Retired Superior Court Judge Known for Excellent Resolution Skills
Orange, CA – JAMS, the largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services in the United States today announced the addition to its panel of Hon. Stephen J. Sundvold (Ret.), who will be based in the JAMS Orange Resolution Center. Judge Sundvold will mediate and arbitrate disputes in a variety of areas including business/commercial, class action, construction defect, employment, insurance, medical malpractice, personal injury, professional liability, and real property.
“Judge Sundvold’s daily involvement in settlements while on the bench, along with his deep understanding of insurance issues, uniquely qualifies him to help attorneys resolve their disputes quickly and efficiently,” said Chris Poole, President and CEO of JAMS. “Judge Sundvold has earned a stellar reputation among other judges and attorneys for being fair and tireless while managing heavy caseloads and settling difficult claims with multiple parties.”
“I enjoy the interaction in complex litigation of working with the large number of attorneys whose personalities vary widely. It gives me great satisfaction to dive in and work out the differences between the parties,” said Judge Sundvold. “I’m very excited to continue my ADR work at JAMS.”
While on the Orange County Superior Court, Judge Sundvold oversaw case assignments on the Court’s High Impact Trial (HIT) team and its Complex Civil Panel, where he handled hundreds of matters involving construction defect, class action, eminent domain, and complex business litigation. Known throughout Southern California for his ability to resolve difficult cases, he was also appointed to serve as a Mandatory Settlement Judge by other Judges from Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Kern Counties.
Judge Sundvold served on the Superior Court of Orange County beginning in 1998 until his retirement on January 31, 2010. Prior to that, he served on the North Orange County Municipal Court beginning in 1990. Judge Sundvold joined Safeco Insurance Company in 1975 where he served as Chief Attorney for 15 years, managing the company’s legal department. He is intimately familiar with complex insurance coverage issues and has rendered significant opinions on insurance issues that are the subject of several Court of Appeal published opinions.
Judge Sundvold is a member and former Executive Board member and Vice President of the California Judges Association. In addition, he has been a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), the American Bar Association, and the Orange County Bar Association. He frequently speaks on complex legal and insurance coverage matters throughout the United States and served on the faculty of the California Judicial College.
He earned his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of San Diego Law School in 1971, and his B.A. from Fullerton State College (now California State University) in 1968. He launched his legal career as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., followed by two years in private practice in Southern California.
About JAMS, The Resolution Experts
Founded in 1979, JAMS, The Resolution Experts, is the largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services in the United States. With Resolution Centers nationwide, JAMS and its 250 full-time, exclusive neutrals are responsible for resolving thousands of the nation’s more important cases. JAMS may be reached at 800-352-5267 or www.jamsadr.com.