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Five JAMS Panelists Named “Lawyers of the Year” and 59 JAMS Panelists Recognized As “Best Lawyers in America” by Best Lawyers®

Awards Panelist News

Irvine, Calif. – JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide, is proud to announce that Best Lawyers® has recognized five of its panelists as “Lawyers of the Year” and 59 of its panelists as “Best Lawyers in America” for 2020.

The Best Lawyers in America© is a product of the collaborative efforts of Best Lawyers® and U.S. News & World Report to conduct exhaustive, peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers in 146 practice areas. The 2020 edition analyzed more than 83 million votes, which resulted in the inclusion of more than 62,000 attorneys, or approximately 5% of lawyers in private practice in the United States.

Additional recognitions are also awarded to individual attorneys with the highest overall peer feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region. Only one attorney is named as the “Lawyer of the Year” for each specialty and location, which included 137 practice areas across 182 metropolitan regions.

The following JAMS neutrals were honored as “Lawyers of the Year” for 2020:

  • John W. Hinchey, Esq., was named “Lawyer of the Year” for mediation in Atlanta.
  • L. Joseph Loveland Jr., Esq., was named “Lawyer of the Year” for intellectual property in Atlanta.
  • R. Wayne Thorpe, Esq., was named “Lawyer of the Year” for arbitration in Atlanta.
  • Richard Chernick, Esq., was named “Lawyer of the Year” for arbitration in Los Angeles.
  • Ronald B. Ravikoff, Esq., was named “Lawyer of the Year” for mediation in Miami.

We are proud to have such a large group of JAMS neutrals represented in Best Lawyers, and we believe it is a testament to the quality of our neutrals’ work and their reputation in the legal community. We congratulate all of our panelists who were acknowledged with this honor by their peers.

- Chris Poole, JAMS President and CEO

The following JAMS neutrals were recognized as “Best Lawyers in America” for 2020:

  • James M. Amend, Esq.
  • Jeffrey G. Benz, Esq.
  • Hon. William L. Bettinelli (Ret.)
  • Hon. Stanley F. Birch, Jr. (Ret.)
  • Gary B. Blum, Esq.
  • Philip L. Bruner, Esq.
  • Richard Chernick, Esq.
  • Steven C. Choquette, Esq.
  • Zela G. Claiborne, Esq.
  • Deborah Crandall Saxe, Esq.
  • Robert B. Davidson, Esq., FCIArb
  • Charles H. Dick, Esq.
  • Bruce A. Edwards, Esq.
  • Hon. Norman S. Fletcher (Ret.)
  • David Geronemus, Esq.
  • Kenneth C. Gibbs, Esq.
  • Steven R. Gilford, Esq.
  • Patricia K. Gillette, Esq.
  • Joan C. Grafstein, Esq.
  • Hugh E. Hackney, Esq.
  • David G. Heiman, Esq.
  • John W. Hinchey, Esq.
  • Eleissa C. Lavelle, Esq.
  • Hon. Richard A. Levie (Ret.)
  • L. Joseph Loveland, Jr., Esq.
  • Hon. Harlan A. Martin (Ret.)
  • James E. McGuire, Esq.
  • Robert A. Meyer, Esq.
  • Lawrence R. Mills, Esq.
  • Cecilia H. Morgan, Esq.
  • William H. Needle, Esq.
  • Hon. Stephen E. Neel (Ret.)
  • Andrew D. Ness, Esq.
  • Hon. Edward A. Panelli (Ret.)
  • Albert M. Pearson III, Esq.
  • Lawrence W. Pollack, Esq.
  • Clarence L. Pozza, Jr., Esq.
  • Ronald Ravikoff, Esq.
  • Hon. James Robertson (Ret.)
  • Hon. Ronald M. Sabraw (Ret.)
  • Hon. Scott Silverman, (Ret.)
  • Linda R. Singer, Esq.
  • Stephen P. Sonnenberg, Esq.
  • Jerry Spolter, Esq.
  • Hon. Steven J. Stone (Ret.)
  • Hon. Dennis M. Sweeney (Ret.)
  • Hon. Dickran M. Tevrizian (Ret.)
  • Patricia H. Thompson, Esq.
  • R. Wayne Thorpe, Esq.
  • Hon. John K. Trotter, Jr. (Ret.)
  • Eric E. Van Loon, Esq.
  • Hon. Curtis E. von Kann (Ret.)
  • Julia T. Waggener, Esq.
  • Maria C. Walsh, Esq.
  • Hon. James Ware (Ret.)
  • Hon. Daniel H. Weinstein (Ret.)
  • Hon. Diane M. Welsh (Ret.)
  • Hon. Rebecca Westerfield (Ret.)
  • Michael D. Young, Esq.

About JAMS – Local Solutions. Global Reach.

Founded in 1979, JAMS is the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services worldwide. With 28 locations, JAMS and its nearly 400 panelists are responsible for resolving thousands of the world’s important cases every year.

JAMS successfully resolves and manages business and legal disputes by providing efficient, cost-effective and impartial ways to overcome barriers at any stage of conflict. JAMS offers customized dispute resolution services locally and globally through a combination of industry-specific experience, first-class client service, top-notch facilities and highly trained panelists.

More information is available at www.jamsadr.com, and you can connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

Featured People

Cecilia H. Morgan, Esq.
  • Antitrust & Competition
  • Banking
  • Bankruptcy
  • Business Commercial
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Construction Defect
  • Employment Law
  • Energy & Utilities
  • Estate Probate Trusts
  • Financial Markets
  • Franchise Distribution Law
  • Governmental & Public Agency
  • Health Care
  • Higher Education & Title IX
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Personal Injury
  • Pharmaceuticals & Mass Torts
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Securities
  • Surety
Charles H. Dick Jr., Esq.
  • Antitrust & Competition
  • Business Commercial
  • Employment Law
  • Higher Education & Title IX
  • Personal Injury
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Securities
Clarence L. Pozza, Jr., Esq.
  • Construction
  • Real Property
  • Accounting Finance
  • Business Commercial
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Education Law
  • Energy & Utilities
  • Insurance
  • Personal Injury
  • Securities
Hon. Curtis E. von Kann (Ret.)
  • Business Commercial
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Construction
  • Employment Law
  • Engineering & Construction
  • Environmental Law
  • Federal Law
  • Financial Markets
  • Governmental & Public Agency
  • Health Care
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Personal Injury
  • Product Liability
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Securities
  • Surety
  • Telecommunications
Hon. Daniel Weinstein (Ret.)
  • Antitrust & Competition
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Construction Defect
  • Employment Law
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Environmental Law
  • Federal Law
  • Financial Markets
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Maritime Admiralty
  • Personal Injury
  • Pharmaceuticals & Mass Torts
  • Professional Liability
  • Securities
David Geronemus, Esq.
  • Accounting Finance
  • Bankruptcy
  • Business Commercial
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Construction
  • Employment Law
  • Engineering & Construction
  • Financial Markets
  • Franchise Distribution Law
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Personal Injury
  • Professional Liability
  • Securities
  • Surety
  • Training & Teaching
Hon. Diane M. Welsh (Ret.)
  • Antitrust & Competition
  • Aviation
  • Business Commercial
  • Civil Rights
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Construction Defect
  • Cybersecurity & Privacy
  • Education Law
  • Employment Law
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Environmental Law
  • Estate Probate Trusts
  • Federal Law
  • Health Care
  • Governmental & Public Agency
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Life Sciences
  • Maritime Admiralty
  • Personal Injury/Torts
  • Product Liability
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Securities
  • Surety
Hon. Dickran M. Tevrizian (Ret.)
  • Aviation
  • Business/Commercial
  • Civil Rights
  • Class Action/Mass Tort
  • Construction Defect
  • Employment Law
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Environmental
  • Federal Judge
  • Financial Markets
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Personal Injury/Torts
  • Product Liability
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Securities
  • Surety
Eleissa C. Lavelle, Esq.
  • Business Commercial
  • Construction
  • Construction Defect
  • Engineering & Construction
  • Estate Probate Trusts
  • Higher Education & Title IX
  • Insurance
  • Personal Injury
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Surety
Eric E. Van Loon, Esq.
  • Accounting/Finance
  • Banking
  • Business/Commercial
  • Civil Rights
  • Class Action/Mass Tort
  • Construction
  • Employment Law
  • Energy/Utility
  • Engineering & Construction
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Environmental
  • Federal Law
  • Franchise
  • Governmental/Public Agency
  • Health Care
  • American Indian Tribal Law
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Personal Injury/Torts
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Securities
  • Surety
Hon. Harlan A. Martin (Former)
  • Banking
  • Business Commercial
  • Construction Defect
  • Employment Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Federal Law
  • Health Care
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Personal Injury
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Securities
  • Surety
Hugh E. Hackney, Esq.
  • Antitrust & Competition
  • Business Commercial
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Employment Law
  • Energy & Utilities
  • Engineering & Construction
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Family Law
  • Insurance
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Pharmaceuticals & Mass Torts
James E. McGuire, Esq.
  • Banking
  • Business Commercial
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Construction Defect
  • Employment Law
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Life Sciences
  • Professional Liability
  • Securities
Hon. James Ware, (Ret.)
  • Business Commercial
  • Civil Rights
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Construction
  • Cybersecurity & Privacy
  • Employment Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Federal Law
  • Higher Education & Title IX
  • Insurance
  • Health Care
  • Intellectual Property
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Life Sciences
  • Personal Injury
  • Professional Liability
  • Securities
Jeffrey G. Benz, Esq., FCIArb, FCollArb, CEDS
  • Business Commercial
  • Employment Law
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Health Care
  • Higher Education & Title IX
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Maritime Admiralty
  • Personal Injury
  • Real Property
  • Telecommunications
Jerry Spolter, Esq.
  • Agribusiness
  • Aviation
  • Business/Commercial
  • Construction Defect
  • Employment Law
  • Insurance
  • Maritime/Admiralty
  • Personal Injury/Torts
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
Joan C. Grafstein, Esq., FCIArb
  • Appellate
  • Business Commercial
  • Civil Rights
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Construction Defect
  • Education Law
  • Employment Law
  • Health Care
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Personal Injury
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Securities
  • Training & Teaching
Kenneth C. Gibbs, Esq.
  • Business Commercial
  • Construction
  • Energy & Utilities
  • Engineering & Construction
  • Insurance
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Surety
  • Real Property
L. Joseph Loveland, Jr., Esq.
  • Antitrust & Competition
  • Banking
  • Business & Commercial
  • Governmental/Public Agency
  • Health Care
  • Intellectual Property
  • Securities
  • Special Master/Discovery Referee
Lawrence R. Mills, Esq.
  • Business Commercial
  • Construction
  • Employment Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Financial Markets
  • Governmental & Public Agency
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Securities
Lawrence W. Pollack, Esq.
  • Mediation
  • Antitrust & Competition
  • Business Commercial
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Health Care
  • Insurance
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Maritime Admiralty
  • Professional Liability
Linda R. Singer, Esq.
  • Business/Commercial
  • Civil Rights
  • Class Action/Mass Tort
  • Employment Law
  • Environmental
  • Federal Law
  • Higher Education & Title IX
  • Personal Injury/Torts
  • Training/Teaching
Maria C. Walsh, Esq.
  • Appellate
  • Business Commercial
  • Civil Rights
  • Construction Defect
  • Employment Law
  • Governmental & Public Agency
  • Health Care
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Personal Injury
Michael D. Young, Esq.
  • Bankruptcy
  • Business Commercial
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Construction
  • Employment Law
  • Engineering & Construction
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Federal Law
  • Financial Markets
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Securities
  • Surety
Hon. Norman S. Fletcher (Ret.)
  • Appellate
  • Banking
  • Business Commercial
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Construction
  • Environmental
  • Estate Probate Trusts
  • Family Law
  • Governmental & Public Agency
  • Insurance
  • Personal Injury
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
Patricia H. Thompson, Esq., FCIArb, CollArb
  • Appellate
  • Banking
  • Business Commercial
  • Construction
  • Employment Law
  • Engineering & Construction
  • Financial Markets
  • Insurance
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Surety
Philip L. Bruner, Esq.
  • Construction
  • Energy & Utilities
  • Engineering & Construction
  • Governmental & Public Agency
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Surety
R. Wayne Thorpe, Esq.
  • Accounting/Finance
  • Banking
  • Bankruptcy
  • Business/Commercial
  • Civil Rights
  • Class Action/Mass Tort
  • Construction
  • Cybersecurity & Privacy
  • Employment Law
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Environmental
  • Financial Markets
  • Franchise
  • Governmental/Public Agency
  • Health Care
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Personal Injury/Torts
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Securities
Hon. Rebecca Westerfield (Ret.)
  • Accounting Finance
  • Banking
  • Business Commercial
  • Civil Rights
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Cybersecurity & Privacy
  • Employment Law
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Environmental Law
  • Estate Probate Trusts
  • Federal Law
  • Financial Markets
  • Franchise Distribution Law
  • Governmental & Public Agency
  • Health Care
  • Insurance
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Life Sciences
  • Personal Injury
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Securities
Hon. Richard A. Levie (Ret.)
  • Antitrust & Competition
  • Appellate
  • Business Commercial
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Employment Law
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Environmental Law
  • Family Law
  • Federal Law
  • Health Care
  • Higher Education & Title IX
  • Insurance
  • Personal Injury
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
Richard Chernick, Esq.
  • Business Commercial
  • Construction
  • Construction Defect
  • Cybersecurity & Privacy
  • Employment Law
  • Engineering & Construction
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Federal Law
  • Governmental & Public Agency
  • Health Care
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Personal Injury
  • Real Property
  • Securities
  • Surety
Robert A. Meyer, Esq.
  • Business Commercial
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Employment
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Federal Law
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Life Sciences
  • Professional Liability
  • Securities
Robert B. Davidson, Esq., FCIArb
  • Accounting Finance
  • Aviation
  • Bankruptcy
  • Business Commercial
  • Construction
  • Employment Law
  • Energy & Utilities
  • Engineering & Construction
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Financial Markets
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Life Sciences
  • Maritime Admiralty
  • Pharmaceuticals & Mass Torts
  • Product Liability
  • Real Property
  • Securities
  • Surety
Ronald Ravikoff, Esq.
  • Antitrust & Competition
  • Business Commercial
  • Cybersecurity & Privacy
  • Federal Law
  • Financial Markets
  • Governmental & Public Agency
  • Health Care
  • Securities
Hon. Ronald M. Sabraw (Ret.)
  • Antitrust & Competition
  • Business Commercial
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Construction Defect
  • Employment Law
  • Financial Markets
  • Insurance
  • Personal Injury
  • Real Property
  • Securities
Scott J. Silverman
  • Business Commercial
  • Employment Law
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Family Law
  • Health Care
  • Insurance
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Maritime Admiralty
  • Personal Injury
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
Hon. Stanley F. Birch, Jr. (Ret.)
  • Bankruptcy
  • Business Commercial
  • Employment Law
  • Global Engineering & Construction
  • Governmental & Public Agency
  • Health Care
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Personal Injury
Hon. Stephen E. Neel (Ret.)
  • Administrative Law
  • Business Commercial
  • Class Action & Mass Tort
  • Construction
  • Employment Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Life Sciences
  • Personal Injury
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Securities
  • Special Master Discovery Referee
Stephen P. Sonnenberg, Esq.
  • Employment Law
  • FLSA/PAGA/New York Labor Law and Other State Wage and Hour Claims
  • Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment and Retaliation, and Title IX
  • Whistleblower Claims and Wrongful Termination
  • Executive Compensation and Breach of Employment Contract
  • Civil Rights
Steven C. Choquette, Esq.
  • Business & Commercial
  • Construction
  • Construction Defect
  • Estates/Probate/Trusts
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Personal Injury/Torts
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
Hon. Steven J. Stone (Ret.)
  • Business/Commercial
  • Construction Defect
  • Employment Law
  • Entertainment & Sports
  • Health Care
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Personal Injury/Torts
  • Pharmaceuticals/Mass Tort
  • Product Liability
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
Zela ''Zee'' G. Claiborne, Esq.
  • Business Commercial
  • Construction
  • Employment Law
  • Energy & Utilities
  • Engineering & Construction
  • Environmental Law
  • Health Care
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • International & Cross-Border
  • Life Sciences
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Property
  • Surety

Media Contact

For further information, please contact:

Kristine Snyder

JAMS Director, Public Relations & Content 

+1 949-224-4614 (Direct Dial)

Ksnyder@jamsadr.com

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