KIMBERLY SANDS, ESQ.

Principal, Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group

Kimberly Sands’ roots are tied to the Central Florida area, and she is a second-generation Floridian. Her father was born and raised in Ocoee, attending Orlando High when it was Orlando’s only high school. He later received his law degree from the University of Florida and began his legal practice the year Kimberly was born.

She grew up in DeLand and graduated from DeLand High School. She attended Rollins College on a theater scholarship until she followed a college romance to Philadelphia. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with honors in 1980 and Rutgers University School of Law in 1983. That college romance became a lifetime commitment more than 40 years ago. She and her husband are the proud parents of a third-generation law school graduate, their daughter.

After law school, Kimberly returned to Florida and joined her father’s practice as a civil litigator. In 2001, she joined Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group, a well-known, highly regarded statewide firm for mediators and arbitrators with 11 offices in Florida and Alabama. She was the first woman to be made partner by the firm. Mediation is an alternative to litigation that allows the parties to the dispute to resolve the conflict without turning decision-making over to the courts. A skilled mediator facilitates communication and negotiation between parties to a dispute and informs their decision-making.

Kimberly quickly became well known as a proficient and adept mediator whose services are much in demand. Clients and colleagues described her as exceptionally informed, prepared, persistent, insightful and creative in identifying the issues and opportunities for a successful resolution for even the most difficult participants or disputes.

Kimberly is certified by Florida’s Supreme Court as a circuit-civil and appellate mediator. She is also certified as a mediator in the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida. She has mediated a broad range of civil disputes between individuals and institutions involving employment, insurance, contract, estate, commercial, construction, personal injury and other disputes under state or federal law. Her experience includes complex, multi-party litigation and class action disputes. Although her principal office is in the Orlando area, she has mediated cases throughout Florida with clients having local, national and international interests.

Kimberly is a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators. She is a frequent lecturer and consultant on issues relevant to alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration, civil litigation and effective negotiation.