2010 Awardee

HARRISBURG (May 10, 2010) - The Pennsylvania Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee will present its Sir Francis Bacon Award to Philadelphia lawyer James A. Rosenstein on May 13 during the association's Annual Meeting in Hershey.

The Sir Francis Bacon Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant impact in bringing mediation and other forms of dispute resolution to Pennsylvania. Sir Francis Bacon (1516-1626) was a Renaissance writer and served British monarchs in a legal capacity as knight, attorney general and solicitor. He authored the essay, "Of Negotiating," which featured the frequently-quoted line, "It is generally better to deal by speech than by letter, and by the mediation of a third than by a man's self."

Rosenstein is founder and principal of Rosenstein Associates, Negotiation Facilitators. He founded the firm after retiring from Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen, where he practiced real estate law. In addition to his own practice, Rosenstein serves in an Of Counsel capacity with Fineman, Krekstein & Harris P.C.

Rosenstein is the immediate past president of the national Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR). He was the first president of the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of ACR, co-chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and co-chair of the Commercial Sector of the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution.

A board member of the Pennsylvania Council of Mediators, Rosenstein received the Pennsylvania Council of Mediators' 2007 Peacemaker of the Year award for his work on advancing Senate Resolution 160. He also received the Association for Conflict Resolution's Presidential Award for exemplary service to the profession. He chairs the Government and Public Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Resolution 160 Advisory Committee to the Joint State Government Commission.

Rosenstein chaired the Pennsylvania Bar Asssociation Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section and was a chairperson or member of PBA committees responsible for drafting the Pennsylvania Uniform Condominium, Uniform Planned Community and Model Real Estate Cooperative Act, for which he received the association's Distinguished Service Award. Rosenstein is a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.

Rosenstein has written and lectured extensively on various topics of law and conflict resolution.

He is a graduate of Harvard College and the Harvard Law School.

Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access to legal services; and serve the 29,000 lawyers who are members of the association.