Introduction
After 20 years of service, Judge Goldberg retired from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, 9th Circuit, Central District of California, where he presided over and mediated all types of bankruptcy and non bankruptcy related issues including but not limited to class actions involving multiple insurance coverage issues, complex commercial matters involving real estate, banking/lending, title insurance, collateralized debt obligations, securities, patent and copyright issues. During his time on the bench, Judge Goldberg earned a reputation with both the bench and the bar as the "go-to" guy for mediation of all types of problem disputes mediating many hundreds of cases for all other 21 Judges in the Central District.
After his retirement in 2008, Judge Goldberg utilized his people skills exploring new avenues of service such as hospice care, teaching and working with children. All the while his passion for mediation remained front and center so much so that it led to him to teaching an advanced course in mediation skills at the famed Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Law School . He found it so invigorating that he ultimately decided to continue teaching and became an adjunct professor and to further serve the community as a private mediator with Judicate West. Judge Goldberg has been a featured speaker about bankruptcy, transportation, real estate and family law, plus mediation and effective communication skills. He was a panel speaker at the International Conference of Judges sponsored by World Bank and Pepperdine University at which over 40 nations were present, and he was recently one of four Professors/ judicial mediators to introduce mediation skills to lawyers and judges in the Republic of Uganda.
Many of the attorneys who have worked with Judge Goldberg over the years have commented that although their experience with him as a mediator was initially through the bankruptcy court, his skills are obvious to all and translate well into all other areas of civil litigation. One noted, "He is simply an excellent mediator." Today, having been a private mediator of hundreds of cases for several years, he is best known for being "well prepared," thorough, fair and respectful" and most of all for being a "gifted storyteller in highly emotional cases."
Practice Areas
Hobbies & Interests
Interests include travel, golf, working as a Hospice volunteer, teaching and children's story teller
Testimonials
"The mediation Judge Goldberg handled for our client reached a successful conclusion. The settlement was approved.
Some clients are more difficult than others - and Judge Goldberg handled our with ease.
I look forward to working with him again in the future."
- Attorney, Orange County, California
"Highly skilled, knowledgeable and personable. Very effective. Would love to work with Judge Goldberg again. One of the best mediators I've worked with in a long time."
- Attorney on a Real Estate Land Use Matter
"Judge Goldberg has an outstanding temperament for a mediator. He is a great study and tireless in working toward solution."
- Attorney on a business/contractual dispute
"You are an artist and a magician in mediation!"
- Attorney on a Real Property Breach of Contract
"He saw problems clearly, wad prepared, did not act like a judge, understood the human dynamics, + pushed when necessary."
- Attorney on a business/contractual dispute
"I wanted to thank Judge Goldberg for his superb handling of the mediation yesterday. I was singularly impressed!
His professionalism and humanity are exemplary."
- Attorney, Orange County, California
