Paula K. Manis

Paula Manis is a full-time and highly sought-after facilitative mediator and arbitrator in Michigan. Over the last 20 years she has conducted almost 3,000 facilitative mediations all types of civil matters, including but not limited to public policy facilitations and class actions.

With the exception of domestic relations, Paula mediates all types of civil matters, including medical malpractice, legal malpractice, employment, environmental, probate matters, civil rights, no fault, and class actions. Within the medical malpractice arena, she has extensive experience with global mediations and settlements, settling multiple similar cases all at the same time against a medical provider.

Paula has completed about 150 mediations each year, with a significant success rate and a vast referral network of return users including attorneys in private practice, in-house counsel, other business professionals, and various government agencies. 

Although the majority of her mediations are conducted via Zoom, she facilitates in-person mediations when appropriate and efficiently mediates cases in every part of the state. She has also served on arbitration panels in Michigan, New York, and Minnesota.

With a solid business and legal foundation built in the oil and gas industry, first as a field landman for Amoco in Michigan and then with a successful oil and gas legal practice for 20+ years, Paula’s ability to see disputes from all sides sometimes surprises parties. She has been referred to as compassionate and understanding, qualities well suited to resolving particularly sensitive cases involving personal loss.       

She has participated in hundreds of hours of advanced mediation training, including 40 hours of training at the Strauss Institute at Pepperdine Law School. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and a former member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Council (former chair of the Government Task Force). She was formerly a part of a mediation training team at Cooley Law School and MSU College of Law.

The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, Member

Best Lawyers® in America - Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2009-2013

Best Lawyers® in America - Arbitration/Mediation, 2014-2025

Best Lawyers® in America - Oil and Gas Law, 2008-2019, 2022-2023, 2025

Best Lawyers® in America, "Lansing Lawyer of the Year" Lansing, Mediation, 2014, 2019, 2022 and 2024

Best Lawyers® in America, "Lansing Lawyer of the Year" Lansing, Arbitration, 2016

Best Lawyers® in America, "Lansing Lawyer of the Year" Lansing, Oil and Gas Law, 2020 and 2021

Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers of 2013 (Awarded by LexisNexis and Martindale Hubbell) – This award is exclusive to women lawyers who have achieved the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards.

AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

Leading Lawyer (2015-2025)

Legal Affiliations:

• The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals 
  • Member
• State of Michigan Attorney Discipline Board
  • Hearing Panelist
• State Bar of Michigan
  • Member 
  • Former Chair, Oil, Gas & Natural Resources Committee, Real Property Section
  • Member, Environmental Law Section
  • Member, Alternate Dispute Resolution Section
  • Former Member, Alternate Dispute Resolution Council
  • Former Chair, ADR Council Government Task Force subcommittee
• Ingham County Bar Association
  • Member 
  • Member, Real Property Section
• Michigan Oil & Gas Association
  • Member (1981 – Present) 
  • Former Chair, Legislative Liaison Committee
  • Member, Legal & Legislative Committee
  • Former Member, Public Relations Committee
• Michigan Association of Petroleum Landmen 
  • Member, (1981 – Present)
• Dispute Resolution Center of Central Michigan
  • Board Member, (2001 – 2010)
• Dispute Resolution Center of Central Michigan 
  • Co-President, (2005 – 2006)
• Ingham County Circuit Court ADR Oversight Committee
  • Member, (2003 – 2012)