Frank Riela

I was born and raised in New York near the Atlantic shore of beautiful eastern Long Island, to a large and extended Italian-American family.  I graduated from prestigious Georgetown University with a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Italian, before getting my Juris Doctor Law degree from The Brooklyn Law School in New York City.  After graduation from law school I received job offers throughout the United States including Hawaii, however I chose cosmopolitan Los Angeles, where I started my legal career.  My experience includes civil litigation, criminal law, immigration, family and divorce matters, and estate planning such as wills, trusts and probate.   

As the legal system changed to accept, and even emphasize, alternative dispute resolution practices such as arbitration and mediation, I saw an opportunity to branch into this area of legal practice as well.  I completed a Master’s degree in Negotiation and Conflict Management at California State University at Dominguez Hills, and I became a certified mediator.  I have helped hundreds of parties successfully resolve their court cases and disputes.  I have taught at the University of West Los Angeles School of Law, at Dispute Resolution Services of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, at the University of California in Riverside and even at the University of Catania in Italy.  In addition, I have led delegations of attorney-mediators to Russia, Poland, China and Italy where we conferred with legal professionals in government, business and academia.  

My love affair with Palm Springs and the California desert came swiftly and without wavering.  I moved here after spending some time living in Siracusa, Italy, fulfilling a life-long dream.  I enjoy all the desert has to offer, from its film festivals and mountain hiking, to the international restaurants and frequent cultural events.  In my spare time I enjoy playing with the abandoned dogs I rescued from the streets of Italy and brought here to live with me.  I also enjoy vegetarian cooking, reading and being with family and friends.