Hon. Thomas J. Rueter (Ret.), JAMS Mediator and Arbitrator

Hon. Thomas J. Rueter (Ret.) served for 26 years as a U.S. magistrate judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, including four years as chief magistrate judge before becoming a JAMS panelist. Prior to ascending to the court, Judge Rueter served for nine years as an assistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, including four years as chief of the Narcotics Section with the Justice Department. Before his time working with the Justice Department, Judge Rueter was an associate in the Philadelphia office of White and Williams LLP and served as a law clerk for United States District Judge Joseph L. McGlynn, Jr.

During his time on the bench, Judge Rueter presided over a wide-variety of matters including business/commercial and class action disputes to personal injury, intellectual property, civil rights, insurance, employment, professional liability and franchise matters. He served as the district court’s employment dispute resolution coordinator and, in that role, mediated a wide range of employment disputes for district court employees. Judge Rueter also has significant experience as a special master/discovery referee, having resolved numerous complex e-discovery matters.

Judge Rueter’s MDL settlement experience is particularly notable. In re Asbestos Litigation MDL 875, Judge Rueter oversaw the settlement of hundreds of cases transferred by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 1991. Each case typically consisted of claims by multiple plaintiffs against multiple defendants. Judge Rueter also oversaw the settlement of several complex attorneys’ fees disputes in the high-profile MDL In re NFL Players’ Concussion Injury Litigation MDL 2323. This matter involved over 20,000 class members and nearly $1 billion in benefits. Since joining JAMS, Judge Rueter has become a sought-after neutral because of his thorough preparation, determination, and knowledge of the law. Attorneys have noted that his mediations should be considered “a master class in mediating.”

ADR Experience and Qualifications

Judge Rueter brings his experience from the bench, where he conducted more than 4,000 settlement conferences, to his work as a JAMS panelist, mediating and arbitrating a wide variety of complex matters including class action/mass tort and MDLs. He regularly mediates and arbitrates business/commercial matters as well as insurance, intellectual property, personal injury, professional liability, and employment disputes.
Judge Rueter is frequently appointed by courts as a special master/referee.

Representative Matters

Business Commercial

Antitrust/Competition

Mediated matters involving allegations of antitrust as well as disputes regarding non-compete and non-solicitation clauses,
Served as court appointed special master/referee in an antitrust litigation

Breach of Contract

Mediated a wide variety of breach of contract disputes involving issues such as interference with contractual relations, violation of sponsorship agreements, reimbursement
Arbitrated many different types of breach of contract disputes involving both economic and non-economic damages
Mediated action against professional football team and owner for breach of contract

Consumer/Credit

Arbitrated and mediated various consumer credit matters against companies such as car title loan companies, credit cards, banks, credit unions

Partnership/Joint Ventures

Mediated the partnership dissolution of a health care entity
Mediated dissolution of law partnership matters

Franchise Distribution

Mediated an action by multiple franchisees against franchisor, resulting in dissolution of old franchise system and creation of new franchises
Mediated a termination of a franchise by car manufacturer of dealership

Civil Rights

Mediated a dispute against a school alleging violations of Title VI for the bullying and harassment of a student based on race, ethnicity, and religion
Mediated action against school district by child who was kidnapped from the school
As a Judge, presided over excessive force cases against police departments and have mediated many similar disputes

Class Action & Mass Tort and Multi-District Litigation

Mediated several class action suits brought by students against various universities and schools for a tuition refunds due to COVID-19 closures
Mediated many collective actions concerning wage & hour claims by employees
Mediated nationwide class action claiming delays in receipt of SSI benefits by refugees and asylees
Mediated a class action against Philadelphia Department of Human Services for reform of procedures
In re Asbestos Litigation MDL 875: settlement of numerous multi-defendant cases
In re NFL Players’ Concussion Injury Litigation MDL 2323: settlement of attorneys’ fees disputes

Election Law

Mediated action by Federal Election Commission against a U.S. presidential campaign alleging improper use of campaign funds

Employment Law

Discrimination

Served as an arbitrator, mediator and court appointed special master/referee in a wide variety of employment discrimination cases involving the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Title VII, as well as various state laws
Mediated a dispute between a professor and a university involving gender and disability discrimination as well as retaliation
Mediated multiple-plaintiff gender-discrimination case against television network

Wage & Hour

Served as an arbitrator or mediator in many wage & hour disputes involving the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as well as various state laws
Served as a neutral evaluator on a matter involving a wage & hour class action
Mediated multiple-plaintiff overtime wage case filed by firefighters against the City of Philadelphia

Harassment/Assault

Mediated an alleged wrongful termination and harassment claim by a former manager of an international furniture company
Mediated a high-profile allegation of sexual assault against prominent celebrity
Mediated a high-profile action by prominent municipal executive fired by mayor for sexual harassment

Executive Compensation

Mediated an employment breach of contract dispute regarding executive compensation
Mediated a wrongful termination claim of a pharmaceutical executive that resulted in loss of stock options
Mediated a dispute regarding additional payment and benefits for a former school CEO

ERISA

Mediated disputes involving long-term disability benefits under group insurance policies
As a Judge, presided over the settlement of hundreds of long-term disability and breach of fiduciary duty claims
As a trial judge, presided over In Re: Unisys Corp Retiree Medical Benefits ERISA MDL Litigation
Currently serving as a special master for discovery in ERISA breach of fiduciary duty claim

Trade Secrets

Mediated a number of trade secret misappropriation cases

False Claims Act/Whistleblower

Mediated a number of whistleblower disputes which involved claims of wrongful termination and retaliation
Appointed as Special Master in matters involving violations of the False Claims Act
Mediated action by several state attorneys general against a health care utilization review company

Insurance

Mediated a variety of insurance coverage disputes which include first-party property matters, bad faith claims, subrogation, and life insurance, and employment practices liability insurance (EPLI)
Mediated a number of insurance coverage disputes related to fire damage
Served as a court appointed discovery mater in an uninsured motorist case
As a Judge, settled and adjudicated many insurance coverage and bad faith actions. See e.g., Green Tweed v. Hartford Accident & Indem. Co., 2006 WL 1050110 (E.D.Pa. April 21, 2006)(coverage); Co-author, Pa. Reasonable Expectations Doctrine, 45 Villanova L.Rev. 581(2000)(coverage); Kaufman v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., 1997 WL 703175(Nov. 12, 1997)(bad faith)

Intellectual Property

Mediated several disputes involving trade secrets, non-compete clauses, and post-employment restrictive covenants
Mediated a trademark infringement matter
Key Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. ESI-Lederle, Inc., Civil Action No. 96-1219 (patent case; 402 F.3d 1056 (11th Cir. 2005) and 2009 WL 508869 (D.N.J. 2009))
Mediated a copyright action against cable television company for misappropriation of copyrighted images and movie posters
As a Judge, presided over and settled numerous misappropriations of trademark cases as well as presided over the invalidation of a trademark trial

Personal Injury

Mediated several personal injury matters involving auto accidents
Mediated a wrongful death matter involving the use of medication
Mediated a dispute between a university and a former student involving a sexual assault
Mediated a case involving the alleged sexual assault of a minor by their teacher
Mediated a case involving allegations of assault and battery, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress against a franchise owner
Mediated a product liability matter brought under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA)
Mediated multiple premises liability matters involving injuries sustained at locations such as malls, warehouses and apartment complexes
Mediated a libel/defamation matter against a minor
Mediated product liability matters involving lawn mowers and ladders
Mediated a multi-million-dollar settlement against school for student injured in school bus accident
Mediated settlements of wrongful death cases involving trucking accidents

Professional Liability

Mediated a variety of medical malpractice matters that resulted in personal injuries
Mediated a variety of legal malpractice cases
Mediated breach of fiduciary duty disputes against officers and directors
Mediated professional liability disputes against accountants

Real Property/Land Use

Mediated a dispute regarding the valuation to temporary and permanent easements which involved issues of condemnation and eminent domain
Mediated a breach of contract dispute in connection with a real estate project
Mediated a dispute between the buyer and seller of a home regarding disclosures and negligence by the home inspector
Has mediated and arbitrated a variety of construction defect disputes both commercial and residential
Mediation action by multiple homeowners against developer for contaminated water due to faulty water filtration system
Mediated hurricane damage claims for commercial buildings in Houston

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS.

Memberships and Affiliations

Appointee, Committee on Criminal Law, U.S. Judicial Conference, 2004–2010
Magistrate Judge Representative, Judicial Council of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 2007
Member, Committee on Education, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1999–2003
Member; Criminal Business, Public Interest Law, Magistrate Judge Utilization, Information and Technology, and Alternative Dispute Resolution Committees; U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (over the course of his 26-year career)

Selected Awards and Honors

Included on Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers for Litigation: Mediators (Pennsylvania), 2023
Evaluations, Almanac of the Federal Judiciary, 1998–2018
Man of the Year Award, Police Chiefs Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, 2009
500 Leading Judges in America, Lawdragon Magazine, 2006
Special Commendation from U.S. Deputy Attorney General George T. Terwilliger III, 1992
Award for Outstanding Service as Assistant U.S. Attorney, Justice Department, 1988

Background and Education

U.S. Magistrate Judge, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1994–2020

Chief Judge, 2007–2011

Chief, Narcotics Section and President’s Drug Task Force, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1990–1994
Assistant Director, Executive Office for Weed & Seed, Office of Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, July–Dec. 1992
Assistant United States Attorney, Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1985–1990
White and Williams, Philadelphia, 1982–1985
Law Clerk to the Honorable Joseph L. McGlynn, Jr., U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1980–1982
J.D., Dickinson School of Law of Pennsylvania State University, 1980