Janine A. Sperandeo, Esq., brings to JAMS a unique combination of litigation and ADR experience. For the first part of her career, Ms. Sperandeo handled complex, multidistrict product liability matters and class actions. After more than a decade as an attorney working in litigation and the settlement of hundreds of individual claims, she turned to ADR full time, where she has played a role in the evaluation and resolution of sophisticated matters, including arbitrations, mediations, discovery references and neutral evaluations.

At JAMS, Ms. Sperandeo has worked side by side with the world’s leading jurists, arbitrators and mediators, handling a wide range of cases involving disputes in entertainment/sports, business, health care and employment, among other areas. This has allowed her to cultivate a wealth of unique experience working at the highest levels of the ADR industry.

Whether working with other neutrals or alone, Ms. Sperandeo assiduously prepares for every case and is personally committed to each matter.

Complex Litigation as an Advocate

Ms. Sperandeo worked on complex litigation, including the following:

• Handled aspects of pharmaceutical product liability bellwether trials, which were part of a multidistrict litigation and involved allegations that the pharmaceutical company failed to warn plaintiffs and physicians of the risks associated with taking the drug
• Oversaw the settlement administration of 500 clients involved in pharmaceutical product liability, which involved submitting detailed medical claims packages and releases for each claim
• Handled multidistrict litigation and settlement of pharmaceutical litigation involving SSRI antidepressants, diabetes drugs, bone density drugs, birth control and medical devices
• Handled litigation involving alleged unintended vehicle acceleration
• Handled securities class action litigations
  
  

Before becoming a neutral at JAMS, Ms. Sperandeo started her own law firm and acted as a research attorney to well-known JAMS neutrals on a wide variety of cases, including the following:

Representative Matters

• Business Commercial
• Breach of contract and fraud arbitration involving the development and manufacture of classic automobile parts
• Breach of contract and fraud arbitration involving joint venture relating to production and sale of commercial paper products
• Arbitration between family members and estate relating to loans allegedly made and repaid to estate
• Arbitration between large shopping/entertainment complex and LED vendor alleging breach of contract and declaratory relief
• Arbitration between investors and cannabis company with claims of self-dealing and breach of contract
• Breach of contract arbitration concerning sale of retail and wholesale cannabis apparel company, including related trademark and domain name
• Arbitration involving dissolution of joint venture to operate medical marijuana dispensary
• Breach of contract dispute between suppliers in supply chain of perishable food commodities, with assertions of force majeure
• Breach of contract dispute relating to licensing of beauty products
• Arbitrations related to dissolution of law firm partnerships and legal malpractice
• Neutral evaluation of issues presented by national trust company relating to choice of law in contract between trust company and bank concerning securitization of residential mortgage loans
• Consumer arbitrations alleging breach of cable television contracts and credit card contracts
• Discovery reference involving claims of breach of contract between automotive products company and auto dealerships
• Arbitration involving complex cryptocurrency investment relationship, including derivative claims of misappropriation of trade secrets and usurpation of corporate opportunities
• Breach of contract dispute between founder/employee and company relating to intellectual property and coffee extraction
• Employment Law
• Multiple employment discrimination arbitrations involving claims of age, racial, and/or disability discrimination, as well as violation of wage and hour laws, between individuals and, g., restaurant chains, automobile dealerships, big box store, construction company, private university, shared ride company, global technology company, law firm, healthcare companies, hospital
• Arbitration between architect and international architecture design and planning firm relating to termination of employment and repurchase of ownership shares 
• Entertainment & Sports
• Arbitration between athlete and investment company involving claims for breach of contract and violation of the Miller-Ayala Athlete Agents Act relating to brand agreement
• Breach of contract arbitration between renowned actor and television distribution company relating to Emmy Award-nominated television series
• Breach of contract and fraud arbitration between production company and major independent film company relating to producer agreement
• Breach of contract dispute between celebrity fitness guru and major entertainment/media company relating to online content on media company’s YouTube channel
• Arbitration between entertainment executive and major entertainment/media company concerning claims of breach of employment contract and defamation
• Arbitration between television writer and major entertainment/media company relating to division of profits from long-running television series
• Arbitration alleging breach of contract and fiduciary obligations between holding company and owners of film production company involving equity distributions in connection with the acquisition of the production company by a global entertainment conglomerate
• Breach of contract dispute concerning interpretation of a royalty calculation provision in connection with production of social media talk show
• Arbitration alleging breach of contract and fiduciary obligations between well-known film producer and production company relating to exclusive services agreement
• Breach of contract and fraud arbitration involving financial investment relating to creation of film
• Arbitration involving breach of contract dispute over stock purchase agreement relating to ownership of basketball league
• Arbitrations involving claims for breach of contract and fraud relating to film distribution and life rights in connection with Academy Award-nominated motion picture
• Breach of contract dispute over restraining order between prominent music producer/artist and individual
• Discovery reference involving claims of wrongful death against professional sports team
• Health Care
• Arbitrations involving breach of contract disputes between hospitals and health insurers for alleged underpayment of claims, including out-of-network charges and other payor/billing claims
• Breach of contract and fraud arbitration between health insurer and provider related to billing and network rates
• Representative arbitration by resident patients against skilled nursing care facilities alleging fraud and violations of consumer laws and health codes
• Discovery reference involving claims of breach of contract and economic interference between prominent health care provider and national health insurance plan
• Real Property
• Arbitration between real estate developer and investor concerning affordable housing
• Breach of contract arbitrations concerning the design and build of high-worth residences, including breach of fiduciary duty claims relating to real estate holding companies
• Breach of contract arbitration concerning high net worth real estate portfolio of individual with complex entity structure, with claims of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty
• Arbitration involving complex real estate investment structure, including individual and derivative claims of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair business practices against real estate investment group
• Multiparty arbitration involving remediation of property exposed to toxic substances
• Mediations involving California wildfire cases

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• State Bar of California
• Lecturer, University of Southern California Gould School of Law, 2019–2021
  • Arbitration Clause Drafting
  • Arbitration Advocacy

Publications

• “New Developments in California Wildfire Law,” Plaintiff Magazine, June 2022
• “Balancing Fairness and Efficiency Under the Due Process Clause in Mass Tort Actions: A Practical Outlook,” National Foundation for Judicial Excellence, Eighth Annual Judicial Symposium Course Materials, 2012
• “Mass Tort Settlements: How to Protect Your Client and Your Firm,” Hot Topics in Drug and Medical Device Litigation Conference, Harris Martin Publishing, 2011
• “Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg? Pharmaceutical Safety Issues: Congressional Investigation v. Litigation Exposure,” American Association for Justice, Summer Convention Course Materials, 2010

Background and Education

• Research Attorney and Mediation Associate, JAMS
• Attorney, Robinson Calcagnie, Inc.
• J.D., Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
  • Loyola Scholarship
• B.S., University of California, San Diego