Los Angeles – JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide, is pleased to announce the addition of Hon. S. James Otero (Ret.) to its panel. Judge Otero joins JAMS after serving for 30 years as a federal and state court judge in Los Angeles.
Judge Otero has sat by designation on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and is one of only two Central District of California judges to have been invited to sit on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. During his 16 years on the district court bench, Judge Otero presided over hundreds of trials and settlement conferences, including those involving patent, trademark, copyright, defective product, catastrophic injury, securities, employment, class action and MDL antitrust lawsuits. As a senior district court judge, he was regularly sought by colleagues to settle complex disputes where prior settlement conferences proved unsuccessful.
Based in the Los Angeles Resolution Center, Judge Otero will serve as a mediator, arbitrator, special master/referee and neutral evaluator, handling business and commercial, civil rights, class action and mass torts, employment, intellectual property, personal injury and torts, insurance and securities disputes.
Before his appointment to the federal bench, Judge Otero was a judge on the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, where he served for 14 years, presiding over hundreds of complex civil trials and settlement conferences.
Judge Otero has extensive experience handling complex matters and has earned a reputation for handling those cases efficiently. I am honored that Judge Otero has chosen to join the JAMS panel in Los Angeles.
- Chris Poole, JAMS President and CEO
A graduate of Stanford Law School, Judge Otero started his career at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. He stayed there for a decade, moving on to one of the city’s most powerful positions in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, representing various Southern California cities before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and in federal courts. He then became regional counsel for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company.
Throughout my career, I’ve found effective ways to assess the strengths and weaknesses in a variety of cases and am dedicated to understanding every aspect of the law and how to apply it. I’m eager to begin this next chapter in my career as a JAMS neutral.
- Hon. S. James Otero (Ret.), JAMS Neutral
Judge Otero received his B.A. from California State University, Northridge and his J.D. from Stanford Law School.
About JAMS – Local Solutions. Global Reach.
Founded in 1979, JAMS is the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services worldwide. 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.
With a roster of nearly 400 neutrals and 28 locations, JAMS resolves thousands of the world’s important cases every year. JAMS also offers remote dispute resolution through videoconferencing and other platforms. JAMS neutrals are adept at managing the resolution process whether they are conducting in-person or virtual hearings.
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