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OUR NEUTRALS
Hon. Leo S. Papas, Ret.
Retired Federal Magistrate Judge
| Judge Papas was appointed a Federal Magistrate Judge for The Southern District of California in 1991. After 18 years of service, he has left the bench to pursue his passion for mediation as a full time neutral. During his tenure on the bench, Judge Papas mediated more than 3,800 cases ranging from simple to multi-issue complex matters with national implications. A prime example of his capacity as a mediator is the successful settlement of the Chapter 11 Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego priest abuse litigation. All 144 claims were resolved, over and above his normal courthouse duties, in three months for $200 million. Judge Papas has also devoted substantial time to projects for at risk children and a variety of ADR related projects including mediation advocacy, legal ethics and intellectual property. His mediation skills were utilized in India and Turkey where he consulted with courts and governmental agencies to establish mediation programs and taught, advised and mentored students and mediators. He was rewarded for his judicial and other civic contributions by being named Judge of the Year in 2003 by the San Diego County Bar Association and Co-Judge of the Year in 2007 by the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. His aptitude for technology also earned him District Court and 9th Circuit committee memberships involving evaluation and selection of hardware and software systems. After experiencing his warm and engaging personality, you will understand why he is such a sought after mediator. Judge Papas' unpretentious nature, unwavering work ethic, and his ability to be steadily persistent, generate trust and pave the way to settlement. He is an eternal optimist and believes that every case can settle. |
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MEDIATION ONLY
- This neutral is available only for cases involving Mediation.
LEGAL CAREER & PRIOR EXPERIENCE
- United States Magistrate Judge, Southern District of California (1991-2009), Presiding Judge (2002-2007)
- Law Offices of Leo S. Papas, APC, General Civil Litigation (1977-1991)
- Hervey, Mitchell, Ashworth & Keeney, General Civil Litigation (1974-1977)
- US Marine Corps (1969-1975), Captain, Office of Staff Judge Advocate (1969-1973)
EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- National College of District Attorneys (1971), Naval Justice School (1970)
- JD Drake University Law School (1969)
- BA University of Nebraska & Northwest Missouri State University (1966)
- Federal Judicial Center Mediation Skills Program for U.S. Magistrate Judges (1999)
- Admitted to practice law, Iowa (1969), California (1972), Southern District of CA (1972), Central District (1976)
- Intellectual Property Program, Univ. of CA, Berkeley, Berkeley Center for Law & Technology (2008)
- San Diego Inn of Court Board of Directors (2007-Present)
- San Diego County Bar Association, Judicial Advisor to Ethics Comittee (2003-Present)
- San Diego County Board of Directors (1989-91), Secretary (1989-1990)
- San Diego Lawyer Magazine Advisory Board (2006-Present)
- San Diego County Bar Foundation Board of Directors (1989-1991)
- San Diego Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Directors (1987-1989), Vice President (1989-1991)
- San Diego County Superior Court Judge Pro Tem, Arbitrator, Mediator (1988-1991), Three Judge Settlement Panel (1988-1991)
- Director, Judges in the Classroom, U.S. District Court, San Diego Unified School District (1995-2009)
- Member, San Diego County Bar Association Children at Risk Committee (2000-Present)
- Member, 9th Circuit Public Information and Community Outreach Committee (2003-2006)
- Board Member, Association of Business and Trial Lawyers (2003-2004)
- Member, U.S. District Court Forms Task Force (2005-2009)
- Member, San Diego County Bar Association Civility, Integrity and Professionalism Committee (2007-2008)
- Member/Arbitrator, San Diego County Bar Association Client Relations Committee (1974-1991)
- Founder/Creator, Reader Program, Porter Elementary (2004-Present)
- Speaker, "Meditiation Advocacy-Beyond the Basics", San Diego Bar Association (2009)
- Speaker, "Local Rules and Best Practices", San Diego Intellectual Property Lawyers Association (2009)
- Speaker, "Discussion of Settlement Techniques", Federal Bar Association and Pan Asian Bar Association (2006)
ADR EXPERIENCE & SPECIALTIES
- Intellectual Property
- Class Actions
- Securities
- Shareholder Suits
- ERISA
- Highly Sensitive and/or Catastrophic Personal Injury
- Employment
- Wage and Hour
- Business Commercial
- Jones Act/Maritime
- Mortgage/Foreclosure
- Franchise
- Professional Liability
- Bankruptcy Adversary Proceedings
- Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA)
- Government/Agency Condemnation
ACHIEVEMENTS & AWARDS
- Traveled to India and Turkey consulting to establish mediation programs in courts and with governmental agencies
- Consumer Attorneys of San Diego Co-Judge of the Year (2007)
- San Diego County Bar Association, Outstanding Jurist of the Year (2003)
- United States Marine Corps Officer Leadership Award (1970)
- Inducted into Washington High School Athletic Hall of Fame (2006)
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
- Judge Papas and his wife travel frequently, visiting their son in New York and daughter and grandchildren in San Francisco. He enjoys volunteer work and is involved in many outreach programs for the SDCBA, Courts, and schools. He plays a lot of golf and is developing an interest in xeriscape gardening.
LOCATIONS
- Los Angeles County
- Ventura / SB Counties
- San Diego County
- Inland Empire
- Orange County
- Northern California
