Four JAMS Panelists Named Best Lawyers "Lawyers of the Year;" 49 JAMS Panelists Recognized as 2016 Best Lawyers in America

Irvine, Calif. – JAMS, the largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services worldwide, is proud to announce that four of its panelists were selected as Lawyers of the Year and 49 of its panelists were recognized by Best Lawyers as 2016 Best Lawyers in America.

Hon. William Bettinelli (Ret.) was named the Best Lawyers’ 2016 San Francisco Mediation “Lawyer of the Year;” Hon. Howard Chasanow (Ret.) was named the Best Lawyers’ 2016 Mediation Washington, D.C. “Lawyer of the Year;” Richard Chernick, Esq. was named the Best Lawyers’ 2016 Los Angeles Arbitration “Lawyer of the Year;” and Lawrence R. Mills, Esq. was named the Best Lawyers’ 2016 Seattle Mediation “Lawyer of the Year.”

Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive, peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.  The lawyers honored with “Lawyers of the Year” were selected because they received particularly high ratings from most of their peers. The lawyers have earned a high level of respect among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism, and their integrity. The 22th edition of The Best Lawyers in America includes more than 50,000 attorneys in nearly 150 practice areas, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and inclusion in this year’s publication is based on more than 4.3 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.

We are very proud of the neutrals who made this year’s Best Lawyers list. JAMS is thrilled that the legal community has recognized so many of our panelists for this impressive list.

- Chris Poole, JAMS President and CEO

The following JAMS neutrals were recognized as 2016 Best Lawyers in America:

• Hon. William L. Bettinelli (Ret.)
• Hon. Stanley F. Birch, Jr. (Ret.)
• Philip L. Bruner, Esq.
• Hon. Howard S. Chasanow (Ret.)
• Richard Chernick, Esq.
• Zela G. Claiborne, Esq.
• Terrence Lee Croft, Esq.
• Robert B. Davidson, Esq., FCIArb
• Bruce A. Edwards, Esq.
• Sheldon H. Elsen, Esq.
• Hon. Norman S. Fletcher (Ret.)
• David Geronemus, Esq.
• Kenneth C. Gibbs, Esq.
• Joan C. Grafstein, Esq.
• Hugh E. Hackney, Esq.
• John W. Hinchey, Esq.
• F. Carlton King, Jr., Esq.
• Eleissa C. Lavelle, Esq.
• Hon. Richard A. Levie (Ret.)
• Ralph B. Levy, Esq.
• Hon. Harlan A. Martin (Ret.)
• James E. McGuire, Esq.
• Lawrence R. Mills, Esq.
• Cecilia H. Morgan, Esq.
• Hon. Richard C. Neal (Ret.)*
• Hon. Stephen E. Neel (Ret.)
• Hon. Edward A. Panelli (Ret.)
• Albert M. Pearson III, Esq.
• Hon. Jonathan C. Peters (Former)
• Lawrence W. Pollack, Esq.
• Alexander S. Polsky, Esq.
• Ronald B. Ravikoff, Esq.
• Hon. James Robertson (Ret.)
• Deborah Crandall Saxe, Esq.
• Hon. Scott Silverman, (Ret.)
• Linda R. Singer, Esq.
• Jerry Spolter, Esq.
• Hon. Steven J. Stone (Ret.)
• Hon. Dennis M. Sweeney (Ret.)
• Hon. Dickran M. Tevrizian (Ret.)
• R. Wayne Thorpe, Esq.
• Hon. John K. Trotter, Jr. (Ret.)
• Eric E. Van Loon, Esq.
• Hon. Curtis E. von Kann (Ret.)
• Maria C. Walsh, Esq.
• Hon. Daniel Weinstein (Ret.)
• Hon. Diane M. Welsh (Ret.)
• Hon. Rebecca Westerfield (Ret.)
• Michael D. Young, Esq.

*Hon. Richard C. Neal (Ret.) – 1947-2015

About JAMS
Founded in 1979, JAMS is the largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services worldwide. With Resolution Centers nationwide and abroad, JAMS and its nearly 300 exclusive neutrals are responsible for resolving thousands of the world’s important cases. JAMS may be reached at 800-352-5267 or www.jamsadr.com.