Miami – JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide, is pleased to announce that Mercedes Armas Bach, Retired Judge, 11th Judicial Circuit, Florida, has been named a recipient of the Florida Legal Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sponsored by the Daily Business Review, the Florida Legal Awards celebrate excellence, innovation and dedication within the legal community, highlighting the best and brightest legal minds. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes professionals who have made a significant impact on the practice of law in Florida over a notable legal career.
Judge Bach was one of the first mediators in the state of Florida and played a key role in helping to promote the use of ADR and propel the industry into the mainstream. Beyond that, she served as a leader on the bench for 17 years and remains a role model for many individuals aspiring to have flourishing careers in the law. We congratulate her on this outstanding recognition.
- Chris Poole, JAMS CEO
In 1995, Judge Bach was appointed as a judge to Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit. Throughout her 17 years on the judiciary, Judge Bach presided over hundreds of jury trials, thousands of bench trials and dispositive motions. While on the bench, she promoted the use of ADR to resolve disputes outside court. Her advocacy paid off when the mortgage crisis hit in 2008, which led to the Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program.
Judge Bach is a longtime proponent of ADR and helped fuel its adoption within the Florida legal community. She is known for her fairness, diligence and efficiency in handling a wide variety of matters, including business/commercial, construction, employment, family law, insurance, intellectual property, personal injury, professional liability and real property actions.
An award ceremony will be held on April 4 in Miami to recognize all Florida Legal Awards honorees, and the winners of finalist categories will be announced. More information about the awards can be found here.
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/.
