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General Biography
Practice Areas
Business Commercial
Construction Defect
Employment Law
Environmental Law
Insurance
Personal Injury
Product Liability
Professional Liability
Securities
Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities
Background and Education
Michael G. Ornstil is a true pioneer in ADR, being one of the first full-time attorney neutrals in California. Since joining JAMS in 1994, he has served as a mediator in a wide variety of matters. A skilled mediator who has evaluated in excess of 4,500 matters, Mr. Ornstil gets cases resolved through his pragmatic and focused approach. He has a capacity for quickly zeroing in on pivotal issues and is recognized for his ability to get parties through impasse by focusing on those factors that are critical to settlement.
ADR Experience and Qualifications
Mediated a wide variety of cases including matters involving personal injury and wrongful death, products liability, property damage, subrogation, medical malpractice, insurance coverage and bad faith, toxic torts, wrongful termination, sexual discrimination, lemon law, landlord-tenant, partnership dissolution and construction defects
Mediated in excess of 4,500 cases in seven western states
Mediated catastrophic injury claims involving settlements in the $5,000,000 to $40,000,000 range
Representative Matters
Additional Representative Matters
Mediated catastrophic injury claims involving settlements in the $5,000,000 to $40,000,000 range
Mediated over ten class action lawsuits involving claims against lenders
Mediated a high profile sexual and racial harassment claim at the request of the Mayor's office of the City of Stockton
Mediated a high profile housing/construction claim at the request of a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Mediated a dispute over royalty payments involving a Top 20 rock and roll band
Served on the team of arbitrators in a national racial discrimination class action
Mediated an amusement park water slide accident case involving wrongful death and multiple catastrophic personal injury claims
Mediated a number of cases involving Business and Professions Code section §17200 claims against commercial and financial institutions
Mediated a dispute over the construction of a minor league baseball stadium
Catastrophic Injury/Wrongful Death
Mediated, or is in the process of mediating a number of the most high profile injury and wrongful death cases in California. These include:
The Berkeley Balcony Collapse case
The UPS Worksite Shooting case
The San Mateo Limousine Fire case
The Ghost Ship Fire litigation
Wildfire and Fire Cases
Involved in a number of California's large fire and wildfire cases, including:
The Butte Fire Cases
Involved in mediating individual claims, the claims of governmental entities, and the insurance subrogation claims vs. PG&E
The Thomas Fire
Involved in mediating the subrogation claims of 106 insurance carriers vs. Southern California Edison
The North Bay and Paradise Fire
Involved in mediating individual claims of 13 governmental entities vs. PG&E
Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities
Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS.
Distinguished Mediator of the Year Award, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, 2012
Recognized as Northern California Super Lawyer, ADR Category, 2010-2014
Recognized as a Top 40 California Neutral, Daily Journal, 2007
Mr. Ornstil serves or has served on a number of national mediation/arbitration panels including the NASD, EEOC, General Motors, Louisiana Pacific, and MCI panels
Lectured at Boalt, Hastings, USF, and Golden Gate University on the subject of mediation and ADR
Authored several articles on mediation and arbitration and has been interviewed on local, national, and foreign television and radio stations on the subject of ADR
Private practice, Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold, San Francisco, 1982-1994; Partner, Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold, San Francisco, 1987-1994
Extensive experience as a trial attorney in a variety of civil litigation cases including personal injury, product liability, chemical exposure/toxic torts, landlord/tenant, medical malpractice, construction, automobile, fire litigation and premises claims
Prior to entering law school, held various positions on the options trading floor of the Pacific Stock Exchange and developed expertise representing brokers and market makers in PSE and NASD hearings
J.D., Hastings College of Law, 1982; Editor, Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly, 1981-1982
B.S., cum laude, University of Miami (political science), 1978
Counsel Comments
“You did an excellent job in handling a very difficult case. I really appreciate the way you explored the potential avenues for exposure to our client and thought of creative ways to get the parties moving toward settlement. Ultimately, I believe this settlement was primarily due to your hard work and efforts.”
-Partner, Civil Litigation Attorney
Home Office
HOME OFFICE
Walnut Creek, California
1255 Treat Blvd., Suite 700, Walnut Creek, CA 94597
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Counsel Comments
-Partner, Civil Litigation Attorney