Ted E. Bandstra , Retired Chief US Magistrate Judge

Presided over hundreds of business, commercial, and consumer cases involving breach of contract, securities, franchise, insurance, trade secret, corporate, government, shareholder, and other claims. Frequently involved as a mediator (settlement judge) in these cases as well as trial judge in both bench and jury proceedings.

Tried and/or settled many cases involving civil rights claims brought under both federal and state statutes including cases involving municipalities and other governmental entities.

Tried and/or settled numerous class actions involving securities fraud, debt collection violations, truth in lending and fair credit reporting issues, employer/employee disputes, minimum wage and overtime claims, consumer protection actions, and other claims.

Tried and/or settled many cases involving commercial construction disputes, construction defects and delays, inferior workmanship and materials, breach of contract claims, and post-construction disputes.

Settled many employment cases involving discrimination claims (age, sex, disability, race, and retaliation), breach of employment contracts, employee benefits and executive compensation, employment-related torts, ERISA claims, labor-management disputes, and wage and hour issues (FLSA).

Tried and/or settled numerous cases brought under a wide variety of federal statutes including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Debt Collections Act, Federal Trade Commission Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, and numerous other federal statutes.

Tried and/or settled numerous cases involving franchise disputes in the food and beverage industry, industrial equipment sales contracts, and other areas. Frequently decided contractual issues in franchise contracts, coverage issues and damages either on disposition motions or at trial.

Tried and/or mediated cases involving insurance coverage, bad faith, property damages, denial of benefits, and other insurance issues in employment, commercial, professional liability, construction, and catastrophic loss cases. Frequently decided insurance coverage issues on dispositive motions or assisted resolution at court-ordered mediation.

Managed and mediated cases involving intellectual property issues in trademark infringement, copyright, patent, and trade secret claims.

Settled and/or tried numerous Jones Act, maritime insurance, cruise ship passenger and/or crew injuries, damaged cargo, and other federal maritime matters.

Tried and/or mediated cases involving automobile and other vehicular accidents, wrongful death, product liability, medical malpractice, and claims brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), state statutes, or common law.

Mediated a variety of real estate disputes, including those involving federal and state foreclosures liens, condominium disputes, and commercial and/or tenant actions.

Managed and/or mediated numerous cases including class actions involving customer-broker disputes, shareholder derivative claims, and a wide variety of claims brought under the Securities Act of 1933, Exchange Act of 1934, and state securities laws.