Ferro Labella & Weiss L.L.C.

My experience with Ferro Labella & Weiss L.L.C., specifically retired Judge Mizdol, was profoundly disappointing and raised serious concerns about the integrity and impartiality of the mediation process. Judge Mizdol was engaged to serve as a neutral mediator in a divorce proceeding. One would reasonably expect that a retired judge, of all people, would appreciate the importance of impartiality, accuracy, and maintaining the trust of both parties. Unfortunately, my experience was quite the opposite. On multiple occasions, Judge Mizdol made representations to me that the opposing party had already agreed to specific points in our negotiations. I subsequently learned those representations were inaccurate—the agreements she described had not actually been reached. These were not inconsequential misunderstandings. In mediation, accurately communicating the positions and commitments of the parties is fundamental to the entire process. Equally troubling were several email exchanges in which, in my opinion, Judge Mizdol demonstrated a clear lack of neutrality. The communications left me seriously questioning whether both parties were receiving the fair and impartial treatment that mediation is supposed to provide. A mediator’s credibility rests on trust. A retired judge’s credibility should rest on an especially well-developed understanding of fairness and impartiality. My experience with Judge Mizdol undermined both. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect is the contrast between the standards of impartiality one associates with judicial service and the conduct I personally experienced in this private mediation. I am not writing this review because I disliked a particular proposed settlement or because negotiations were difficult. I am writing it because I believe the integrity of the process itself was compromised. I would strongly discourage anyone considering Ferro Labella & Weiss L.L.C. for divorce mediation from assuming that the involvement of a retired judge guarantees neutrality, transparency, or fairness. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this firm for mediation.

I had an extremely disappointing and frustrating experience with Ferro Labella. They charged over $180k for what amounted to very little actual legal work. Despite the lack of progress on the case, they continuously staffed multiple lawyers on calls, many of whom were unnecessary and contributed nothing to the discussions. What’s worse, when it came time to help me recover legal fees, they gave me incorrect and misleading advice, which ultimately harmed my opportunity of recovery. Instead of owning up to their mistakes, they washed their hands of the issue, leaving me to deal with the aftermath. To top it all off, the managing partner, Rocco, was nothing short of a bully. His attitude was condescending and aggressive, and he showed little to no regard for my concerns. The entire experience felt like I was being taken advantage of by a firm that cared more about running up a bill than providing legal assistance.