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John B. Bates, Jr., Esq.

T: 415-982-5267
F:415-982-5287
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“Mediation is about process, patience, and perseverance.”

- John B. Bates, Jr.

Case Manager

John M. Peterson
JAMS
Two Embarcadero Center
Suite 1500
San Francisco, CA 94111
415-774-2609 Phone
415-982-5287 Fax
Email:

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Available to hear cases nationwide.
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John B. Bates, Jr., Esq. has been practicing law since 1974 and mediating full time since 1991. He has conducted over a hundred lectures and trainings on mediation and has mediated several thousand matters in 30 states. He splits his time between his family residences in Northern California and Hawaii.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

  • Began mediating in mid 1980’s as part of litigation practice
  • Co-founded mediation and arbitration firm in 1991 which merged with JAMS in 1994
  • Conducted workshops, trainings, and lectures on all aspects of mediation
  • Handled several thousand mediations across the U.S. involving aviation, business, civil rights, class action, consumer, construction, employment, environmental, franchise, government/public agency, healthcare, insurance, intellectual property, personal injury, professional liability, real estate, patent and trademark, securities, toxic torts, and wills

Representative Matters

  • Class action business disputes in Missouri, $100 million settlement
  • Mass medical malpractice claims in Illinois and New York, $2 million settlement
  • Class action employment dispute in Idaho, multi-million dollar settlement
  • Catastrophic personal injury products liability action in Wyoming, multi-million dollar settlement
  • Class action invasion of privacy case in California, multi-million dollar settlement
  • Architectural malpractice dispute in California, multi-million dollar settlement
  • Environmental contamination dispute in California, multi-million dollar settlement
  • Mass toxic contamination dispute in Alabama, multi-million dollar settlement
  • Numerous insurance bad faith disputes in California, multi-million dollar settlement
  • Venture capital investment fraud cases in California, multi-million dollar settlements
  • Case involving gas pipeline explosion in California, $100 million settlement
  • Dispute involving termination of a highly compensated senior executive in public company in California
  • Case involving the termination of founder of venture capital firm in California, multi-million dollar settlement
  • Dispute involving disability access to college campus in California, multi-million dollar settlement
  • Numerous wage and hour class actions in California, multi-million dollar settlements
  • Catastrophic personal injury case involving explosion in California, $20 million settlement
  • Helicopter crash case in Hawaii, multi-million dollar settlement
  • Commercial airlines crash case in southern California, co-mediated $100 million settlement
  • Wrongful death cases from helicopter crash in the North Atlantic, mediated in New York

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

  • Past Vice-Chair of the ADR Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law
  • Member of, speaker, and writer for the American Bar Association, American Law Institute, Amercian Trial Lawyers Association, Consumer Attorneys of California, and the Defense Research Institute
  • Member of and speaker for the Association of Business Trial Lawyers Association and Tort, Trial, and Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association
  • Member of the American Health Lawyer Association
  • Recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer, ADR Category, 2010-2011 
  • Among many articles are:
    • "Mediation: An Effective Way to Connect With Your Clients," ABTL Report, Vol. 17 (Summer 2008) and also in the American Bar Association’s The Brief, Vol. 38, No. 3 (Spring 2009)
    • "For Emergency Disputes, Mediation is Cure," Law 360 (2008)
    • "Using ADR to Resolve Superfund and Related Environmental Disputes," California ADR Practice Guide (November 1994)
    • "Getting the Most from Mediation," California Litigation, Vol. 7 (Spring 1994)
    • "Using Mediation to Win for Your Client," The Practical Lawyer (1992)
  • ADR Profile: "Bates Has Adjusted Style With ADR's Evolution," The Recorder, February 16, 2010

Background and Education

  • Co-founder, Bates Edwards Group in 1991 that subsequently merged with Endispute and then with JAMS in 1994
  • Litigation Partner, Cooley, Godward, San Francisco, 1974-1991
  • J.D., cum laude, University of Santa Clara School of Law, 1974
  • B.A., with honors, University of California, Berkeley, 1970