The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN) is pleased to announce that John J. Upchurch, recently retired founder and president of Upchurch Watson White & Max, has been named the Academy's 2026 Distinguished Neutral of the Year, in recognition of a lifetime achievement in the field of commercial mediation
AJAX, ON, Aug. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A former Circuit Judge and Chief Judge of Florida's Seventh Judicial Circuit, John Upchurch is one of the pioneers of Florida's mediation profession, commencing his ADR practice in 1988 and becoming one of the state's first certified mediators as the managing partner at Cobb Cole & Bell in Daytona Beach. The following year, he was appointed by the Florida Supreme Court as a charter member of its inaugural Committee on Mediation and Arbitration.
John left Cobb Cole & Bell in 1996 to co-found the mediation firm Upchurch Watson White & Max, which grew to become the Southeast's largest ADR panel firm and helped further the development of professional mediation throughout the region. Over a career spanning almost four decades, John conducted approximately 4,000 mediations, specializing in complex commercial and multiparty disputes.
A member of NADN's founding Florida Chapter since 2005, Mr. Upchurch served for many years on the Academy's National Executive Committee. He was previously named by the National Law Journal as one of the top three commercial mediators in the USA, inducted as a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators, and named to the International Who's Who of Mediation annually since 2012.
"John is one of the true pioneers of our profession," commented Darren Lee, Executive Director of NADN. "He embraced mediation in the late 1980s, when the field was still very much in its infancy for civil matters, and he's spent almost four decades helping establish mediation as a vital component of civil dispute resolution in Florida and beyond. In addition to his widely renowned skills as a commercial mediator, John built one of the country's most respected ADR panel firms and helped pave the way for a generation of neutrals across the region. As John concludes his professional career, we're delighted to pay tribute to his exceptional contribution to the ADR profession with our 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award."
The Distinguished Neutral of the Year Award is presented annually by NADN to conflict resolution professionals who have established a national reputation for excellence. Previous recipients include Allan Stitt (2025), Hon. Layn Phillips, (2024), Kenneth Feinberg (2023) and Upchurch's longtime colleague and panel co-founder, Lawrence Watson Jr. (2022).
"The practice of mediation represents the most consequential development affecting the administration of justice to emerge during my career," commented Mr. Upchurch. "It has been a privilege and a source of great satisfaction to have played a role in its growth and development in Florida and throughout the Southeast. To be singled out by the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals for this honor is extraordinary, and I am deeply humbled and grateful to receive it."
About NADN
The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals is an invitation-only association of elite mediators and arbitrators across the USA & Canada, peer-vetted for excellence, depth of experience, and professionalism. NADN supports its members through marketing infrastructure, scheduling technology, thought leadership and national programming.
For further info regarding the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, please contact
Kathy Vazqueztell: ([email protected], Tel: 813-600-3678) or visit www.NADN.org/about
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DISTINGUISHED NEUTRALS
1395 Brickell Avenue, Suite 800, Miami FL 33131 • Tel: (813) 600-5678 • Fax: (866) 257-4698 • www.NADN.org
Media Contact
Darren Lee, NADN, 1 813 600 5678, [email protected], NADN
SOURCE NADN
Share this article