Hon. Jeff Kaplan (Ret.) joined JAMS after nearly 20 years of service as a federal and state court judge. During his 18 years as a federal magistrate judge for the Northern District of Texas, Judge Kaplan presided over more than 60 jury trials and authored more than 2,100 opinions and recommendations in a variety of civil cases, including intellectual property, class action, employment, personal injury, civil rights, insurance, and complex business disputes. He is highly respected for his integrity, impartiality, and ability to quickly grasp and analyze complicated legal issues.

Prior to his appointment to the federal bench, Judge Kaplan served as a state appellate judge, where he participated in more than 220 appeals and authored more than 80 opinions, and as a civil trial lawyer representing clients on both sides of the docket.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• Successfully mediated sexual abuse case brought by student against public school district 
• Settled multi-million-dollar federal antitrust action against manufacturer of industrial pumps used in petroleum and power industries
• Conducted settlement conferences in civil rights, employment, and contract disputes

Representative Matters

• Business Commercial
• $10 million civil RICO and fraud action brought by national insurance company against more than 60 chiropractors, telemarketers, and lawyers in five states 
• Breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and negligent misrepresentation action brought by pet products company against distributor arising out of failed negotiations for recapitalization and financing
• Settled lawsuit between church and religious denomination's governing body involving dispute over financial obligations outlined by parties' trust agreement
• Trade secret dispute between former business partners involving right to use technology for virtual payment of health insurance claims
• Civil Rights
• Civil rights and wrongful death action brought against city involving fatal police shooting
• First Amendment retaliation case brought against county and newly-elected sheriff by five former deputies 
• High-profile civil action brought by former school board trustee against local television station and reporter for alleged violations of federal and state wiretap laws
• High-profile multi-million-dollar civil RICO and tort action brought by physician against anti-abortion activists and organizations over protest activities
• Class Action & Mass Tort
• Putative class action against owners and operators of dating service website
• Securities fraud class action brought by shareholders of nationwide specialty retailer
• Shareholder derivative action against directors of Fortune 500 company
• Employment Law
• Disability discrimination case brought by former regional sales manager of multinational corporation
• High-profile sexual harassment and discrimination case brought by high-ranking female official in municipal fire department
• Sex discrimination case brought by former assistant police chief of major city
• Insurance
• Coverage dispute arising out of multiple lawsuits against bus company brought by families of 40 passengers killed or injured in accident
• Coverage dispute involving damage to recycling facility
• Coverage dispute involving interpretation of pollution exclusion provision of commercial liability insurance policy
• Intellectual Property
• Patent and trademark infringement action involving glyconutritional dietary supplements
• Patent infringement action brought against more than 40 defendants involving base design for blow-moulded plastic containers
• Patent infringement action brought against pharmaceutical company involving multifocal intraocular lens device
• Patent infringement action brought against telecommunications providers involving fiber optic information transmission system
• Patent infringement action brought by national research university involving polymer-free liquid crystal display (LCD) technology
• Patent infringement action involving PIN-less debit bill payment system
• Trademark infringement action between owners of competing adult entertainment clubs 
• Trademark infringement action between two large hospitals over use of the name for a pediatric facility
• Personal Injury
• $5 million medical malpractice action brought by Army veteran against VA Hospital alleging failure to timely diagnose and treat perforated esophagus 
• Securities
• Multi-million-dollar securities fraud action brought by Securities and Exchange Commission involving sale of nonexistent "prime bank" securities

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Board Certified in Civil Trial Law (1987-present) and Civil Appellate Law (1993-present) by Texas Board of Legal Specialization
• Judge of the Year, Dallas Chapter of American Board of Trial Advocates, 2007
• Consistently received 90% approval rating in Dallas Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Poll
• Board of Editors, Federal Courts Law Review, 2001-2007
• Master, William "Mac" Taylor Inn of Court (President, 2002-2004)
• Former Member, Barbara M.G. Lynn Inn of Court (Intellectual Property)
• Dallas Bar Association (Board of Directors, 2004)
• Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
• Life Fellow, Dallas Bar Foundation
• Federal Magistrate Judges Association
• State Bar of Texas, District 6A Grievance Committee, 1993-1994
• D Magazine Best Lawyers in Dallas, ADR, 2014-2023
• Texas Super Lawyers, ADR, 2016-2023

Background and Education

• U.S. Magistrate Judge, Northern District of Texas, 1994-2012
• Justice, Fifth District Court of Appeals, Dallas, Texas, 1991-1992
• Attorney, Private Practice, 1982-1991 and 1993-1994
• Briefing Attorney, Fifth District Court of Appeals, Dallas, Texas, 1981-1982
• J.D., Southern Methodist University, 1981
• B.A., cum laude, Vanderbilt University, 1978