Mediation & Arbitration

Steve Modica serves as an arbitrator, mediator, hearing officer, discovery referee, special master, guardian ad litem, and foreclosure referee in a variety of cases including personal injury, civil rights, malpractice, labor and employment law, and Surrogates Court cases.

He received the Alternative Dispute Resolution Award (2023) from the Rochester Business Journal and the Western New York Daily Record for his work as an ADR professional.



He received the EEOC Award for Distinguished Service (2007) and the Robert H. Jackson Special Achievement Award (2017) for his service as a Mediator.

He is AV Preeminent rated, which means his work and ethics are of the highest quality as determined by a peer review of judges and lawyers. He won the Client Distinction Award from Martindale-Hubbell multiple times, which recognizes his outstanding communication ability, responsiveness, quality of service, and “value for the money.”

Arbitrator

  • American Arbitration Association Panel Member, Employment & Consumer Arbitrator
  • Public Employer Union Contract Panel Member, Employment Arbitrator
  • Police and Fire (city & town), Arbitrator regarding General Municipal Law 207 disputes
  • Hired to decide non-compete and other employment disputes

Mediator

  • American Arbitration Association Panel Member, Mediator
  • Certified Mediator, United States District Court, Western District of New York
  • Approved Mediator, New York State Unified Court System (7th Judicial District), Civil/Commercial (including Tort) and Surrogate’s Court matters
  • Contract with US EEOC (1999-2012)
  • Private Mediation Practice (1999-date)

Special Master

  • Wage & Hour Class Action Lawsuits
  • Consumer Protection Class Action Lawsuits

Hearing Officer

  • NY Civil Service Law Section 75 hearings
  • Departmental Disciplinary Hearings (Monroe County Sheriff)

Discovery Referee

  • Appointed to serve in a complex commercial case in New York Supreme Court

Court Appointed Referee in Foreclosure Cases & Guardian Ad Litem

  • Various appointments in New York Supreme & Surrogates Courts

Highlights of Neutral Work

  • Steve is a panel member of the Employment & Consumer Arbitrators and Mediators of the American Arbitration Association, a well-established and distinguished non-profit provider of dispute resolution services.
  • Steve has mediated disputes for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission since 1999 and received an award from the EEOC in 2007 for being a distinguished mediator.
  • Steve was selected to serve on the first panel of mediators for the mandatory program of the U.S. District Court (WDNY). He has since mediated more than 250 federal court cases. He received the Robert H. Jackson Special Achievement Award from the Court in 2017 for his service as a mediator.
  • In his capacity as a Special Master in class action lawsuits (wage/hour and consumer cases), Steve decided factual disputes and made recommendations about the propriety of proposed settlements and attorney’s fee applications. He also presided over a hearing to determine the fairness of a proposed class action settlement.
  • In his capacity as a Discovery Referee, Steve issued orders and decided discovery disputes in a complex commercial law case.

Other Thoughts



American Arbitration Association