Irvine, Calif. – JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide, is pleased to announce that 12 neutrals were ranked in the 2020 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Eight panelists were recognized in the nationwide Mediators list: Hon. William J. Cahill (Ret.); David Geronemus, Esq.; Robert A. Meyer, Esq.; Barbara A. Reeves, Esq.;; Hon. Daniel Weinstein (Ret.); Hon. Rebecca Westerfield (Ret.); Cathy Yanni; and Michael D. Young, Esq. In addition, three neutrals were ranked on the Construction: Mediators list for California: Deborah S. Ballati, Esq.; George D. Calkins II, Esq.; and Kenneth C. Gibbs, Esq. Robert B. Davidson, Esq., was named to the International Arbitration: Arbitrators list.
The following are excerpts from the guide and JAMS biographies regarding each neutral.
Deborah S. Ballati, Esq., focuses her practice on construction and insurance coverage mediation and arbitration. She has experience mediating disputes involving surety, payment and contract interpretation. She served as the first female president of American College of Construction Lawyers.
Hon. William J. Cahill (Ret.) is “very bright, immediately gets to the issues and has a nice way of getting across that the goal is to settle,” sources note. He has a wide and varied mediation practice, and is frequently sought out to resolve securities, breach of contract and insurance disputes, among others.
George D. Calkins II, Esq., is described as a “go-to mediator who really understands the process.” He has significant experience mediating disputes involving public works projects. He is well respected for his knowledge and innovative settlement strategies.
Robert B. Davidson, Esq., is an experienced arbitrator with particular expertise handling commercial disputes under a broad range of institutional rules, including those of the ICC, LCIA and ICDR. "I have great respect for his judgment and experience," states a source. "He has many years of experience as counsel, which is invaluable to being an effective arbitrator."
Kenneth C. Gibbs, Esq., has considerable experience handling construction disputes involving landmarks, large commercial projects and transport systems. He is regularly involved in very high value and complex cases. He is well known for his ability to establish great rapport with clients and for his evaluative skills in getting parties to recognize their risks.
David Geronemus, Esq., is "absolutely extraordinary," according to market sources, who add, "He is the gold standard: brilliant and tireless." He boasts extensive mediation experience and is able to assist clients in a range of insurance disputes, securities class actions and breach of contract cases.
Robert A. Meyer, Esq., is "extraordinarily effective because he comes well prepared and his views carry a lot of credibility," sources report. His practice involves high-stakes antitrust disputes, malpractice suits and securities litigation. He brings the skill set of both an experienced mediator and a trial lawyer to his matters.
Barbara A. Reeves, Esq., is regularly called upon to settle litigation between entities in the media, technology and health care spaces. She has experience mediating disputes involving wage and hour claims, as well as breaches of contract and intellectual property infringement issues. As a mediator, she is strong, good at listening and reading people, and a tenacious closer.
Hon. Daniel Weinstein (Ret.) is particularly adept at resolving class actions, often concerning complex real estate or antitrust issues, as well as shareholder disputes. Sources report: "He is very experienced, very personable and able to move people with the force of his personality." He is one of the founders of JAMS.
Hon. Rebecca Westerfield (Ret.) is "very calm," according to market sources, who also praise her ability to "manage the egos" of parties during settlement. She is called upon to mediate a range of complex disputes, including cases involving personal liability, employment and fraudulent financial conduct issues.
Cathy Yanni mediates a range of commercial disputes, including product liability cases and bankruptcy litigation. Sources praise her ability to "maintain good relations and credibility with both sides." Her substantive knowledge, her focused attention to detail, and her persistent follow up are the keys to her high success.
Michael D. Young, Esq., focuses on mediating a range of finance-related cases for clients. He is known for helping settle disputes involving securities, antitrust and insurance coverage issues. He has conducted approximately 2,000 complex or multi-party mediations and arbitrations in over 30 states (as well as in Puerto Rico) and abroad.
About Chambers and Partners
Chambers and Partners is an independent research company operating across 200 jurisdictions delivering detailed rankings and insight into the world’s leading lawyers. Chambers empowers organisations to make informed decisions when selecting legal services and its 215 Research Analysts provide unique insights into complex areas of law in different jurisdictions. They conduct hundreds of thousands of investigative interviews and market surveys every year, with in-house counsel and third-party experts, delivering detailed insight into providers of legal services.
The USA Guide was first introduced in 2003 and ranks the leading firms and lawyers in over 50 different practice areas and sectors throughout the country, including rankings in every state as well as additional regional and nationwide coverage. Law firms and individual lawyers are assessed on technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment and other qualities most valued by the client.
Chambers’ research, analysis and insight can be found at chambers.com.
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.
More information is available at www.jamsadr.com, and you can connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our JAMS ADR blog.
