History
After three decades of practicing family law, attorney Jeffrey D. Pepper wanted to take a more facilitative role in the divorce process, one that used his knowledge of and experience with the laws, procedures and norms of divorce in southeast Michigan. Since then, he has helped more than 2,000 Southeast Michigan couples satisfactorily resolve their domestic law issues and avoid costly, emotionally taxing litigation. Joining him as mediators and arbitrators are Hon. Connie M. Kelley (retired) and veteran family law attorney Nelson B. Stieper.
Get in touch
At the Pepper Mediation Center, we know that choosing the right mediator for your divorce is an important decision. If you have any questions or need further information please contact us.
Meet our team
Founder/MEDIATOR
Jeffrey D. Pepper
Jeffrey Pepper has practiced family law for 42 years. He has been awarded an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating by the Martindale-Hubbell rating system, awarded only to those lawyers with the highest ethical standards, professional ability, knowledge of the law and communication skills. He is past President of the Wayne County Family Law Bar and the Dearborn Bar Associations. He is a member of the Family Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution sections of the State Bar of Michigan.
Mr. Pepper’s practice has focused primarily on family law issues both as an advocate and, for the past 15 years, as a mediator of domestic relations matters. In that time, he has become one of the most sought-after mediators in the region and has successfully mediated more than 2,000 cases to resolution. Mr. Pepper has practiced in 35 counties in Michigan, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Michigan. Additionally, he has tried cases in Federal Courts in the Eastern District of Michigan, the District Court of Massachusetts, the Eastern District Court of Tennessee and the Northern District Court of Ohio, as well as appellate practice before the United States 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Mr. Pepper received his undergraduate degree in Communications from Michigan State University (Go Green!) in 1974, and was awarded his Juris Doctor degree from Wayne State University School of Law in 1977, the year he passed the Bar Examination and was sworn in as a Member of the State Bar of Michigan. He is a guest lecturer in mediation practice at University of Detroit Mercy School of Law .
MEDIATOR/ARBITRATOR
Judge Connie M. Kelley (Ret.)
Judge Connie Marie Kelley served as judge in the family division of Wayne County Circuit Court from January 2009 until her retirement in January 2019. Before she was elected, she was a partner in a law firm, with a specialization in family law cases.
As a judge, she presided over thousands of cases involving divorce, custody, parenting time, child support, and both simple and complex property division cases. As part of her practical problem-solving approach, Judge Kelley has settled thousands of cases, saving families from the emotional turmoil of a trial and thousands of dollars in legal fees.
MEDIATOR/ARBITRATOR
Nelson B. Stieper
Nelson Stieper has been a family law attorney for over 41 years, practicing in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties. He has tried cases in each of those counties and is well familiar with what it takes and the toll it takes to bring a matter to trial and the importance of trying to reach a reasonable settlement. Mr. Stieper has been resolving divorce and related matters as a mediator for many years using his experience not only in family law but in business matters, probate, and estate planning. He is regarded for his civility, even-tempered nature, knowledge, creativity and practicality to bring difficult and complex matters to settlement. Mr. Stieper is also known for his willingness to work with attorneys and their clients after hours and on weekends, if necessary, to get the job done. Me. Stieper completed his undergraduate work at MSU in 1974, and received his law degree from Wayne State University in 1977.