About Robert E.
Robert E. Wright combined study in philosophy, psychology and law before moving into a long career as a lawyer and neutral. He earned a B.A. from Western Michigan University in 1971, then attended Wayne State University Law School, completing his legal studies in 1980. Later he returned to graduate study, receiving an M.A. in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica in 1999.
Wright began his legal career in public service. He served as an assistant prosecuting lawyer in Kalamazoo County starting in 1980. That early courtroom work gave him direct experience with trial practice and case preparation. Within a few years he moved into private practice and into partnerships at established firms. In 1983 he became a partner at Stanley, Davidoff & Gray, PC, and in 1987 he joined Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone as a partner.
In 2000 Wright shifted his practice toward dispute resolution and opened The Peace Talks, PLC. Since then he has operated under that banner and associated names, building a practice that centers on mediation and arbitration. He holds credentials from a number of institutions and courts that recognize his role as a neutral.
His mediator and arbitrator credentials include registration with the American Arbitration Association and approvals to serve in Michigan courts at the county level. Federal court approvals include designation as an approved voluntary facilitative mediator for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan and approval to mediate in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He is also an approved mediator for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan.
Wright maintains a steady presence in professional circles. He is a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and the Professional Resolution Experts of Michigan, memberships obtained by invitation. He joined MWI as a mediator in 2012 and has belonged to the Association for Conflict Resolution since 2000. He has served in leadership roles in the State Bar of Michigan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and held a past chair position on an American Bar Association dispute resolution committee. Additional affiliations have included the Federal Bar Association’s Western District of Michigan and the American Bankruptcy Institute.
Admitted to practice in Michigan and Florida and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Wright now spends his time conducting mediations and arbitrations across a range of civil matters, including commercial and bankruptcy disputes. He currently practices at The Peace Talks Mediation Center, handling mediation and arbitration in state and federal courts.
