About Thomas P. Valenti

Thomas P. Valenti is a Chicago-based attorney, mediator, arbitrator, facilitator, and educator with more than 45 years of legal experience.

Admitted to the Illinois bar in 1977, Tom began his career handling civil litigation involving personal injury, medical malpractice, products liability, premises liability, construction accidents, property damage, contracts, and commercial disputes. He has served as an arbitrator since 1990 and as a mediator since 2000.

Mediation and Arbitration Experience

Tom maintains a private mediation and arbitration practice involving civil, commercial, personal-injury, healthcare, workplace, and other disputes.

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and serves or has served with a range of domestic and international dispute-resolution organizations, including:

American Arbitration Association
FINRA Public Panel
CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals
Circuit Court of Cook County
New Era ADR
American Board of Neutrals
Center for Arbitration and Mediation of the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada
Indian Institute of Arbitration and Mediation
Thailand Arbitration Center

Tom has also served with the Medical Malpractice Mediation Program at Rush University Medical Center and is trained as a Title IX decision-maker. In 2025, he earned a credential in Digital Arbitration Practice from New York Law School.

Teaching and Training

Tom is an Adjunct Instructor in Mediation Skills at Northwestern University’s School of Professional Studies and an Adjunct Professor teaching Client Counseling at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

He has trained lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and law students in the United States and internationally. His work has included mediation programs and law-school competitions in the United Kingdom, Europe, India, Dubai, and other jurisdictions.

Tom regularly trains and judges at domestic and international mediation competitions, including programs associated with the ICC, CPR, INADR, CDRC, and Lex Infinitum.

Professional Approach

Tom believes effective dispute resolution begins with preparation, careful listening, procedural fairness, and respect for everyone involved.

As a mediator, he helps parties and counsel examine risk, identify obstacles, and explore practical opportunities for resolution. As an arbitrator, he emphasizes impartiality, efficient case management, the parties’ right to be heard, and careful decision-making.

His experience as an advocate, neutral, and educator allows him to adapt the process to the needs and complexity of each dispute.