Irvine, Calif. – JAMS, the largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services worldwide, is pleased to announce that Hon. John K. Trotter (Ret.) and Cathy Yanni have been appointed to be the trustee and claims administrator, respectively, of the $13.5-billion Fire Victim Trust in the Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding.
Justice Trotter and Ms. Yanni were appointed by the Hon. Dennis Montali of the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of California.
In their roles with the Fire Victim Trust, Justice Trotter and Ms. Yanni will be responsible for creating and implementing the trust and overseeing the claims resolution process.
JAMS is proud to see Jack and Cathy selected to these roles in the PG&E bankruptcy case. Each neutral has a distinguished reputation in alternative dispute resolution and is very experienced in working in claims resolution and wildfire cases. We are honored that the court has entrusted this matter to them.
- Chris Poole, JAMS President and CEO
Ms. Yanni currently serves as the court-appointed administrator of the PG&E Wildfire Assistance Program, where she developed specific eligibility requirements for fire victims with unmet needs. She is responsible for ensuring that the program’s funds of $100 million are distributed to claimants in a fair and equitable manner. Since August 2019, Ms. Yanni has distributed over $98 million, and 90 percent of the funds has been distributed to victims of the Camp Fire. She has also served as a court-appointed special master in numerous cases involving wildfires, mass torts and class actions.
Justice Trotter was selected due to his extensive experience with tort claims resolution. He has served as a special master in numerous multi-district litigation matters, supervising the claims of and payments to thousands of plaintiffs in each litigation.
Justice Trotter and Ms. Yanni worked closely to formulate a resolution program for the 2007 San Diego Wildfire cases, with Justice Trotter supervising the resolution of the victims’ claims and Ms. Yanni acting as mediator and arbitrator.
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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