Tamara Lopez, Esq. joins JAMS as a full-time neutral after a seasoned career as an independent mediator and government litigator. She has handled matters involving probate litigation and appeals, conservatorships, trusts, decedent estates, financial elder abuse, personnel, ADA compliance, juvenile dependency and appeals, public health, Public Records Act, school districts, general government, real property, and contract law.

As a neutral, Ms. Lopez utilizes her breadth of legal experience along with personal traits that have made her so successful—intelligence, sound judgment, practicality, diligence, and persuasiveness. Her ability to communicate on a sophisticated level, both intellectually and emotionally, aids counsel and parties in resolving their disputes.

Ms. Lopez brings to her practice a wealth of substantive knowledge. She served in the Office of the County Counsel, Town of Los Gatos, Santa Clara County Water District for over 20 years, handling a broad range of land use and water disputes, including water rights, water use, eminent domain, and relocation. Ms. Lopez most recently provided legal and litigation services for the Department of Health and Human Services Agency, including Adult Protective Services (Financial Abuse Specialist Team “FAST”) and the Public Administrator Guardian for probate conservatorship matters. Her other assignments included legal counsel to the Personnel Department, Risk Management, the Public Health Department, the Office of the Sheriff, the Department of Family and Children Services, the Medical Examiner’s Office, and school districts.

• Three years of experience as a mediator handling probate, injury, family law, and employment disputes
• Court mediator for the Santa Clara County Superior Court and for the Center for Civic Mediation in Los Angeles
• Santa Clara County Superior Court “Judge Pro Tem” and court appointed arbitrator
• Mediation coach/trainer for the Center for Civic Mediation and Pepperdine Law School
• Presented mediation programs for the Professional Fiduciary Association of California, the California Association of County Counsels, and the Los Angeles Bar Association

Representative Matters

• Elder Abuse
• Multi party trust disputes over elder physical and financial abuse, undue influence, breach of fiduciary duties, conversion, fraud, and distribution issues with blended families and subsequent spouses
• Survival actions by family against nursing home regarding allegations of physical abuse and neglect leading to emotional distress and death, misrepresentations by nursing home on nature and quality of goods and services and standard of care failures
• Elder financial abuse disputes regarding elders in sale of real property (against agents and brokers and buyer), breach of contract in home improvements, and fraudulent practices of lending institutions
• Employment Law
• Mediated cases regarding sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and violation of civil rights in the workplace
• Wrongful termination and hiring in age discrimination matter in actions against large union in Southern California
• Resolved matter brought by whistleblower in retaliation case regarding demotion and wrongful termination
• Estate Probate Trusts
• Contested conservatorship disputes over physical and financial abuse, capacity, placement, care management, medical care and treatment and end of life decision making issues
• Contested accountings by private and professional fiduciaries relating to breach of fiduciary duties, conversion, and fraud
• Limited conservatorships (disabled young adults) involving parental disputes over complex behavioral treatment plans, medications, medical treatment, placement, and financial planning within parameters of Special Needs Trust
• Multi party trust disputes over elder physical and financial abuse, undue influence, breach of fiduciary duties, conversion, fraud, and distribution issues with blended families and subsequent spouses
• Decedent estates with disputes regarding administration, sales/values of real and personal property, rights to pension benefits and distribution, and heirship claims
• Family Law
• Resolved claims regarding division of real and property brought by unmarried partners
• Mediated family disputes involving physical and legal custody, visitation and care, and medical treatment responsibilities
• Real Property
• Mediated to settlement landlord/tenant disputes involving residential and commercial leases, defaults, termination of tenancy with ADA violation allegations and multi party case alleging constructive eviction on habitability
• Resolved complex commercial real estate sale after years of litigation between agent and large family owned trucking company
• Breach of contract, fraud, failure to disclose, habitability dispute in sale of real property
• Mediated multi tenant dispute with large housing consortium asserting habitability issues in applications of pest control products on multiple properties
• Mediated to settlement driveway easement dispute (pending temporary restraining orders in place) between property owners and additional claims regarding privacy violations with use of video devices

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Statewide Deputy County Counsel Recognition Award, 2000, 2012
• Co-writer AB 1288, testified before the California Judiciary Committee providing technical counsel on the proposed legislation
• Silicon Valley Bar Association, Board of Trustees, 2012, 2016
• Santa Clara County Probate Mediation Task Force, 2012
• Santa Clara Bar Association:
• Board of Trustees, 1999-2003, 2008
• Executive Committee, 2001
• Women Lawyers Committee
• President, 1999
• Member, 1995-2011
• Minority Access Committee
• Chair, 1998
• Member, 1994-2004
• Judiciary Committee, 2003-2008
• Judiciary Budget Task Force, 2004
• Chair, Estate Planning and Trust Committee, 2001
• Conference of Delegates, 1997, 1998
• Long Range Planning Committee, 1998, 1999
• Bench Bar Media Police Committee, 1997-present
• President’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Diversity in the Legal Profession in Silicon Valley, 2006
• Brigham Young University, Board of Visitors, 1999-2000
• Santa Clara County Medical Association’s Bioethics Task Force on Medical Decision Making, 2000

ADR Profiles

• "Poised Attention," Daily Journal, ADR Profile, September 8, 2017

Background and Education

• Private Practice/Mediator, Tamara Lopez Law, 2013-2016
• Santa Clara County City Attorney’s Office, 1993-2013
• J.D., Brigham Young University, 1987
• B.A., California State University, Northridge, 1984