Case Manager: Haward Cho
Steven H. Kruis, Esq. has mediated thousands of matters throughout Southern California since 1993, and is with the San Diego office of ADR Services, Inc. He settles real property, business, employment, trust/probate, professional liability, and personal injury disputes.
A balance between legal acumen and a keen understanding of people is the key to his effectiveness. He demonstrates a passion for settling disputes and makes the extra effort to lead the parties to settlement rather than impose it upon them. As a result, parties have reached settlements ranging from over $10 million to less than $10,000.
He graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame in 1977 with a degree in government and international studies. Selected as a 1978-1979 Rotary International Scholar, he studied in London, England, and subsequently received his Juris Doctor degree from the Notre Dame Law School in 1980.
Mr. Kruis began his legal career as an assistant district attorney, and then became a partner with Higgs, Fletcher & Mack LLP, San Diego’s oldest and one of its largest law firms, where he ultimately served as the firm’s managing partner. Since 1980, and before becoming a full-time neutral, he litigated a wide variety of cases, and earned an “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
He lives in San Diego with his wife, Katherine, who also is an attorney.
“Steve Kruis is effective, compassionate, and efficient.”
“Steve is truly the best at what he does. His banter with [my client] relaxed him, and confirmed for him that my opinions were correct. As we discussed, he had unrealistic expectations for the case when we started. I honestly don’t know any other Mediator that would have had the skill to accomplish what you did. My deepest thanks.”
“Steve’s ability to acknowledge the issues in dispute but move beyond them to find common ground, and do it in a professional manner, is the key to his continued success.”
“I would like to acknowledge the ability of the mediator, Steven Kruis. This is the third time I have been involved in a difficult mediation with Mr. Kruis as mediator, and the third time the matter has been resolved in one day.”
“Our case settled due in very large part to the extraordinary efforts and talents of Steven H. Kruis, Esq. What could have been a traumatic no-win situation for all parties concerned, was instead an example of the best justice available to the parties under the circumstances.”
“I was impressed at how Steven handled the mediation. There is no doubt that the case would not have settled without his expertise and persistence. I must say I was most impressed at the true compassion that he showed to our client. [Co-Counsel] had spoken so highly of him beforehand and I must say that he certainly met my expectations as a mediator, and far exceeded them as a person who truly cared about the participants. I will not hesitate to recommend Steven’s services to others and personally look forward to using him to assist my clients in the future.”
“My compliments to Steve for not giving up on me and [co-defense counsel] when we were ready to call it a day. He worked very hard at pushing each side to achieve resolution in a case where the parties started so very far apart. We look forward to working with him in the future.”
“A thank to Steve for the excellent job he did in mediation on very short notice. The facts of this case were fairly complex. It was quite amazing how fast he was able to understand not only the nature of the dispute, but the finer distinctions of the dispute. I do not believe the case would have ever been settled without his help. As my client said when the case was over, the money spent on mediation was the best money spent in the case.”
“Thanks to Steve for terrific efforts to get the case settled. He really did a great job, and I will recommend his services as a mediator. He is very skilled at mediating tough cases and your input was invaluable.”
“I have used Steve Kruis a couple of times not and he has done a great job. He goes above and beyond in terms of preparation, insight and especially effort. This particular case did not settle on the day of mediation and Steve kept at it for months. He is very good with clients and he is great at keeping them engaged and comfortable with the process. He is also very experienced and his experience as both a litigator and a mediator is widespread – he knows a lot about a lot of things, and that can really streamline the mediation process. You won’t have to spend any time educating the mediator as you sometimes need to do. I highly recommend him for any case, but he is especially good for cases with difficult clients, difficult or sensitive issues or relationships, and/or difficult opposing counsel. I would use him for simpler cases as well because he will be very efficient and cost effective.”
“Steve Kruis goes above and beyond in terms of preparation, insight and especially effort. His experience as both a litigator and a mediator is widespread – he knows a lot about a lot of things, and that can really streamline the mediation process. You won’t have to spend any time educating the mediator as you sometimes need to do.”
“Applause for Steve’s work in the settlement of our case. His tenacity and artful mediation made it possible for all parties to settle with a sense they made a good deal. Great Work!”
“I appreciate how Steve prepares himself. He thoroughly studies everything before you go in to see him. But he will also call to discuss your brief and to better get to know your case, so when you’re walking in on the day of, you know, ‘Hey, I’ve paid for five hours, and we’re not going to spend an hour or two of that just going over the facts of the case.’ He has also been terrific with my clients. Steve knows how to talk to a plaintiff, how to understand what they are going through. He’s very receptive to what they say to him. He listens. He is very calming to a plaintiff who doesn’t have any experience with the mediation process. And sometimes we may have a difficult client, someone who may not understand what we are personally trying to tell them – the good, the bad, the ugly of the case. Sometimes plaintiffs go into a mediation thinking their case is worth $1 million, and it could be worth $95,000. So to get them from $1 million to $95,000 is something we look to a mediator to help us with from the plaintiff’s side. Steve understands how to talk to those plaintiffs.”
“Steve applies an especially human approach. Steve is a very compassionate, understanding mediator. He’s not just all, ‘Here’s the law. Here’s what should be done.’ He understands and takes into consideration the family dynamics or the neighbor dynamics, going beyond just A is suing B, and does it have a value, and if so, what is the value and can we settle it for that value.”
“Steve has settled every one of the personal injury and employment cases I have used him for in the past decade. He does a terrific job of seeing beyond the financial details of a dispute. He’s got a lot of experience, and he knows the law. He is – unlike some mediators – willing to listen to both the facts and the law and take that into account rather than just turning it into a money discussion, going back and forth. He is also excellent with clients. He’s got a very good personality in dealing with people. Litigation can have a pretty hard edge to it, and Steve has an ability to soften that edge and get people to a point of compromise. I’ve seen him deal with very difficult people – both lawyers on the other side and their clients. And he has a way of just – it’s almost therapeutic I guess – of hearing them out, talking to them and getting them to a point where they soften their position to where it eventually results in a settlement.”
