The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) alternative dispute resolution committee is scheduled to present its Sir Francis Bacon Alternative Dispute Resolution Award to Mary Kate Coleman, a lawyer at Riley, Hewitt, Witte & Romano in Pittsburgh, at an awards ceremony during the PBA Annual Meeting. which is set for May 11-13 in Hershey.

The Sir Francis Bacon Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant impact in bringing mediation and other forms of dispute resolution to Pennsylvania. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was a Renaissance writer who served British monarchs in a legal capacity as knight, attorney general and solicitor.