Biography
Judge Cardenas has mediated and arbitrated hundreds of cases including personal injury, construction defect, business disputes, medical and dental malpractice, employment related litigation, insurance matters, education and school issues, real estate, family law, and numerous references from the Superior Court under C.C.P. 638 and 639 (preparing over two-hundred reports of findings and recommendations).
Representative Matters
- Breast implant litigation liaison and trial judge for Orange County under Judge Robert O'Neil, the statewide coordinator. These cases were part of thousands filed by women across the United States, alleging the manufacturers produced defective products.
- Class actions for wage and hour and other employment related disputes
- Discovery referee for the Teachers Management and Investment (TMI) class action case involving over 20,000 plaintiffs. This matter involved millions of investment dollars from teacher pensioners that were allegedly squandered and lost through the fraudulent activities of the fund management and accounting firms.
- Handled the class action suit brought by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office against numerous physicians in southern California accused of fraudulent billings against Medicare. This case involved millions of dollars of allegedly improper charges invoiced from doctors and paid out of taxpayer's funds for treatment never received by the patients.
- One of several neutrals who handled pre-trial proceedings in the Murray v. Belka class action suit involving hundreds of investors in an alleged "ponzi-scheme." Case involved major law and accounting firms being sued for millions of dollars.
- Participated in and issued hundreds of awards, as an arbitrator in the African American Farmers Class Action Cases (Pigford v. U.S. Department of Agriculture). This matter involved over 20,000 plaintiffs suing under Civil Rights statutes for alleged discrimination in lending by the U.S. government.
Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS.
- The only judge in Orange County to receive a commendation from the State Legislature upon his elevation to the bench
- Recognized as “Judge of the Year” by the Orange County Women’s Bar Association and the West Court Bar Association
- Winner of the Albert Schweitzer Award from the Orange County Grand Jury
- Received recognition for his contributions to the law by Loyola Law School and the Mexican-American Bar Association of Orange County
- Current member of the California State Bar
- Prior member of the California Judge’s Association
ADR Profile
- "Engendering Trust," Daily Journal, ADR Profile, January 5, 2018
- Judge, Superior Court, Orange County, 1980-1996
- Presiding Judge, West Court Operations, 1985-1996
- Judge, Municipal Court, North Orange County, 1976-1980
- Assistant and Presiding Judge, 1978 and 1979
- J.D., Loyola Law School at Los Angeles, 1968
- B.A., University of California at Los Angeles, 1965
Counsel Comments
- “This mediation was a wonderful experience. Judge Cardenas was very understanding and patient. I feel so relieved, knowing that there is an impartial 3rd party looking at these disputes.”
- Party involved in series of mediations with Judge Cardenas
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Practice Areas
- Arbitration
- Business/Commercial
- Class Action/Mass Tort
- Construction Defect
- Education/Schools
- Employment
- Entertainment and Sports
- Family Law
- Health Care
- Insurance
- Personal Injury/Torts
- Professional Liability
- Real Property
- Special Master/Discovery Referee
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