Gregory Thiess

About Gregory Thiess

I provide impartial and confidential mediator services to parties in litigation and non-litigation disputes, to help them achieve mutually agreed settlements of their disputes.After 35 years as General Counsel and lead Litigation Counsel for several major companies, and more recently as an Attorney Magistrate for the 86th District Court, I now focus my practice on mediation of civil disputes and Elder/Adult Guardianship mediations. During my in-house practice and as a mediator, I have mediated hundreds of commercial, contract, product liability, personal injury, real estate, labor, employment, elder/adult guardianship and other complex civil cases. As an Attorney Magistrate, I also heard all Small Claims cases, and conducted Landlord/Tenant Pretrials for the 86th District Court. I also volunteer as a mediator for Conflict Resolution Services in Traverse City (covering all counties in the 13th Circuit and 86th District Courts), and Northern Community Mediation in Petoskey, and I am listed on the civil mediator lists for Michigan’s 13th, 28th, 33rd and 46th Circuit Courts.I conduct both in person and virtual mediations, and mediations using the Michigan Supreme Court’s on-line \"MI-Resolve\" dispute resolution program. All mediations are conducted under the Michigan Standards of Conduct for Mediators.I am a member of the Michigan and Illinois Bar Associations and have been a frequent speaker at legal and dispute resolution seminars. I graduated from the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law, where I now serve on the Law School Alumni Board of Directors. I received my bachelor\'s degree at DePaul University in Chicago, IL.

Experience

1. General Counsel

   Blue Cypress

   Jan 2023 — Present

Education

• University of Detroit Mercy School of Law

  J.D., Law

• DePaul University

  B.A., Political Science

Skills

• Providing Legal Services in Fast Paced, Matrixed Business Environments
• Legal Advice
• Corporate Governance
• Corporate Law
• Strategy
• Risk Management
• Legal Assistance
• Licensing
• Negotiation
• Program Management
• Legal Research
• Excellent Written and Verbal Communication Skills
• Manage in House and Outside Counsel
• Converting Complex Legal Issues Into Practical Business Terms
• Developing Legal Strategies That Achieve Business Objectives
• Trusted Legal Advisor to Ceos, Boards of Directors and Senior Management
• Product Liability
• Leadership and Management of Corporate and Commercial Matters
• Directing Regulatory Activities with Federal and State Agencies
• Management
• Draft and Negotiate Domestic and International Contracts
• Executive Management
• Compliance Management
• Develop and Implement Legal and Business Training Programs
• Developing Legal Teams
• Due Diligence
• Manage Employment, Human Resources and Labor Issues
• Claim
• Develop Policies to Assure Compliance with Laws and Regulations
• Legal Writing
• Litigation
• Employment Law
• Insurance
• Analysis
• Corporate Secretary and Governance
• Risk Assessments, Performance Monitoring and Reporting
• Providing Legal Advice on Intellectual Property Issues
• Managing International Legal Issues
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Mergers & Acquisitions