Hon. Joseph R. Brisco (Ret.) joined JAMS following 21 years as a judge with the San Bernardino County Superior Court. During that time, he served as Supervising Judge of the Civil Departments, Presiding Judge of the Appellate Division and, for several years, was assigned to hear all of the Writs of Mandate in the county. Most recently, he presided over the mandatory settlement conference department, serving as a settlement judge.

Prior to taking the bench, Judge Brisco spent 14 years as a civil litigator in San Diego, where he handled serious and catastrophic injury cases—involving deaths, brain injuries and amputations—arising from products liability, premises liability, and motor vehicle accidents. He also served on the San Diego County Arbitration Panel.

Judge Brisco has presided over hundreds of jury trials, bench trials and settlement conferences. He has extensive and diverse experience resolving disputes, including cases involving business/commercial, employment, medical malpractice, real estate, elder abuse, product liability, and personal injury issues, including boating accidents.

Judge Brisco has a reputation for being prompt and thoroughly prepared. He manages his cases efficiently, with a touch of levity and humor. He is regarded by counsel as firm but fair.

Representative Matters

• Business Commercial
• Several disputes regarding alleged breaches of commercial lease agreements
• Several disputes against credit card companies regarding alleged violations of Fair Debt Collection Practices
• Several disputes against automobile dealerships regarding breaches of Motor Vehicle Retail Installment Purchase Agreements
• Several disputes against automobile dealerships regarding alleged violations of the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act
• Several breaches of contract disputes against solar panel installation companies
• Several disputes between physicians and medical groups regarding fees
• Dispute between pharmacist and pharmacy regarding fees
• Dispute between state regulators and multiple California milk producers 
• Dispute involving fraud allegations against partners in egg ranch and trucking company
• Numerous contract disputes between businesses and purveyors
• Numerous contract disputes between contractors and subcontractors regarding highway improvements
• Numerous disputes with major financial institutions arising from mortgage crisis
• Shareholder derivative suit involving motel and restaurant corporation
• Partnership dissolution disputes, including matters involving companies in ranching, trucking and restaurant industries
• Banking dispute wherein defendant allegedly deposited company checks into personal account unlawfully
• Energy Services Agreement dispute between city and large pet food manufacturing plant over historic and current billing practices, claim for refund, and declaratory relief to set proper rate
• Cannabis
• Multiple contract disputes between cannabis growers and distributors involving allegations of fraud, misrepresentation and breach of contract
• Employment Law
• Numerous wage and hour disputes
• Several wrongful termination cases against public entities regarding police and corrections officers
• Wrongful termination case against large corporation for alleged discrimination based upon sexual orientation, religion and nationality
• Wrongful termination case against large corporation for alleged sexual harassment 
• Wrongful termination case against major financial institution for alleged racial and religious discrimination 
• Wrongful termination case against major utility company for alleged failure to accommodate disability
• Racial discrimination claim against large manufacturing firm
• Teacher's age discrimination case against school district
• Wrongful termination dispute involving a trucking and transportation services provider
  
  
• Homeowner Associations
• Homeowner dispute with HOA for alleged failure to maintain common area docks on lake property
• Homeowner dispute with HOA for alleged failure to maintain common area retaining wall and drainage system
• Homeowners' dispute with HOA Board of Directors regarding allegations of fraud and breach of fiduciary duties
• Homeowners' dispute with HOA for failure to maintain common area pool
• Homeowners' dispute with HOA for failure to maintain slopes
• Personal Injury
Elder Abuse

• Dispute regarding allegations of financial abuse and fraud by children of elderly man
• Dispute regarding allegations of physical abuse by neighbor against elderly woman
• Wrongful death case against care facility for negligence resulting in sepsis ulcers
Sexual Harassment/Abuse

• Several cases involving allegations of sexual abuse by priests
• Several disputes against school districts regarding abuse of students by teachers/coaches
Wrongful Death and Catastrophic Injury
•  Several wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases for alleged negligently designed roadways
• Wrongful death case against manufacturer of allegedly defective construction lift
• Wrongful death case against manufacturer of water truck for alleged defects that resulted in roll over on construction site
• Wrongful death case involving alleged intoxicated operator of pontoon boat
• Wrongful death case involving collision between two vessels at night
• Wrongful death case (decapitation) involving pontoon boat
• Serious personal injury (loss of arm) involving collision between two vessels
• Countless serious injury cases involving motor vehicles
• Serious Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) injury claim by railroad worker following collision between two locomotives
Premises Liability
• Several serious injury cases alleging dangerous conditions on Indian Casino properties
• Countless serious injury cases involving alleged dangerous conditions on property
• Several cases against businesses for alleged failure to provide adequate security
Other Torts

• Countless serious injury cases involving alleged dangerous conditions on property
• Professional Liability
• Personal injury case against oral surgeon for alleged negligent extraction of wisdom teeth
• Serious personal injury case against physician for alleged negligent performance of breast augmentation surgery
• Serious personal injury case against physician for alleged negligent performance of hysterectomy
• Wrongful death case against pathologist for alleged misdiagnosis of cancer
• Real Property
• Dispute between city and restaurant regarding zoning
• Dispute between city and 260 mobile home owners regarding conversion to resident-owned subdivision
• Dispute between home buyer and real estate agent based upon allegations of fraud, misrepresentation, and failure to disclose known defects
• Dispute between school district and adjacent property owner regarding road easement
• Several disputes between private land owners over road easements
• Dispute between homeowners regarding denial of access to common area riding trails
• Dispute between property owners regarding boundary issues
• Handled 54 eminent domain cases filed by major utility company

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• ADR Profiles
  • "Dissolving Tensions," ADR Profile, Daily Journal, January 20, 2017

Background and Education

• Judge, San Bernardino County Superior Court, 1998–2015
  • Supervising Judge, Civil Departments, 2013–2015
  • Presiding Judge, Appellate Division, 2013
  • Appellate Division, 2011–2013
• Judge, San Bernardino Municipal Court, 1995–1998
• Managing Partner, Brisco & Wolfe, Del Mar, CA, 1992–1995
• Associate, Tuverson & Hillyard, San Diego, CA, 1991–1992
• Associate, Haasis, Pope & Correll, San Diego, CA, 1985–1990
• Associate, Law Offices of John Ford, Santa Ana, CA, 1983–1985
• Sole Practitioner, Escondido, CA 1981-1983
• J.D., Western State University, College of Law, San Diego, CA
• B.A., Political Science, San Diego State University