Prior to joining CDSC, Mr. Spivakovsky-Gonzalez has served as a senior staff attorney with American Bar Association ProBAR. He assisted adult asylum-seekers who had been placed in the Migrant Protection Protocols policy in the tent courts in Brownsville, Texas, and took on a range of immigration cases. 

He is a Lecturer on Law in the Negotiation Workshop at Harvard Law School, and has a particular interest in the applications of negotiation theory and practice to legal aid, economic development, and international relations. He has assisted and represented clients in mediations in state and federal courts in the Boston area and is a certified mediator in Massachusetts. 

Prior to joining ABA ProBAR, Mr. Spivakovsky-Gonzalez was a staff attorney and a Skadden Fellow doing civil legal aid for low-income veterans in Massachusetts. He holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley (summa cum laude), an M.Phil. in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Gates Cambridge Scholar, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he was a student attorney and President of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.

Mr. Spivakovsky-Gonzalez commented, “I’m thrilled at the opportunity to lead this iconic organization, which has been a staple of the mediation community in Massachusetts and has helped so many people in the Boston area to resolve their disputes for so many years.”

“Gail Packer leaves big shoes to fill after her 35 years of service, but I'm excited to work with the Board, the staff, and our clients to help build CDSC further so that it can serve more people in a way that is responsive to the needs of the community and the demands of our time. We are living in an era of increased conflict at the local, national, and international level, and I hope that at CDSC we can help model a vision of conflict resolution in challenging times.”

“We are delighted to welcome Pedro to our community as we continue our work to provide excellent mediation and conflict resolution services to people throughout eastern Massachusetts,” said Amy Mariani, President of the CDSC Board of Directors. “Given the increasing level of conflict and controversy experienced by so many, we are eager to benefit from Pedro’s experience, vision and talent.”

Mr. Spivakovsky-Gonzalez starts work on September 1. Stay tuned for opportunity to connect!