ABOUT OUR MEDIATORS

BRUCE P. MATEZ, ESQ., APM

A partner at Weir Greenblatt Pierce, LLP in Haddonfield, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bruce currently concentrates on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), including mediation, arbitration, Collaborative Divorce, representing clients out-of-court settlement negotiations or who are mediating with another mediator. While generally practicing facilitative mediation, he adapts his mediation style to the needs of mediating parties. He is a trained Collaborative Divorce professional, an approved R. 1:40 Post MESP Economic Mediator, a trained Parenting Coordinator, has been appointed by the court to serve as Guardian Ad Litem for children, and was designated as a Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Matrimonial Attorney from 2003-2023.

For over 27 years Bruce has been mediating divorce and family law disputes. Having practiced divorce and family law for 30 years, in 2020 he stopped litigating and now concentrates his practice on mediation and other methods of alternative dispute resolution. Early in his career he recognized the limitations of the judicial system in helping divorcing couples and parents resolve disputes and the need to find alternative methods of dispute resolution, especially those involving children. He has mediated all types of family law matters including but not limited to complex divorces and high conflict custody, parenting time, and financial disputes. He has mediated close to 2000 divorce and family law disputes.

A proud founding member and current Master Emeritus of the Thomas S. Forkin Family Law American Inn of Court, Bruce served on its Executive Committee from 1997-2009. In June 2018, the Forkin Inn honored Bruce with the Honorable Joseph M. Nardi, Jr, Award, presented to a member of the South Jersey Family Law community whose commitment to the practice of law encourages and exemplifies civility, humility, compassion and a moral/ethical obligation to the welfare of children and families in general, and whose commitment is further evidenced by participation in continuing legal education, and a willingness to act as an advisor/mentor to others.

In 2022, the Justice Marie Garibaldi American Inn of Court for Alternative Dispute Resolution honored Bruce with the Richard Jeydel Award in recognition of his demonstrated civility, professionalism, ethics, and excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). He is also a member of that Inn of Court. 

Bruce was the president of the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators (NJAPM) from 2021-2023. He is a member of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators, the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, and was a founding member of the South Jersey Collaborative Law Group.  He served on the Family Law Executive Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Family Law Section and is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, as well as the Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester County Bar Associations.

Bruce teaches Family Law Mediation at Rutgers Law School in Camden, sections of the NJAPM and the NJICLE 40-Hour Divorce Basic Mediation trainings for new mediators, and is a frequent lecturer on divorce and family law mediation for various legal and non-legal organizations.

CARL B. VINIAR

Carl B. Viniar has been one of the most active mediators in South Jersey for more than 25 years, and was a practicing attorney for more than 35 years, He was a founder and member of the Board of Trustees of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators. Although his primary emphasis has been family mediation, Mr. Viniar has also mediated and negotiated settlements in the fields of real  estate, construction partnerships, employment and estates. Mr. Viniar taught mediation, negotiation and conflict resolution at Rutgers Law School and Business School for more than 20 years. He has trained hundreds of people to be mediators, and successfully worked with over 1000 couples.

Now he has embarked on another path along this journey, having been ordained as a Rabbinic Pastor through the Ordination Program of Aleph, the Alliance for Jewish Renewal. Jewish Renewal is a transdenominational movement. The Rabbinic Pastor  Ordination is for clergy drawn to spiritual service primarily through pastoral care, ritual craft and holy accompaniment through life changes. His practice of premarital (and marital) mediation, discernment mediation (helping parties negotiate their next steps, before the final decision to divorce) and divorce mediation reflects his commitment to spiritual wholeness and healing.