Cassandra S. Franklin, Esq.,is a seasoned JAMS mediator and arbitrator, proficient at resolving complex disputes through mediation and arbitration. She approaches every dispute with the thorough preparation necessary to generate creative solutions. Clients appreciate her warm congeniality and ability to listen empathically to all parties so that they feel heard and understood. They also value her ability to provide candid, clear assessments in a sensitive manner.

Throughout her years of practice, Ms. Franklin developed a reputation for her innate sense of fairness and pragmatic ability to see disputes from multiple perspectives. These qualities remain at the core of her work as a JAMS neutral. 

Ms. Franklin joined JAMS after years of experience on both the carrier and policyholder sides of complex insurance coverage disputes. During her nearly six years as Managing Attorney of the Claims Coverage Counsel group at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, Ms. Franklin led a team of experienced coverage attorneys, providing strategic legal analysis and guidance in connection with complex claims and litigated matters. She and her team handled matters involving a wide range of coverage issues under diverse policies, from commercial general liability and property policies to specialty lines of coverage, such as entertainment, aviation and marine insurance. Ms. Franklin also provided strategic counsel on a number of policy drafting projects.

Prior to joining Allianz, Ms. Franklin spent over 13 years representing diverse policyholders in disputes regarding coverage under an equally diverse range of third-party and first-party insurance products, including media liability and other entertainment insurance products, commercial general liability insurance, and commercial property insurance, including business interruption coverage. Earlier in her career, she served as litigation counsel for clients involved in commercial and entertainment disputes. 

Ms. Franklin also served as a member of UCLA Law School's clinical faculty for a number of years. Additionally, she chaired binding administrative proceedings coming before UCLA’s Student Conduct Committee. These proceedings included matters involving first amendment issues, as well as sexual assault harassment and other "MeToo" issues.

Ms. Franklin began her legal career as a law clerk to Otto M. Kaus and Edward A. Panelli, then associate
justices on the California Supreme Court.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• Adjunct professor at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution
• Arbitration Theory & Practice 2023-2024 (including a special on-line course for members of the Ugandan judiciary and legal community)
• Intensive advanced mediation skills course (in French and English) for members of the Rwandan judiciary and legal community in Kigali, Rwanda, with Sukhsimran Singh in October 2023
• U.S. Center for SafeSport Arbitrator
• Pathways Facilitator & Trainer
• Panel Mediator for the United States District Court for the Central District of California
• Co-taught mediation at UCLA School of Law
• Los Angeles County Superior Court mediator
• Completed JAMS Title IX hearing trainings
• Completed dozens of JAMS Institute ADR trainings
• Completed Central District’s mediation and advanced mediation trainings
• Completed Los Angeles Superior Court’s mediation training

Representative Matters

• Business Commercial
Diverse litigated and non-litigated disputes involving complex business law issues including:
• Arbitrated breach of contract dispute involving client’s failure to pay amounts due for services rendered under media company’s marketing/advertising contract 
• Mediated copyright infringement dispute arising out of nonfiction publication regarding the history of a regional winemaker and his influence on local winemaking
• Mediated certification mark infringement claim regarding certification of quality management systems
• Represented motion picture and television studio and executives in class action securities fraud litigation alleging studio omitted or misrepresented material factual information in initial public offering materials and in later 10-K and 10-Q reporting 
• Represented ERISA trusts in breach of fiduciary duty litigation involving allegations of self-dealing and other improper conduct with regard to investments 
• Represented major art house in litigation regarding alleged conversion and other allegedly improper conduct arising out of sale of impressionist masterpiece on "permanent loan" to museum 
• Represented trademark holder in trademark infringement claims involving alleged unlicensed use of brand name in payroll services ices
• Catastrophic Losses
• Served as appeals neutral for PG&E’s Fire Victim Trust, hearing and rendering determinations in dozens of fire victim appeals
• Employment Law
• Arbitrated multiple claims involving allegations of systemic age discrimination under the ADEA, as well as unconscionability and arbitrability issues
• Entertainment & Sports
• Mediated and represented insurers and policyholders in diverse insurance coverage disputes arising in entertainment/sports (see below “Entertainment/Media Liability, Production, & Event Cancellation” under the Insurance section)
• Arbitrated SafeSport temporary measures matters involving sexual harassment/sexual abuse, bullying, and other claims of violation of the SafeSport Code for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement
• Represented studio in connection with writ petition concerning allegations of improper payment of profit participation allegedly due singer in connection with video version of popular children’s cartoon film
• Represented writer/producer of a famous television series in connection with claims against studio for alleged improper payment of profit participations
• Represented major licensing entity in connection with alleged copyright infringement through unlicensed use of music at hospitality venues
• Represented law firm in connection with litigation alleging conflict of interest and other alleged breaches of ethical obligations arising out of so-called "A-Deal"
• Insurance
• Commercial General Liability
• Mediated dispute regarding coverage for defamation lawsuit under personal and advertising coverage of commercial general liability insurance policy
• Mediated claims for personal and advertising injury coverage of underlying lawsuit alleging trademark infringement and infringement of right of publicity arising out of policyholder's use of name and likeness of renowned jazz musician
• Mediated contribution claims between carriers over catastrophic losses in connection with underlying personal injury claims 
• Mediated contribution/indemnity/subrogation claims between insurers in connection with construction defect claims
• Represented insurer in negotiations to resolve disputes regarding excess insurance coverage for lawsuits for personal injury and wrongful death allegedly related to ingestion of a popular energy drink
• Represented insurer in negotiation of settlement of litigation regarding right to reimbursement of defense and settlement funds paid by commercial liability insurer for non-covered claims arising out of underlying habitability litigation 
• Represented policyholder in appeal regarding commercial general liability coverage for claims by major producers of canned tomato products regarding corrosion of cans and resulting oxidation of contents 
• Represented policyholder in appeal involving commercial general liability coverage for an archdiocese alleged to have allowed ongoing sexual abuse of minors
• Entertainment/Media Liability & Event Cancellation
• Mediated dispute regarding coverage under event cancellation insurance policy for cancellation of rock festival
• Mediated disputes regarding claims for media liability coverage involving claims of copyright infringement in connection with streamed music 
• Arbitrated claim for coverage under media liability insurance policy for underlying lawsuit alleging trademark infringement in connection with production of popular television series
• Mediated dispute regarding coverage under event cancellation insurance policy for cancellation of nonprofit’s scientific conferences in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic
• Represented insurer in negotiation of dispute involving cast insurance coverage for changes made (including script rewrites and computer-generated imagery) after death of star interrupted principal  photography in production of action film 
• Represented video game company in settlement of claims for tech liability coverage of lawsuits brought by prominent musicians regarding use of avatars in games
• Represented insurer in negotiations to resolve #MeToo claims involving entertainment industry individuals and entities and coverage under a range of liability insurance products, including commercial general liability, directors and officers, and employment practices liability insurance
• Represented studios in media liability insurance claims and litigation involving underlying music licensing lawsuits alleging copyright infringement in daytime dramas by major studios
• Represented major music company in litigation, and ultimately settlement, of dispute regarding coverage under media liability and commercial general liability policies for underlying litigation involving allegations of defamation and copyright infringement, as well as other allegedly improper business tactics
• Represented policyholders in appeal involving insurance coverage for underlying litigation between former band members alleging improper use of band's name
• Represented major music company in settlement regarding media liability insurance coverage for underlying litigation against major record label for alleged copyright infringement in prominent rap musician's song on platinum record
• Represented amusement park in appeal regarding business interruption coverage claim arising out of earthquake damage in 1994
• Represented trade show organizer regarding event cancellation coverage for a media event cancelled due to September 11, 2001 attacks 
• Errors and Omissions/Directors & Officers
• Mediated dispute regarding directors and officers insurance coverage for underlying lawsuit alleging improper business practices by company providing private probation services
• Co-mediated multi-million-dollar claims for coverage of lawsuits arising out of the sub-prime loan crisis 
• Represented college in litigation and settlement negotiations regarding educational errors and omissions coverage for multiple underlying actions brought by students nationwide alleging material omissions and misrepresentations by college 
• Represented healthcare system in litigation and settlement negotiations regarding coverage under nonprofit directors and officers policy for underlying criminal and civil allegations against doctors, and the hospital where the doctors worked, arising out of alleged misconduct and subsequent coverup in connection with improper acceptance of a liver for transplant
• Homeowners/Commercial Property 
• Mediated multiple disputes regarding coverage under homeowner’s policies for water damage to multi-million dollar homes 
• Mediated claim for personal liability coverage of underlying invasion of privacy lawsuit arising out of publication of nude photographs
• Builder’s Risk & Other Special Lines of Insurance
• Mediated dispute concerning coverage under builder’s risk insurance for losses suffered due to fire damaging high end home 
• Mediated claim involving coverage and valuation issues under specialty lines classic car insurance policy
• Cumis Counsel & Related Issues
• Negotiated resolution of multiple claims involving independent counsel fees under California Civil Code section 2860 and other jurisdictions' reasonable rate rules
• Negotiated resolution of Buss and Blue Ridge claims for reimbursement of fees and settlement amounts advanced by insurance company
• Real Property
• Mediated dozens of landlord-tenant disputes involving failure to pay rent, termination of tenancy, and habitability issues

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Speaking engagements regarding insurance coverage and mediation issues, including, in 2021, a panel discussion of virtual ADR at the American Bar Association’s Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee’s annual meeting as well as a panel discussion of managing risk in the new media era at the USC Gould-JAMS Entertainment Symposium
• Publications regarding various issues arising in mediation and arbitration, as well as publications on insurance coverage issues, including co-authoring and editing the New Appleman Sports and Entertainment Insurance Law & Practice Guide
• Steering Committee, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Food From The Bar 2023
• Speaking engagements regarding insurance coverage and mediation issues, including, in 2021, a panel discussion of virtual ADR at the American Bar Association’s Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee’s annual meeting as well as a panel discussion of managing risk in the new media era at the USC Gould-JAMS Entertainment Symposium 
• Publications regarding various issues arising in mediation and arbitration, as well as publications on insurance coverage issues, including co-authoring and editing the New Appleman Sports and Entertainment Insurance Law & Practice Guide
• Chambers Leading Lawyer in the area of Insurance Coverage - 2011–2013
• Justin D. Simon Core Values Award recipient for exceptional commitment to core values of excellence, integrity, loyalty, respect, and initiative - 2008
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Member, Beverly Hills Bar Association
• Admissions to Practice:  California State Bar, as well as multiple federal district courts and courts of appeals and the United States Supreme Court

Background and Education

• Managing Attorney, Claims Coverage Counsel, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company (2013–2018)
• Partner, Of Counsel, and Associate in same prominent Insurance Recovery Group at:
• Dickstein Shapiro LLP (2005–2013);
• Pasich & Kornfeld (2003–2005);
• Howrey LLP (2001–2003); and
• Troop Steuber Pasich Reddick & Tobey, LLP (1999–2000)
• Lecturer-in-Law - UCLA School of Law's Clinical Program (1991-1999)
• Associate in General Civil Litigation groups at:
• Hufstedler Kaus LLP (1987-1991); and
• Kadison, Pfaelzer, Woodard, Quinn & Rossi LLP (1986-1987)
• Law Clerk to Hon. Edward A Panelli and Hon. Otto M. Kaus (1985–1986)
• J.D., Duke University School of Law (1985)
• B.A., English Literature (with Highest Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa), University of Arizona (1980)
• Foreign Languages: French (fluent; lived in France and taught French in United States at university level), Spanish (conversational)