Case Manager: Katy Jones
20 years of experience as a trial court judge, serving on cases from every department of the court. Specific assignments include: Presiding Judge for Family Law for three years, and as such, founder of Rally Project and of Kid’s Turn, an educational program for children of divorce; Presiding Judge of Juvenile Court and founder of the Juvenile Drug Court; Presiding Judge of the Municipal Court, handling criminal felony and misdemeanor trials. Assigned to civil trial departments conducting jury and non-jury trials for more than nine years. Frequent instructor in judicial education programs for the California Center for Judicial Education and Research and in legal education for Rutter Group.
As a mediator, has handled a variety of cases including the following: a $40 million family dispute involving minority interests in hotels and restaurants; a bank president and shareholder dispute with the board of directors involving allegations of fraud, misuse of funds, and breach of contract; over 150 landlord-tenant disputes involving residential as well as commercial properties; over 100 personal injury cases, including a million-dollar construction-related injury; multimillion-dollar dispute between a celebrity and spouse involving complex contracts including television syndication agreements; and code violation disputes involving violations in a shopping mall, high-rise office building, residential units, and small businesses.
As an Arbitrator handled numerous employment disputes including multi-million dollar breach of an employment contract; real property claims including a number of TIC cases; various breach of contract claims as well as family law matters. As a judge, arbitrated numerous contract disputes, including disputes between developer and subcontractor, between landlord and tenants, and between restaurant partners. Also handled other business litigation arbitrations. Arbitrated a billion-dollar insurance coverage case involving scores of insurance companies. Arbitrated cases involving allegations of equipment conversion on multimillion-dollar construction project involving a multinational company, as well as smaller disputes on projects involving several thousand dollars.
Handled numerous multi-party cases involving medical malpractice, personal injury, business, and real estate.
Mediated hundreds of cases over 20-year career as a judge including personal injury, business, professional negligence, real estate, landlord-tenant, family law, wrongful termination, race and gender discrimination, maritime, and commercial. Member of the American Arbitration Association Commercial and Mediation Panels.