About Us
At Anoka Conflict Solutions, LLC, we believe in the power of mediation and communication as transformative tools for resolving disputes in a fair, efficient, and lasting manner.
We aren’t just lawyers who have taken up mediation. We take a multi-faceted approach to mediating disputes - combining our extensive experience and knowledge of the legal system and its complex processes and problems with our skills and training in transformative communication, change management and our understanding of peace and conflict.
Meet the Team
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Founder and Mediator
Marissa has extensive organizational experience with large corporate clients in change management and communications strategy and delivery. Her background includes senior management and career development for teams of consultants, facilitating communication and conflict resolution, creating communication strategies, and leading IT transformations for global organizations. She has successfully cultivated collaboration between parties, discovering and creating practical plans with an eye for identifying the core needs and desires of all stakeholders. In addition to corporate work, Marissa has led pro bono initiatives and managed an internship program in partnership with a local nonprofit to support aspiring technology professionals.
In her mediation practice, Marissa focuses on empowering people to find creative, long-term solutions that benefit everyone—an approach that distinguishes her as a non-attorney mediator. Known for her curiosity and compassion, she is a skilled communicator who understands the critical role of psychological safety to team productivity. Her ability to navigate complex, emotional, and high-stress situations with sensitivity and clarity reassures clients that they are in capable hands, guiding them toward resolutions that are both practical and lasting.
Marissa graduated summa cum laude from Bethel University with a degree in Communications and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at UNC Greensboro in Transformative Peace and Conflict Studies. She has earned numerous professional certifications, including Certified Change Management Practitioner, Certified Scrum Master, Professional Product Owner, and Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt.
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Founder and MediatorFor more than 25 years, Brendan has been a civil litigation attorney, complex litigation strategist and appellate attorney. Brendan has been the lawyer other lawyers turn to when they need to understand the complex issues in their cases, particularly in high-stakes situations. With experience in hundreds of cases across a wide array of civil matters, Brendan understands the litigation process and its risks, costs and limitations. He believes that mediation is a better route for the vast majority of civil disputes.
Brendan’s experience spans numerous areas, including insurance coverage, commercial disputes, information and technology, personal injury, products liability, employment disputes, complex construction litigation, special education, and more.
As a mediator, Brendan brings the same strategic insight and dedication to resolving conflicts outside of court. He has been involved in the successful resolution of hundreds of cases through alternative dispute resolution. His ability to understand all facets of complex legal disputes and his commitment to impartiality and facilitating respectful communication make him an effective facilitator of compromise in almost any type of civil case.
Brendan contributes to the legal community through regular papers, presentations and seminars on advanced civil practice and insurance coverage litigation. He founded a pro bono legal clinic dedicated to empowering families navigating the public special education system, helping parents understand the process and advocate effectively to ensure their children receive their legal right to a free and appropriate public education.
A summa cum laude graduate of Gonzaga University and honors graduate of the University of Washington School of Law, Mr. McBride continues to make an impact both in and out of the courtroom.
