Randy K. Jones, Esq., joins JAMS following a legal career spanning more than 40 years in private practice and government service. His experience includes more than 250 trials to verdict across federal district courts, complex commercial arbitration and military tribunals. Mr. Jones combines his more than a decade of experience as a law firm partner with decades of experience as a former federal prosecutor and military judge advocate to bring his extensive courtroom experience to work as a neutral.
Prior to joining JAMS, Mr. Jones served as first-chair trial lawyer and litigation partner at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, P.C., in San Diego from 2015 to 2026, where he represented Fortune 500 companies and senior executives in complex commercial litigation, white-collar criminal defense, intellectual property disputes and government investigations. He served as lead trial counsel in a range of complex matters at Mintz, including federal trademark litigation in the Central District of California, a federal civil rights trial involving a large public school district and arbitrations involving significant commercial disputes. During this period, he was recognized by Lawdragon 500 on its Leading Litigators list, by Best Lawyers in America and in the Daily Journal's Top White-Collar Lawyers in California.
Before entering private practice, Mr. Jones served as an assistant United States attorney in the Southern District of California from 1987 to 2015, a top four district handling a high volume of complex cases. During that tenure, he successfully completed more than 50 federal jury trials involving white-collar fraud, financial crimes and complex criminal conspiracies, and argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals with a near-perfect record. Simultaneously, from 1982 to 2011, Mr. Jones served 29 years in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, successfully trying more than 200 felony courts-martial and providing legal services to over 1,300 crew members during Western Pacific deployments.
Mr. Jones also brings the perspective of a national organizational leader. As president and CEO of the National Bar Association—the oldest and largest organization of predominantly African American lawyers and judges, representing more than 60,000 members—he managed organizational operations, secured landmark corporate partnerships, led international legal delegations and worked directly with members of Congress and White House staff on civil rights and criminal justice reform. This breadth of leadership experience informs his work as a neutral: Mr. Jones understands what drives institutions, what moves decision-makers and what it takes to achieve durable resolutions.
As a mediator and arbitrator, Mr. Jones approaches each engagement with the preparation and presence he brought to trial. He is known for earning the trust of all parties through an even-handed, respectful and solution-focused process—one grounded in genuine understanding of the legal, business and human stakes involved. His experience on both sides of the federal docket, in both criminal and civil courts, and in matters ranging from individual employment claims to multi-continent commercial disputes, makes him an exceptionally versatile neutral for sophisticated, high-stakes cases throughout the country.
All matters below were handled by Mr. Jones as counsel except as otherwise noted.
Representative Matters
- Business Commercial
Complex civil RICO action involving multiple foreign and domestic parties, extensive international discovery and numerous depositions across multiple jurisdictions
Multijurisdictional breach of contract dispute with a global food processing technology company
Internal corporate investigation for a special committee of the board of directors of a multibillion-dollar restaurant chain regarding disputes with franchise owners concerning marketing and advertising strategy
Complex toxic mold arbitration involving a seven-day hearing, more than 25 witnesses and extensive documentary evidence, resulting in a compensatory and punitive damages award exceeding $1 million
- Civil Rights
Race discrimination litigation in New York state courts
Civil rights litigation alleging excessive force and related constitutional claims
Jury verdict in federal litigation involving a public school district and Title VII reverse discrimination claims
- Class Action
Class action alleging privacy violations under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act
- Cybersecurity & Privacy
Matter involving wire fraud and electronic mail fraud violations of the CAN-SPAM Act arising from electronic marketing practices
- Employment Law
Federal whistleblower action alleging money laundering; reversed denial of summary judgment and secured a favorable settlement
Federal litigation involving a public school district and allegations of reverse discrimination under Title VII
Whistleblower action involving a former sales employees of a multinational pharmaceutical company, with allegations under the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute
- Federal Law
Successfully completed more than 50 federal jury trials as an assistant United States attorney in the Southern District of California involving white-collar fraud, financial crimes and complex criminal conspiracies
Argued and briefed federal appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals with a near-perfect record
Supervised and advised local, state and federal law enforcement agencies on investigation and prosecution strategy across complex, multi-defendant matters
Tried more than 200 felony courts-martial as prosecutor, defense counsel and command legal advisor in the U.S. Navy JAG Corps
- Health Care
DOJ whistleblower investigation involving alleged False Claims Act violations against a multinational health technology company
Nationwide criminal and civil investigation involving alleged False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute violations involving a biotechnology diagnostics company
Nationwide health care fraud investigation regarding durable medical equipment
Regulatory matter involving public hospital reimbursement claims under the False Claims Act
Investigation by the California Attorney General and the California Food, Drug and Medical Device Task Force concerning advertising and promotional practices
- Intellectual Property
Federal trademark litigation against a major social media platform and its international parent company in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Trademark and copyright infringement litigation concerning magazine content
- Personal Injury
Toxic mold personal injury dispute against a national automotive retailer through a seven-day arbitration involving more than 25 witnesses and extensive documentary evidence
Personal injury lawsuit arising from an off-road vehicle accident, involving allegations of significant physical injury
- Securities
SEC investigation involving use of nonpublic material information in trading securities (insider trading)
- Sports
Commercial contract dispute involving allegations of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty involving a Major League Baseball team foundation
Contract fee dispute involving a National Football League player and a sports analyst
Advised an international company on anti-corruption compliance and ethics guidelines in preparation for global sporting events
Honors, Memberships and Professional Activity
Selected Recognition
- Best Lawyers in America: Commercial Litigation
- 100 Most Influential Black Americans, Ebony Magazine
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America
- Beacon of Justice Award
- Top White-Collar Lawyer in California, Daily Journal
- Public Lawyer of the Year
- AV Preeminent Lawyer, Martindale-Hubbell
- Fred David Gray Hall of Fame, National Bar Association
- Top 20 Lawyers of the Year, California Lawyer
- Honorary LL.D., Claflin University
- San Diego’s Top Lawyers, San Diego Magazine
- Top 25 Lawyers Under 40, California Law Business Journal
- The Legal 500 United States
- Lifetime Achievement Award, California Association of Black Lawyers
- Gertrude E. Rush Award, National Bar Association
Memberships and Bar Activities
- Life Member and Past President and CEO, National Bar Association, 1990–2026
- Member, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla Judicial Evaluation Commission, 2021–2026
- Life Member and Past President, Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association, San Diego, 1987–2006
- Member, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris Judicial Evaluation Commission, 2017–2021
- Master, J. Clifford Wallace American Inn of Court, 2016–2026
- Member, Merit Selection Panel (magistrate judges), U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation
- Member, Federal Bar Association
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
- Life Member, California Association of Black Lawyers, 1990–2026
- Board of Governors, Association of Business Trial Lawyers, San Diego, 2018–2026
- Member, San Diego County Bar Association, 1997-2026
- Member, American Health Lawyers Association
- Member, American Bar Association, Litigation Section, 2015-2026
Board Leadership
- Chairman, Thomas Jefferson School of Law
- Chairman, San Diego Food Bank
- Chairman, National CASA Association
- Trustee, Francis Parker School
- Chairman, YMCA of San Diego County
- Director, Free to Thrive
- Chairman, Carolina Alumni Association
- Trustee, San Diego History Center
Background and Education
Career
- Litigation Partner; Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, P.C.; San Diego; 2015–2026
- Assistant United States Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California, 1987–2015
- Judge Advocate, U.S. Navy JAG Corps | Active Duty, 1982–1986 | Reserve, 1986–2011 | Retired as Commander
- President and CEO, National Bar Association, Washington, D.C., 1997–1998
Education
- J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law, 1982
- B.A., Political Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1979
- Honorary LL.D., Claflin University, 1998
Bar Admissions
- California, 1989
- North Carolina, 1983
- Supreme Court of the United States, 1998
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1987
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 2022
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee
Home Office
HOME OFFICE
San Diego, California
401 B Street, Suite 2100, San Diego, CA 92101
Available to Travel
AVAILABLE TO TRAVEL
Atlanta, Georgia
1230 Peachtree St. NE, Suite 2950, Atlanta, GA, 30309
Boca Raton, Florida
2500 N. Military Trail, Suite 200, Boca Raton, FL 33431
Boston, Massachusetts
One Boston Place, 201 Washington Street, Suite 3300, Boston, MA 02108
Century City, California
1925 Century Park East, 14th Floor, The Watt Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Chicago, Illinois
71 S. Wacker Drive Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60606
Dallas, Texas
5956 Sherry Lane, Suite 1330, Dallas, TX 75225
Detroit, Michigan
150 West Jefferson, Suite 1600, Detroit, MI 48226
Houston, Texas
609 Main Street, Suite 3930, Houston, TX 77002
Inland Empire, California
Citrus Towers, 3390 University Ave., Suite 450, Riverside, CA 92501
Las Vegas, Nevada
7160 Rafael Rivera Way, Suite 400, Las Vegas, NV 89113
Los Angeles, California
515 S. Flower St, Suite 4500 Los Angeles, CA, 90071
Miami, Florida
One Biscayne Tower, 2 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 3600, Miami, FL 33131
Minneapolis, Minnesota
90 S. 7th Street • Suite 3875, Minneapolis, MN, 55402
New York, New York
NY Times Building, 620 8th Ave, 34th Floor, New York, NY 10018
Orange County, California
5 Park Plaza, Suite 400, Irvine, CA 92614
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1717 Arch Street, Suite 3810, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Sacramento, California
1415 L Street, Suite 700, Sacramento, CA 95814
San Francisco, California
Two Embarcadero Center, Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94111
Santa Rosa, California
50 Old Courthouse Square, Suite 600, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Seattle, Washington
1420 Fifth Ave., Suite 1650, Seattle, WA 98101
Silicon Valley, California
160 W. Santa Clara St., Suite 1600, San Jose, 95113 CA
St. Louis, Missouri
190 Carondelet Plaza, Suite 1450, Clayton, MO 63105
Walnut Creek, California
1255 Treat Blvd., Suite 700, Walnut Creek, CA 94597
Washington, D.C.
1050 K Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20001
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This page is for general information purposes. JAMS makes no representations or warranties regarding its accuracy or completeness. Interested persons should conduct their own research regarding information on this website before deciding to use JAMS, including investigation and research of JAMS neutrals. See More
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