Introduction
Judge Papas brings the "pro" to professional. A former Federal Magistrate Judge for more than 18 years and now enjoying his encore mediation career since 2009, Judge Papas brings unparalleled judicial and private sector experience to each mediation; which is why, in his first year of private mediation, and every year since selections have been made, he has been chosen by the Daily Journal and his peers as a Top 50 Neutral in California, has joined the ranks of Super Lawyers and in 2014 was inducted into the International Academy of Mediators.
Those experiencing one of his thousands of mediations uniformly remark about his unpretentious and engaging yet businesslike personality, meticulous and thorough preparation, relentless work ethic, limitless patience and extraordinary passion for helping parties develop the necessary trust and framework to reach closure. From his groundbreaking practice of conducting Pre-Mediation Conferences (PMCs), to preparation of final settlement documentation and OBTWs (ask him), Judge Papas appreciates and takes into account the emotional, physical and economic impact of litigation on each party. He has used his broad private practice and public servant experience to help influence parties and find closure across the spectrum of disputes, including straightforward matters and those involving the most highly confidential and sensitive issues.
Among his many cases, he has helped parties find closure in the Chapter 11 San Diego Roman Catholic Diocese priest abuse cases (http://tinyurl.com/Priest-Abuse-Cases), multi-party claims against the Coast Guard and United States arising out of catastrophic injuries and death at the annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights (http://tinyurl.com/DeWeese-CoastGuard), claims against the City of San Diego, SD Padres, SD Chargers and others regarding ADA claims against Qualcomm Stadium (http://tinyurl.com/Qualcomm-SuperBowl), City of San Diego/DeAnza mobile residence multi-party (230 claimants) and class action cases (http://tinyurl.com/City-DeAnza), the sad chapters resolving civil claims surrounding the historic Stephanie Crowe murder (http://tinyurl.com/Crowe-Murder), the tragic 1983 excessive force/wrongful death case against Orange County arising from police shooting (http://tinyurl.com/OC-Wrongful-Death), and Qui Tam claims involving a 14 year relationship between the City of San Diego and Rural/Metro, its emergency medical services provider (http://tinyurl.com/City-Rural-Metro). In addition, as a private mediator he has handled hundreds of highly confidential/sensitive matters, class actions and multi-party complex matters as well as more than 200 employment related matters.
Judge Papas is an eternal optimist and believes every case can and should settle through mediation. One attorney who has frequently utilized his skills echoes what so many others say, "Judge Papas is not just a great mediator but an exceptional human being. He is always thoroughly prepared as he makes it his mission to resolve every case with the same enthusiasm and tenacity as he did his last. His willingness to prepare and learn even the most complex subject matter is exemplary. He is my mediator of choice."
Practice Areas
Hobbies & Interests
Judge Papas and his wife are travel enthusiasts --- visiting their son in New York, daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren
in San Francisco and taking cruises to many foreign ports and exotic locations. The Judge also plays at golf and is a fan
of most other sports.
Testimonials
"Judge Papas is very effective in explaining the options to the client and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of their positions."
- Attorney, Solana Beach, California
"Judge Papas was an excellent listener; sensitive to our clients needs; understood the factual and legal issues."
- Attorney, San Diego, California
"Magistrate Papas is one of my go-to mediators. He’s pleasant, thoroughly prepared and has a thoughtful approach based on the issues and dynamic. Importantly, he brings credibility given his breadth of mediation and settlement experience. "
- Attorney on a legally complex Professional Malpractice matter
"Your dogged determination and your relentless attention to detail paved a mediated path to a settlement that I thought might never be achieved. I was astounded by the speed at which you learned the intricacies and the history of this case and were able to cut to the heart of the issues to help guide both parties to an effective solution."
- Client on a Complex Business Dispute
