CSUN University News Clippings

Former instructor Steve G. Mehta is meditation master

(August 24, 2009)

By Michelle Buttelman
Signal Features Editor
mbuttelman@the-signal.com
661-259-1234 x590
Posted: Aug. 22, 2009  6:51 p.m.
POSTED  Aug. 23, 2009 4:55 a.m.

It was an obvious first question for attorney Steve G. Mehta to answer about his new book “112 Ways to Succeed in Any Negotiation or Mediation” — why 112 ways?

Mehta, a Valencia resident, said there were several reasons he ended up with 112 techniques in his book.

“When I first started writing the book I had something like 400 techniques, so I had to hone it down or the book would never have been finished,” he said. “And I didn’t want it to be just Mediation 101, that’s a cliche, it’s not a basic book — so symbolically I wanted to show that it was a book with advanced techniques, but not so advanced that the average person can’t use the techniques.”

Mehta, a full time mediator, is a founding partner in the Mehta and Mann law firm with his wife Michele Mann. The firm has offices in Valencia, Culver City and downtown Los Angeles. It specializes in wills, trusts, estate planning, trust litigation, probate and business representation.

The couple have a son, Alex, 10, and has lived in the Santa Clarita Valley since 1996.

Mehta was born in London and moved to the United States with his family when he was 8. He has lived in the Los Angeles area since arriving in the U.S.

“That’s how I lost my British accent,” he said.

Mehta graduated top of his class at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and was honored with the prestigious Order of the Coif award. For a time, he was an associate professor at California State University in Northridge. He has practiced law since 1992 and worked in mediation since 1999. Mehta has worked more than 2,500 mediations he said.

“I have worked some heavy duty, hard core, emotionally intense mediations,” he said.

From his experience in the area of mediation Mehta saw the need for a book that could explain in layman’s terms the principles of mediation and negotiation and how to use such skills in everyday life.

“The reality is that everybody negotiates, you don’t know it, you don’t think about it, but you are negotiating at all times,” Mehta said.

“For example my son negotiates with me all the time — bedtimes, food, things that he needs to do — many things.”

Mehta said people need negotiating skills in nearly every avenue of life.

“If you’re on the PTA, you are negotiating with other PTA people or parents, if you’re the coach of a soccer team, you are negotiating with the kids, the parents and the organization. In business, if you think about it, everything we do relates to negotiation,” he said.

Mediation is a voluntary process in which two or more parties involved in a dispute work with an impartial third party, the mediator, to come to their own solutions in settling their conflict.

“Mediation is ‘you tell me your story,’ then the other side tells me their story, and I help you two work out your own recognition of the problem, your own realization, your own solution, as opposed to me imposing a solution on you,” Mehta said.

Mehta said mediation is a good way to resolve disputes so they don’t end up in court, which can be costly to all parties.

“My book uses a lot of social psychology and explains why a technique might work — or how it has worked in a certain scenario,” he said. “If people can apply these techniques with honesty and integrity they can end up with a win-win solution and less fights, less disputes and less communications breakdowns.”

A book release and signing party was recently held at the Egg Plantation Restaurant in Newhall for Mehta’s family, friends and colleagues. The Newhall institution is Mehta’s favorite restaurant. He previously held a book sign at the end of July at a bookstore in Los Angeles for other professional colleagues. Mehta has been voted a “Super Lawyer” and “Best Lawyer” several times by his colleagues.

The audience at the Egg Plantation applauded as Mehta addressed the crowd and explained how his young son helped with his book.

“I want to thank Alex, he is the inspiration for many of the points that are in this book, bedtimes, food — and against my better judgement — he’s just negotiated a second dog,” Mehta said.

Mehta also thanked his wife, Michele Mann for “pushing me.”

“This book never, ever would have ever happened without Michele making sure I was writing at 11 o’clock at night,” he said.

Among the many subjects of mediation Mehta works include elder law, employment law, personal injury and medical malpractice, real estate law and business disputes.

Mehta said that one of the fundamental techniques for success in mediation is listening.

“I’ll give you the first rule of listening — it is to stop talking,” he said. “I think if you actively listen, with the intent to truly try to understand what that person opposing you is seeing, you will be much better off in any negotiation because listening is a form of respect.”

Mehta said such respect pays off in the end.

“Once you’ve given respect by listening to them, then they will be able to give you respect,” he said. “That’s an example of one technique you can use. There are so many others in the book. Each technique can be used for different circumstances.”

Among Mehta’s many interests is a new passion. He recently took up walking and now walks two to three miles a day. He estimates he has walked nearly 600 miles throughout the Santa Clarita Valley this year. He is also an AYSO soccer coach.

Mehta’s book, “112 Ways to Succeed in Any Negotiation or Mediation” is available from Amazon.com and is available at area bookstores. For more information visit www.stevemehta.com or www.112ways.com.

Publication: The Signal