San Diego – JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide, is pleased to announce that Hon. Bernard G. Skomal (Ret.) has joined its panel. Judge Skomal joins JAMS following a 14-year career as a United States magistrate judge for the Southern District of California, including two years as presiding magistrate judge.
Judge Skomal was appointed to the bench in 2010 and served as a settlement judge in over 1,000 cases. He presided over a wide array of cases, including both civil and criminal. He has handled hundreds of discovery disputes and numerous bench trials, as well as presided over an extensive amount of early neutral evaluations and mandatory settlement conferences.
Based in the San Diego Resolution Center, Judge Skomal will serve as an arbitrator, mediator, special master/referee and neutral evaluator, handling business/commercial, civil rights, class action, employment, insurance, intellectual property, personal injury and privacy cases. He is available to conduct sessions in person, as well as virtually, for clients across the country and internationally.
Judge Skomal is highly respected in the San Diego legal community and beyond for his impartiality, judgment and ability to work effectively with parties to help resolves their disputes. With decades of experience, he possesses an aptitude for navigating complex cases and meticulous attention to detail.
- Chris Poole, JAMS CEO
Prior to the bench, Judge Skomal was a trial attorney for the Federal Defenders of San Diego and eventually transitioned to private practice. During his years in private practice, he specialized in both federal and state criminal defense and was certified by the California State Bar as a criminal law specialist. Additionally, he has been an instructor at two law schools on trial skills.
Settling cases has always been a critical component of my job, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. You have to be willing to put in the time with the parties, sweat with them and feel their pain. I look forward to continuing to take on new cases at JAMS and working with parties to find meaningful resolutions.
- Hon. Bernard G. Skomal (Ret.)
Judge Skomal earned his B.A., cum laude, from the College of the Holy Cross and his J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University School of Law.
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 450 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 X, LinkedIn, Facebook and our JAMS ADR blog. To learn about diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at JAMS, visit www.jamsadr.com/diversity/.
