BREAKTHROUGHADR - Key Persons

Damali Peterman - CEO, Founder

Job Titles:
  • CEO
  • Founder
  • Vice Chair
  • Directors
  • Meet Our CEO & Founder
Damali Peterman, Esq., is the Founder, CEO and Chief Conflict Resolver of Breakthrough ADR LLC. Damali has extensive experience in corporate law, mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution. She is a highly sought after mediator and trainer for Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, government entities, nonprofits and small businesses. Some notable clients include Google Cloud, Mastercard, District of Columbia Housing Authority, New York Police Department, New York Department of Education, CAMBA, New York Peace Institute, Hitotsubashi University, and Howard University School of Law. Experience Prior to starting BREAKTHROUGHADR, Damali was Assistant General Counsel at Deloitte LLP in the Engagements group and a senior corporate associate in the Mergers & Acquisitions group at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. At Weil, Damali was based in New York, but also spent time working in Weil's Washington, D.C., Dallas, London and Shanghai offices. While employed by Weil, Damali completed a four-month secondment at Lawyer's Alliance for New York, the state's leading provider of business and transactional legal services for nonprofit organizations and social enterprises. Damali represents and advises businesses (large and small) and individuals in corporate and commercial matters. She has represented and advised some of the world's largest companies in high profile corporate matters. She routinely negotiates with General Counsel and other senior executives on behalf of her clients, and delivers effective and innovative solutions. Damali approaches her clients' issues from a holistic viewpoint and endeavors to both understand and solve the specific matter at hand, as well as advance the overall business goals of her clients. Damali is an engaging and dynamic educator and public speaker. Her personable style and innovative and interactive approach make her a sought-after asset on both the speaking and training circuit, including at some of the world's largest companies, educational institutions, and a variety of local organizations. Education Damali received her B.A. in English (with a Spanish minor) from Spelman College in 2000, her M.A. in International Policy Studies, with a focus in conflict resolution from Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey in 2002, and her J.D. from Howard University School of Law in 2008. Damali has also studied in Mexico, Denmark, Japan and the Netherlands. Damali is the Vice Chair board of directors of the New York Peace Institute, one of the largest civilian peacekeeping centers in the nation helping more than 10,000 people resolve their conflicts each year. Damali is a volunteer mediator, conflict coach and trainer for the New York Peace Institute.

Fred Hanson

Fred Hanson has practiced mediation and alternative dispute resolution in New York City since 2000, while continuing a decades-long career in theatre and international events. He is active in many different areas of conflict resolution, including as a mediator in varied types of cases: community, co-parenting (custody and visitation), youth-involved, criminal, civil, and housing court as well as conflict coaching. Fred also lives in Rio de Janeiro, and is fluent in Portuguese. He was Executive Director of Parceiros Brasil, an NGO which taught conflict resolution and peer mediation to public school students in at-risk neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro.