Walnut Creek, Calif. – JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide, is pleased to announce the addition of Hon. Barry Baskin (Ret.) to its panel. Judge Baskin was appointed to the Contra Costa County Superior Court in 2002. For 20 years, Judge Baskin served on the bench, where he served in almost all divisions of the court. He served six years in the civil division, handling complex cases, including class actions.
From 2019 to 2020, Judge Baskin served as presiding judge and helped steer the court through the pandemic. Prior to that, he served as assistant presiding judge from 2017 to 2018 and spent eight years on the Executive Committee. His last assignment on the bench was a second term in the civil division, where he handled complex litigation, construction defect litigation, class actions and a variety of other matters. He is the first person appointed to the bench in California who was born, raised and trained in South Africa.
Based in the Walnut Creek Resolution Center, Judge Baskin will serve as an arbitrator, mediator, special master/referee and neutral evaluator, handling class action and mass torts; intellectual property; entertainment and sports; employment; estate, probate and trusts; personal injury; real property; construction; and construction defect disputes. He is available to conduct sessions in person, as well as virtually for attorneys and their clients across the country.
Judge Baskin is known for his extensive experience and understanding of the law, but he has also built a reputation on his ability to keep an open mind while hearing all sides of a matter. We are honored that he is joining our panel, and we wish him great success in this new role as a JAMS neutral.
- Chris Poole, JAMS CEO
Prior to joining the bench, Judge Baskin had a successful career handling complex civil litigation. Beginning in 1979, Judge Baskin was the managing partner of his family’s law firm, Baskin & Partners, in South Africa. His practice consisted of business litigation and family law. In 1987, he emigrated from South Africa. He was admitted to the California Bar in 1987 and joined Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro. He served in the firm’s antitrust and intellectual property group. In 1989, he joined Farrow, Bramson, Baskin & Plutzik and became a partner in 1990. Until his appointment to the bench, he served as lead trial counsel in the area of complex civil litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants.
As a judge for 20 years and as counsel for 30 years before that, I have found successful dispute resolution to be an evolving art. It takes patience, commitment and a thorough understanding of both parties’ sides.
- Hon. Barry Baskin (Ret.)
Judge Baskin received his law degree from the Oliver Schreiner School of Law at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
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 in-person, virtual and hybrid resolution services locally and globally through a combination of industry-specific experience, first-class client service, the latest technology and highly trained mediators and arbitrators.
With a roster of over 400 neutrals and 29 locations, JAMS resolves thousands of the world’s important cases every year. JAMS neutrals are adept at managing the resolution process whether they are conducting in-person, virtual or hybrid hearings.
More information is available at www.jamsadr.com, and you can connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and our JAMS ADR blog. To learn about diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at JAMS, visit www.jamsadr.com/diversity/.
