Mediator Profile
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THIS MEDIATOR PROFILE IS PROVIDED BY THE MEDIATOR. THE SAN DIEGO SUPERIOR COURT DOES NOT GUARANTEE OR WARRANT THE CONTENT OR ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION, OR THE COMPETENCY OR QUALIFICATIONS OF THE MEDIATOR. NOT ALL MEDIATORS MAY BE AVAILABLE FOR ASSIGNMENT EVEN IF THEY ARE LISTED AS BEING 'AVAILABLE' ON A PARTICULAR DATE SINCE ACTUAL AVAILABILITY IS DETERMINED AT THE TIME OF CASE ASSIGNMENT.
JANICE L. SPEROW
Availability
Available on 01/19/2025
Contact Information
Panel
Civil Mediation Panel
ADR Specialty
ONLINE MEDIATIONS AVAILABLE. ADR specialist for over 25 years, more than 200 ADR cases & over 1000 ADR cases as practitioner. Have served on all types of commercial, employment, intellectual property, securities, & consumer cases as part-time arbitrator & mediator until 2017 when I became a full-time arbitrator & mediator. Also appointed as Judge, Pro Tem for San Diego Superior Court & inducted into the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. Have heard all case values from 5 to 8 figures.
Mediation Style
Evaluative, Facilitative
Expertise
- Auto/Lemon Law
- Business/Contract
- Employment/Labor Relations
- Intellectual Property
- Landlord/Tenant
- Securities
Fees
Fee Per Hour:
$250.00
Fee Per Day: $2500.00
Fee Per Day: $2500.00
Additional Info:
- No cancellation fee with 72 hours notice. If less than 72 hours notice, will charge 50% of reserved time. If less than 24 hours notice, will charge 100% of reserved time.
Primary ADR Provider Organization
- Sperow ADR Services
Current Affiliations with Dispute Resolution Provider/Professional Organizations
| Organization Name | Affiliation Details |
|---|---|
| World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | Qualified on intellectual property roster. |
| National Arbitration & Mediation Association (NAM) | Qualified on business, employment, and all rosters. |
| American Arbitration Association | On consumer, commercial, employment, pro se, and expedited panels. Have handled appeals for the AAA. Cases have included banking, telecommunications, technology, intellectual property, contract, debt collection, professional fees & malpractice, fraud, fiduciary duties, franchise, negligence, discrimination, whistleblower, ADA, commercial, securities, FEHA, warranty, Labor Code, transportation, and statutory claims. |
| Better Business Bureau (BBB) | On business, contract, Lemon law, and all commercial rosters. Cases have included breach of contract, design, Department of Transportation, debt collection, breach of warranty, Lemon law, Beverly-Song Act, and all consumer cases. |
| Financial Industry Neutral Regulatory Authority | On employment, expungement, business, securities, and all general rosters. Selected as panel chair in 95% of the cases. |
Dispute Resolution Training
| Organization Name | Course Title | Year | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Managing ADR with Pro Se Parties | 2019 | 3 |
| AAA | Cybersecurity | 2019 | 3 |
| ROSE | Intellectual Property ADR | 2019 | 5 |
| AAA | Employment & Labor ADR | 2018 | 18 |
| AAA | Performance & Meeting Participants' Expectations | 2018 | 1 |
| Better Business Bureau | Roster Training | 2018 | 8 |
| Superior Court | Pro Tem Judge Training | 2018 | 12 |
| AAA | Decision Making | 2017 | 5 |
| AAA | Panel Training | 2017 | 18 |
| FINRA/NASD | Chair Training | 2007 | 9 |
| FINRA (NASD National Assn of Securities Dealers) | Panel Member Training | 1999 | 11 |
Neutral Experience
| Type | # Years | # Cases | Description of Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediator | 30 | 67 | PT mediator since 1989. FT since 2017. Have handled commercial, business torts, employment, and consumer cases. My approach is collaborative. Many mediations have turned into licensing and other business arrangements. Greatest strengths are listening keenly to the parties' goals and objectives, working well with parties and counsel in a friendly, professional manner, piercing through analytically to the core issues and values at stake, and keeping everyone on task. |
| Arbitrator | 30 | 300 | PT arbitrator since 1989, FT since 2017. Served as arbitrator/chief arbitrator for the SF Bar Assn. Appointed by SF Mayor Willie Brown as hearing officer to resolve customer disputes. Starting in 1999 to present, serve as Arbitrator/Chair for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Joined AAA's commercial, employment, consumer, pro se, and expedited arbitration panels. Handle 1 day to month long. Recently chaired 3 week arbitration with 13 parties, 6 jurisdictions and millions at issue. |
Attorney Experience
| # Years | Description of Experience |
|---|---|
| 32 | Litigator at Morrison & Foerster specializing in commercial, employment, ADR, and intellectual property matters. Managing Partner Ruiz & Sperow handling all litigation and ADR cases for private and public sector clients. Emphasized preventive measures, exposure assessments, and lawsuit avoidance protocols. Worked with clients to develop in-house policies to address recurring problems. Conducted several in-house employment investigations and trainings. Led all ADR & litigation for the firm. |
Other Relevant Experience
| Type | # Years | Description of Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Judicial Clerk | 1 | Federal judicial clerk for Hon. Richard J. Cardamone U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, New York. Federal judicial extern for Hon. J. Clifford Wallace U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, San Diego |
| Judge Pro Tem | 1 | Have served as Judge Pro Tem for the San Diego Superior Court for over a year presiding over all types of claims, including breach of contract, fraud, landlord-tenant, consumer cases, debt collections, torts, trespass, and business disputes. |
| Hearing Officer | 1 | Appointed for one year term by then San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown as hearing officer for customer disputes against the SF public railway system. |
| Public Defender | 0 | While at Morrison & Foerster, did 3 months pro bono at the SF Public Defender's office. Successfully tried over 90 cases during that project. |
| Of Counsel | 1 | Consultant on litigation, special education, disability accommodation, and ADA for private firms. |
Education
| Institution | Degree/Certificate | Major | Start Year | End Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC SF Hastings College of the Law | JD | Law, summa cum laude | 1983 | 1986 |
| UC Berkeley | BA, magna cum laude | French Literature with High Honors | 1978 | 1982 |
Employment History
| Employer | Position | Start Year | End Year | Current |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | Adjunct Professor | 2004 | 2017 | No |
| Ruiz & Sperow | Managing Partner | 1995 | 2018 | No |
| Morrison & Foerster | Litigator | 1987 | 1994 | No |
Professional Licenses
| License Type | State | License Number | Year Issued | Active |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JD | CA | 129617 | 1986 | Yes |
Languages
French
ADA Accessible Facility
Yes
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