Michael Fogel was the first Chartered Mediator in Canada and has been a mediator and educator on negotiation and conflict resolution in private practice for 18 years. Prior to his move to British Columbia in 1985, he practised law in Los Angeles, California for 16 years and served as a municipal and superior court judge. Michael is now a highly sought after mediator of insurance, workplace, and other commercial disputes.

Michael is a Senior Instructor in the Justice Institute of British of Columbia's conflict resolution certificate program and has been involved in that program for 17 years. He designs and presents post-graduate university programs in interest-based mediation and negotiation and presents advanced negotiation and mediation courses to community groups and leaders, law firms, provincial and superior court judges (training to be used in facilitating settlement conferences), as well as health care professionals, public and private sector management groups and union groups, aboriginal leaders and organisations and practicing mediators.

Beginning in 1999, he began working with mediators and negotiators in the Middle East presenting advanced mediation and negotiation programs to Arab and Israeli mediators and negotiators who remain committed to peace in that region. He has also worked and continues to work with lawyers and judges in New Zealand, East Africa and other countries who are working toward fundamental justice system changes.