Tara Makhmali
Consulting Director, Strategist, Mediator
Non-Attorney
tara@fensterstockesq.com
Tara Makhmali is a highly skilled business strategist, conflicts coach, negotiation expert, and mediator specializing in commercial and employment disputes within the New York metropolitan area. With a focus on mediation and negotiation, Tara has established herself as a go-to professional in facilitating successful resolutions across a wide range of industries.
Tara is an integral part of Fensterstock, P.C., having been with the firm since its inception. She has contributed significantly to its formation and success. Her journey with the firm began in May 2018 as a Trial Strategy Consultant with a focus on story gathering, business analysis, and project management. In this role, she played a crucial part in a complex commercial litigation matter involving the sale of an insurance company and the efficacy of a large-scale policy administration system. Her efforts contributed to a trial victory, resulting in an award of nearly $5 million. Tara’s exceptional skills in analyzing and evaluating data, assisting counsel during key witness depositions and trial testimony, conducting extensive research, drafting and refining summary judgment motions, pre-trial motions, findings of fact and conclusions of law, and managing trial workstreams were instrumental to the success of the case.
Following her impactful work as a Trial Strategy Consultant, Tara pursued her passion for dispute resolution by obtaining a certificate in Negotiation Mastery from Harvard Business School (HBS). Her dedication and expertise were recognized as she excelled among over 300 business professionals worldwide.
Building on her success at HBS, Tara immersed herself in Cornell’s intensive executive conflict-resolution program, offered by the Scheinman School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Among peers of experienced lawyers and judges, Tara’s dedication and efforts paid off, and she received her Cornell certificate in Professional Mediation with a perfect score, exceeding expectations and demonstrating her powerful insight and exceptional abilities in the field.
Before joining Fensterstock, P.C., Tara founded CommonSmarts Media, L.L.C., a successful consulting company, and authored the critically acclaimed literary mystery, “Misswired,” which garnered attention from Kirkus Reviews and the Jersey Journal. With a background in leadership roles for notable companies such as Bridgewater Associates, FCB Advertising, HBO, and Pearson Publishing, Tara has honed her skills in project management, strategic thinking, and team building.
At Fensterstock, P.C., Tara continues to be an essential member of the team as a Consulting Director and Case Strategist. Leveraging her expertise, she represents multiple businesses in negotiations involving breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, covenants not to compete, employment disputes, fraud, indemnification, misappropriation of trade secrets, and more. Tara actively assists clients in defining and refining their business goals and executes successful tactical approaches aligned with their objectives. She also engages in ongoing risk mitigation, prepares mediation statements, analyzes contract terms in collaboration with attorneys, provides key insights for various legal processes, and oversees the firm’s marketing operations.
Tara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Massachusetts in Boston and has studied at Bond University in Australia and Northeastern University. In addition to her Cornell and HBS certificates, Tara has been a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) since 2010.
With her strong educational background, extensive experience, and innate ability to read people and situations on the fly, Tara Makhmali continues to be a driving force in the success of Fensterstock, P.C. and makes significant contributions to the exciting dispute-resolution community. She remains dedicated to her life’s mission of creating peace with mutual accountability and facilitating productive negotiations.
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