Cristina Pereyra-Alvarez, retired Judge 11th Judicial Circuit, joins the JAMS panel after an exemplary career as a lawyer, judge, and legal journalist.  Mrs. Pereyra-Alvarez's extensive knowledge of the law and rich cultural background positions her to serve as an effective and informed mediator and arbitrator. Born in Tampa, Florida, Mrs. Pereyra-Alvarez grew up in Mexico where she earned her first law degree from Universidad Anahuac in Mexico City. Upon returning to the United States, she earned a second law degree from the University of Miami School of Law.  After a distinguished career as an assistant public defender in the 11th Judicial Circuit, Mrs. Pereyra-Alvarez became a Miami-Dade County Court Judge in the 11th Judicial Circuit.  In 2005, she was appointed as a Circuit Court Judge by former Governor Jeb Bush.

In 2007, Mrs. Pereyra-Alvarez  retired from the bench to preside on the first national Spanish language court reality program “Veredicto Final” (Final Verdict).  In 2011, she became Univision’s in-house legal correspondent. Mrs. Pereyra-Alvarez is fluent in Spanish. Christina Pereyra-Alvarez's biography in Spanish.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

While on the bench, Mrs. Pereyra-Alvarez presided over a wide range of cases covering a variety of practice areas including: banking, business/commercial, civil rights, class action/mass tort, construction, education/schools, employment, family law, healthcare, insurance, personal injury/torts, and real property. She successfully assisted parties in reaching a resolution that officially disposed of a number of cases and eliminated the need for trial. The cases including numerous complex matters that raised the following issues:

• Business/Commercial: Breach of contract and indebtedness, civil forfeitures, commercial foreclosures, corporate and business governance, declaratory judgments, discovery disputes, fraud, indemnification and contribution, injunctive relief, partnerships/joint ventures, premises liability, replevin, shareholder disputes, trade names, unfair/deceptive business practices
• Employment: Breach of employment contracts, class actions, defamation, discrimination (including race, gender, age, disability, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation), employee benefits and executive compensation, employment contract disputes, employment counseling, employment-related torts, ERISA litigation, Fair Labor Standards Act, international labor and employment, non-compete agreements, retaliation, sexual harassment, wage and hour claims (including class actions), whistleblower, and wrongful termination
• Entertainment: First Amendment including defamation (libel and slander), personality rights and privacy rights, production, post-production, trade union issues, cases involving Screen Actors Guild (SAG), talent agreements, producer agreements, and synchronization rights. Music industry negotiation and general intellectual property issues. Sports law including labor, antitrust, contracts, drug testing, and torts (issues including defamation and privacy rights). TV & radio including broadcast licensing and regulatory issues, mechanical licenses
• Family Law: Alimony, spousal and child support, marriage and domestic partner dissolution, relocation, validity of pre-or post-nuptial agreements, capacity issues, child custody, visitation and parenting coordination, characterization of property, attorneys’ fees and costs, annulment, division of property, assets and benefits, business valuations, marital settlement agreements, breach of fiduciary duty claims, valuation and disposition of family-owned businesses
• Insurance: First-party claims, insurance coverage, employment, construction, resolution, coverage disputes, healthcare coverage, auto, homeowners, health, disability, environmental and toxic tort claims, construction defects, personal injury, personal injury protection (PIP)
• Personal Injury/Torts: Wrongful death actions, Fabre issues, libel/slander, aviation, motor vehicle and water craft negligence, negligent security, medical malpractice, premises liability, product liability, punitive damages, sexual abuse, slip and fall, treble damages, change of venue
• Real Property: Residential and commercial claims, leases, purchases and sales, commercial and residential mortgage foreclosures, commission claims, condemnation, condominium, deposit returns, homeowner associations, landlord-tenant disputes, land use

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Keynote speaker, “Our Voices…Our Future” Networking Breakfast, Hispanic Services Council, Tampa, FL, 2019
• Speaker, “A Collaborative Approach to Moving Diversity Forward,” NAWL 2018 Mid-Year Meeting, National Association of Women Lawyers, Miami, FL, 2018
• Speaker, “A Seat at the Table for Women International Law Practitioners,” JAMS, Miami, FL, 2018
• Speaker, “The Changing Landscape of ADR in Latin America and the U.S. Influence: A Primer for Inside and Outside Counsel,” 8th Annual Corporate Counsel Conference & 22nd Annual Uvaldo Herrera Moot Court Competition, Hispanic National Bar Association, Miami, FL, 2017
• Co-chair, “Global Pound Conference (GPC): Miami 2017,” International Mediation Institute, Coral Gables, FL, 2017
• Guest speaker, “The Importance of Culture In Conflict Resolution: Scenarios in International and Domestic Arbitration and Mediation,” HNBA 41st Annual Convention, Hispanic National Bar Association, Chicago, 2016
• Speaker, “Complex Family Dispute Strategies: An Essential Guide for Advocates,” JAMS Mediation Week, Miami, FL, 2016
• Guest speaker, "Ethics of Judicial Elections in the Context of Regulation, Free Speech, Impartiality and Independence: Point and Counterpoint," ABA Convention, 2007
• Prepare and deliver materials at the request of the U.S. State Department for a series of lectures and assist Guatemalan Judiciary in Guatemala City with launching first appearance hearings in criminal cases, 2006
• Panelist, FACDL yearly informal discussion between members of the Judiciary and members of Miami Chapter of FACDL, 2002-2005

• Board of Directors, United Way, Miami Chapter, 2014
• Chair, Florida Supreme Court Interpreter Certification Board, 2007
• Faculty, College of Advanced Judicial Studies, 2005-2009
• Member, Conference of Circuit Court Judges, 2005-2007
• Faculty, Conference of County Court Judges, 2005
• Member, Eleventh Judicial Circuit Speaker Bureau, 2004-2009
• Member, Florida Supreme Court's Strategic Planning Committee on Long Range Planning for the State Court System and Task Force on Judicial Branch Planning, 2004-2007
• Member, Judicial Council Ad Hoc Work Group on Privacy and Access to the Courts, 2003
• Member, Court Technology Advisory Committee, 2003
• Representative of the Judicial Management Council at the Conference of the National Consortium of Task Forces and Commissions on Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts, 2003
• Faculty, DUI Adjudication Lab, 2002-2005
• Member, Conference of County Court Judges, 1999-2005
• Vice-Chair, Small Claims Committee
• Member, Education Committee
• Member, Conference Committee
• Member, Civil Rules Committee
• Director, Florida Association for Women Lawyers, 1994-1996
• Director, Cuban-American Bar Association, 1993-1998 (Treasurer 1996)

• Joint Voluntary Bar Associations Appreciation Award, 1998
• Florida Association for Women Lawyers Distinguished Service Award, 1994

Background and Education

• In-House Legal Correspondent, Univision, 2011
• Presided on the first national Spanish language courtroom reality program “Veredicto Final” (Final Verdict), 2007
• Nominated by the Third District Court of Appeal Nominating Commission for the position of Third District Court of Appeal Judge, September 2004 & April 2007
• Judge, Miami-Dade Circuit Court, 2005-2007
• Judge, Miami-Dade County Court, 11th Judicial Circuit, 1999-2004
• Assistant Public Defender in the 11th Judicial Circuit, 1989-1998
• Law Clerk for Judge Mario Goderich, 1988
• J.D., University of Miami School of Law, 1988
• J.D., Universidad Anahuac, Mexico City, 1984