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

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
• 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 and 2024
• 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
• Notes Editor, Dickinson Law Review
• B.A., summa cum laude, University of Scranton, 1977