pay
Violence/Threats
Wages
Work Hours/Schedules/ Assignments
Working Conditions/Orders
Meet the Team
Jen Speranzo is a paralegal who has been assisting Arbitrator Smith since 2021. Jen graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University in Boston and subsequently attended business school where she received a paralegal certificate. Jen possesses many years of paralegal experience in complex litigation cases and has worked in Boston, Denver, and other locations. When not assisting Arbitrator Smith, Jen can be found riding her mountain bike, hiking,and travelling the Northeast United States and beyond.