About / Services

Maria Hanna Joseph, Esq.
Mediation Organizational Dispute Resolution

Overview

Maria Hanna Joseph is an experienced and highly regarded neutral providing services as a mediator, ombudsperson, investigator and trainer. Her work as a neutral is greatly informed by her former litigation experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in workplace matters, as well as those concerning business and domestic conflicts.

Known for her knowledgeable, candid and pragmatic approach, clients benefit from Maria’s ability to settle a wide variety of disputes and tough cases that may seem insurmountable.

A History of Proven Results

Maria has a long-standing and proven track record for resolving conflicts. Over the course of her 20-year career as a neutral, Maria has addressed over 2000 disputes.  She conducts her work with discernment as to both the legal and personal dynamics before her, adeptly combining the hard, substantive knowledge of matters with the critical soft skills needed to get parties to constructively communicate during difficult scenarios.

With deep interest in the value of mediation, Maria developed a precedent-setting mediation program for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination almost two decades ago. This award-winning tool set the groundwork for mediation as a valid alternative to employment litigation in Massachusetts.

Helping Lawyers Resolve Conflicts

Maria works with lawyers in a variety of ways as a neutral to help them resolve their clients’ conflicts. Having worked with domestic and international companies in both the private and public sectors, family-owned businesses of all sizes, lawyers, professionals, and unions, she is able to appreciate the issues of many different stakeholders.  Maria also has the unique ability to quickly establish trust while managing highly tense, fraught situations and individuals.

Supporting Entities and Employees as Ombudsman & Investigator

Companies hire Maria to provide employees with approachable means for resolving internal conflicts related to the workplace. In this scenario, Maria provides services an ombudsperson, confidentially investigating individuals’ complaints and allegations of wrongdoing. She also acts as a neutral investigator to uncover all relevant details regarding allegations of wrongdoing. In these roles, she listens carefully to all those involved to understand all of the issues and facilitates fruitful communication and resolution.

Assisting Individuals Seeking Conflict Resolution

Individuals seek Maria’s expertise when working through a variety of disputes, be they workplace related or other business or personal conflicts. These individuals benefit from her personal approach to resolving disagreements in a cost efficient way that minimizes or avoids agency and courtroom involvement.

Areas of Practice

Maria’s extensive legal background includes particular experience dealing with the full range of employment claims such as:

  • Organizational Disputes
  • State and Federal Employment Lawsuits
  • EEOC/MCAD Cases and Claims
  • Wrongful Termination
  • Whistleblowing
  • Wage & Hour
  • *Harassment 
  • *Discrimination (Employment, Housing, Public Accommodation, Education)
  • Disability and Reasonable Accommodation
  • Misclassification
  • Gender-related
  • Retaliation
  • Civil Rights
  • Title IX
  • Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
  • Wrongful Constructive Discharge
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
  • Mass. Equal Pay Act (MEPA)
  • Maternity/Paternity/Family Leave, Accommodations
  • Workers’ Compensation
  • Non-Competition/Non-Compete Agreements
  • Non-Disclosure/NDA
  • Severance Agreements
  • Restrictive Covenants

* Sex • Gender Identity • Sexual Orientation
• Sexual Harassment • Retaliation
• Race • Color • Age • Religious Creed
• Handicap (Disability) • Pregnancy
• Mental Illness • National Origin • Ancestry

In addition, Maria also provides conflict resolution/mediation services for a wide range of other matters:

  • Business and operational issues
  • Real Estate
  • Divorce and Domestic
  • Intellectual Property
  • Workers Compensation
  • Breach of Contract
  • Ethics Concerns
  • Construction Disputes
  • Non-disclosure Agreements
  • Commercial Disputes
  • Other