Biography
Prior to joining JAMS in 2014, Lynn Duryee was a judge for 21 years in Marin County, where she was known for her superb settlement skills. Most of her career was in the civil division, where she presided over, managed, and settled thousands of civil cases. Outside of her duties at court, she taught hundreds of courses to judges throughout California in all aspects of civil litigation, evidence, ethics, and dispute resolution. She served as Dean of the B.E. Witkin Judicial College. Along with attorney Matt White, she co-wrote Mastering Mediation: 50 Essential Tools for the Advanced Practitioner (ThomsonReuters, 2012). She serves as an Adjunct Professor at University of San Francisco School of Law, where she teaches Mediation.
Judge Duryee has extensive experience in mediating, trying, and arbitrating a wide range of wage and hour cases and class actions matters; wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation cases; trade secret misappropriation claims, employment contract disputes, and whistleblower claims.
Representative Matters
- Settled a case between an accountant and winemaker employer for alleged misclassification, failure to provide meal and rest periods, and failure to pay wages.
- Presided over a private trial between CEO and construction company involving interpretation of employment contract, stock value, and termination benefits.
- Settled a case between a terminated employee and State of California for sexual harassment, racial discrimination and retaliation.
- Settled a case between business partners regarding interpretation of partnership agreement and termination of managing partner.
- Arbitrated a wage and hour claim for failure to provide meal and rest breaks, failure to pay wages and issue wage statements.
- Settled a wrongful termination case brought by a professor against a university.
- Settled a discrimination suit by employee against County employer for ADA violation, failure to accommodate, and harassment.
- "Turning the Page," ADR Profile, Daily Journal, May 5, 2015
- "John J. Meeham Mentor of the Year," University of San Francisco, 2014
- “Judge of the Year,” Marin Consumer Attorneys, 2013
- Marin County Women Lawyers Award for Outstanding Leadership and Dedication, 2008
- “Bernard Jefferson Award for Distinguished Service in Judicial Education,” California Judges Association, 2002
- Member, “Statewide Task Force For Impartiality of the Courts,” 2007-2009
- Editor, “The California Bench,” 1998-2004
- Judge, Superior Court, County of Marin, 1998-2014
- Presiding Judge, 2006-2007
- Supervising Civil Judge for 11 years between 1999-2013, (Supervising Family Law Judge, 2005-2006; Supervising Criminal Judge, 2007-2008)
- Judge, Municipal Court, County of Marin, 1993-1998 (Presiding Judge, 1995)
- Private civil practice, Marin County, 1979-1993
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Hastings College of the Law, 1983-1991
- Instructor, Hastings College of the Law, 1980-1983
- J.D., University of San Francisco School of Law, 1979
- B.A., English, High Honors, University of California, Berkeley, 1976
- Se habla español
- On parle francais
Counsel Comments
- [Judge Duryee] handled this matter with class, intelligence and sensitivity. She was extraordinary and I do not believe any other person would have been able to achieve this result.
- CA Attorney - "Dynamic, discerning and dedicated! Judge Duryee is masterful in her ability to quickly hone in on critical legal, emotional, and financial issues. Her tenacity and creativity foster a collaborative and effective problem-solving environment that is unmatched."
- Partner, National Law Firm - "Judge Duryee was an extremely effective settlement judge, and now she is an equally effective mediator. She listens to the parties, genuinely wants to help settle the case, and shares her observations and experience in a constructive way."
- Partner, Bay Area Law Firm - "[Judge Duryee] has an innate ability to identify and connect with just about anybody."
- Partner at San Francisco Bay Area Law Firm - “I smugly thought that this case was not one for mediation… Lynn Duryee had other ideas. She worked the phones; she worked the email. Anything and everything to get us talking…She prodded. She questioned…She simply did not quit. She even called when she was on vacation! She maintained that this was a mediation case and worthy of settlement. She calmly bore through my stubbornness and of course, in the end, she was right. We settled. Her honesty was key… She is extraordinary and tenacious! In short, Lynn Duryee is a rock star.”
- “[Judge Duryee] was extremely kind, understanding and persuasive to all parties”
- "Dynamic, discerning and dedicated! Judge Duryee is masterful in her ability to quickly hone in on critical legal, emotional, and financial issues. Her tenacity and creativity foster a collaborative and effective problem-solving environment that is unmatched."
- “Judge Duryee was exceptional. She made the plaintiff feel comfortable with the process and gained the trust of the plaintiff at the outset. She asked the plaintiff questions about her life, profession, passions, etc. which made the plaintiff feel like a whole person instead of a complainant. Judge Duryee masterfully used a number of tools to encourage settlement and put the parties within range of settlement. She knew when and how to assert her own opinions and recommendations. She brought the best out of the defense attorney…a brilliantly executed mediation.”
- "[Judge Duryee] has an innate ability to identify and connect with just about anybody.”
- “No matter what kind of case I have mediated with Judge Duryee, from malicious prosecution actions, employment law defense cases, to plaintiff auto cases, to business matters, she always finds a way to bring the parties together and achieve settlement. Judge Duryee recently settled a very complicated multi party construction defects case that had been mediated two prior times…Judge Duryee achieved settlement in one day!”
- “Judge Duryee did an excellent job of winning the parties trust and helping all concerned see that settlement was a good option.”
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Practice Areas
- Arbitration
- Business/ Commercial
- Construction Defect
- Employment
- Family Law
- Insurance
- Personal Injury/Torts
- Professional Liability
- Real Property
- Special Master/Discovery Referee
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