Karl Bayer joined JAMS in Austin in 2024, bringing over 30 years of dispute resolution experience to the Texas panel. Karl has been a working engineer, entrepreneur and inventor, staff attorney and legislative director for state and federal agencies, and trial lawyer for over 25 years. In all these positions, he enjoyed applying his scientific mind to complex problems, creating value for stakeholders concerned with important business and public policy outcomes.

Karl is a sought-after mediator and arbitrator in technology disputes. He frequently serves as a court-appointed neutral in intellectual property matters. In particular, he assists parties in federal court as an appointed “Markman master”, in pre-trial discovery matters and as a technical advisor to the court.

Representative Matters

Mediation Experience

Since 1989, parties have selected Karl to mediate more than 3,000 cases in virtually every area of the law. Although most of his mediations have been between private parties, he has also mediated several cases involving governments and major public policy issues. His current mediation practice involves complex litigation, intellectual property, construction matters and energy disputes.

Arbitration Experience

Since 1989, parties to arbitration disputes have appointed Karl to over 100 cases, with approximately 80% going to final award. Three-fourths of these cases have been commercial disputes, and many of them have involved technology, energy and construction businesses. He has also arbitrated trade secret, software license, patent, energy and construction disputes; a government antitrust case; medical malpractice cases; employment disputes; family law disputes; real estate disputes; and banking disputes.

Court-Appointed Neutral Experience

Since 2006, Karl has served as a court-appointed neutral in over 70 matters, including writing reports and recommendations involving claims construction, discovery, pre-trial management, health care and commercial disputes. In each of these matters, courts have adopted his recommendations. A list of these assignments is available upon request.

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Member, College of Commercial Arbitrators, 2020–2024
• Member, American Board of Trial Advocates, 2003–2023
• Distinguished Fellow, International Academy of Mediators, 2010–2024
• Annual Guest Lecturer on Alternative Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, Texas Civil Litigation: Pretrial and Trial Strategy, University of Texas at Austin School of Law, 2000–2020
• Chair, Admissions and Disciplinary Committee, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, 2014–2019
• Adjunct Professor, University of Texas at Austin School of Law
  • International Commercial Arbitration: Principles of Effective Representation, 2010–2014
  • Coach, Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition, 2010–2014
  • S. Arbitration, 2010–2014
• Adjunct Professor, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University
  • S. Arbitration, 2022
• Member of the Advisory Board; Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Energy, Law and Business; University of Texas at Austin School of Law; 2010-2014
• Member, Disciplinary and Electronic Filing Committees, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, 2000–2019
• U.S. Magistrate Judge Selection and Review Committees, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, 1999–2016
• Member, State Bar of Texas, 1977-2024

Selected Publications

A list of Karl’s more than 50 CLE presentations is available upon request.

• Publisher, “Karl Bayer’s Disputing Blog,” 2004–2024
• “Arbitration Advocacy: The Complete Course with Tracy McCormack and Karl Bayer,” Arbitrate University (arbitrateuniversity.com), 2021
• “Remote Advocacy,” The Center for American and International Law, 2020
• “Arbitration Agreements and Proceedings: 20 Years Later – As Advertised or Time to Return to Sender?” Oil and Gas Disputes, Texas Bar CLE, 2018
• “Cyborg Judging and Lawyering: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data on the Justice System,” Judicial Conference of the Fifth Circuit, 2018

Background and Education

Professional Experience

• Mediator, Arbitrator and Court-Appointed Neutral; Austin, Texas, and Livingston, Montana; 1989–2024
• Partner, KolarBayer, Austin, 2015–2017
  • Partnered with Renee Quezada Kolar to provide legal counsel for small businesses
• Partner, Resolution Architects, Austin, 1997–1999
  • Conflict resolution consulting in public policy, health care, technology and environmental issues
• Partner; Gibbins, Winckler & Bayer; Austin; 1989–1991
• Special Counsel; Bickerstaff, Heath & Smiley; Austin; 1988–1989
• Candidate, Democratic Nominee for Place Five, Texas Supreme Court, 1988
• Partner, Pluymen & Bayer, Austin, 1982–1988
• Associate Attorney; Environmental, Utility and Technology; Brown, Maroney, Rose, Barber & Dye; 1981–1982
• Staff Attorney; Pesticides and Toxic Substances; Office of the General Counsel; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Washington, D.C.; 1980–1981
• Legislative Director, Office of Rep. Kent Hance, U.S. House of Representatives, 1979–1980
• Associate Attorney; Business Litigation; Grambling, Mounce, Sims, Galatzan & Harris; El Paso, Texas; 1977–1979
• Founding Partner; Omnibus; Austin and Washington, D.C.; 1975–1976
  • Automated school bus routing
• Legislative and Administrative Assistant, Office of Sen. Don Adams, Austin, 1974–1977
• Staff Engineer, Concord Research Corporation, Boston, 1973
  • Design of radar tracking systems and computer systems for school desegregation

Education

• Coursework in Microbiology and Digital Systems Design, University of Texas at Austin, 1998
• J.D., University of Texas at Austin School of Law, 1976
• M.S., Biomedical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1973
• B.A., cum laude, Electrical Engineering, Rice University, 1971