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Hon. Bruce R. Geernaert (Ret.)

T: 213-620-1133
F:213-620-0100
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Case Manager

Jason Feazell
JAMS
707 Wilshire Blvd.
46th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017
213-253-9752 Phone
213-620-0100 Fax
Email:

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Hon. Bruce R. Geernaert (Ret.) is an experienced mediator, referee, special master, and arbitrator. As a mediator, he has vast experience, is energetic, an effective consensus builder, and a "quick study." As a referee and special master, he has extensive experience in law and discovery, writ and receivers, and is an efficient case manager. As an arbitrator, he is a knowledgeable trial judge and case administrator.

As a private attorney, he had extensive experience in negotiating settlements under the National Labor Relations Act. This experience further honed his negotiating skills and sensitivity, which he finds useful as a mediator.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

  • Served as mediator, arbitrator, or settlement officer in a wide variety of cases including:
    • Personal Injury
    • Commercial/Business: Breach of contract/fraud, asset and stock acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, unfair competition, trade secrets, accounting disputes, banking
    • Real Estate: Purchase, lease, brokerage, inverse condemnation, condemnation, land use, homeowner association
    • Environmental: Superfund, toxic torts, insurance coverages
    • Professional Negligence
    • Insurance: Coverage, bad faith
    • Accounting: GAP disputes
    • Construction Defects: CMOs, insurance, indemnities
    • Employment: Discrimination, wrongful termination
    • Entertainment: Individual and corporate disputes
    • Regulatory Law: Communication, transportation, water
  • Heard over 500 civil trials and was an all purpose trial judge in complex, multi-party cases
  • His 22-year distinguished judicial career on the Superior Court bench includes over five years as a full-time settlement officer with a settlement rate of 75%.

Comments from Counsel

  • OUTSTANDING ability to mediate"
  • "I do not know of any other judge who is as effective a settlement judge" (by an attorney who has had over 20 cases before him)
  • He "truly explores the merits of each side's case to point out the strengths and weaknesses . . ."
  • "PERSISTENT", he will "roll up his sleeves and bang heads." ". . . but he's never rude or insulting."
  • "Has an almost uncanny ability to grasp the salient points in business litigation . . . an ability I've never seen in my 20 years of experience."

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

  • Member of many committees of the court, including the Executive Committee and Personnel and Budget Committee
  • Former Member, BAJI Committee on Civil Jury Instruction
  • Editorial consultant, Mathew Bender's California Forms and Practice, 1996
  • Contributing Editor to Bancroft -Whitney on California Civil Protocol-Business Litigation, 1993

Background and Education

  • Judge, Los Angeles Superior Court, 1980-1996; (Supervising Judge, Law and Motions/Discovery and Writs and Receivers, 1984-1987)
  • Private practice litigating personal injury, public utilities and regulatory matters in state and federal courts and regulatory agencies
  • LL.B., Hastings College of Law of the University of California, 1953
  • B.S., University of California, 1949