William James O'Connor

I have conducted several hundred mediations, court-sponsored settlement conferences, and privately retained ADR cases. Most have been a variety of civil legal disputes, mainly, Personal Injury, Business, Construction Defect, and Real Estate matters. I have also served for almost ten (10) years as a Neutral Arbitrator for Kaiser Med- Mal Arbitrations

In recent years, I have expanded my practice into the area of Probate, Wills, Trust and Estate and Conservatorship Contests. I have become experienced in these matters,successfully resolving many of them, and now work in that field, while still accepting many other civil-litigation cases for mediation and arbitration and private ADR services

California

I have a Masters in Philosophy and Psychology. I later graduated from the USF Law School. For over 33 years I've engaged in Civil Litigation and Trials. I have taught Law School and Training Programs for attorneys and paralegals. I originally worked with the Superior Court in SF as a court Mediator and as a part-time Commissioner/Judge. I have substantial, specific, professional Mediation training. I belong to the SF Bar Association and the Marin County Bar Association and am a member of their respective ADR Sections. I have been accepted to the Mediation/ADR panels of SF, Marin, Alameda, Solano, and Sonoma County Superior Courts. I also serve as a special neutral in Kaiser medical malpractice Arbitrations throughout California.
I am effective, experienced, and successful in all my ADR activities. I have found a great deal of professional and personal satisfaction in this type of work, which although very demanding, also results in resolution of conflict, the reduction of time and expense and sometimes even reconciliation among litigants.
I have handled hundreds of Mediations and Arbitrations, some simple and some very complex. I have been very successful in resolving them, I believe, because of my concentration on pre-Mediation preparation and contact with all parties ahead of time, separately and confidentially. My article " Mediation 101" has been published in local Bar Association Journals. My fees are reasonable and competitive and I specialize in working with small to medium sized law firms and private individuals.
(References are always available upon request, with the permission of Judges and attorneys involved.)

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATI ONS (Past and Current):
Mediation Society of California ( By Invitation)
Sonoma County Appreoved Panel of ADR Professionals
San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
Marin County Bar Association - (Past Chair ADR Section)
San Francisco Bar Association
Contra Costa County Bar Association
San Francisco Lawyers Club
St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco
Irish-American Bar Association of San Francisco (Past President)

NON-PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS (Past and Current)
Mayor’s Advisory Commission- Renovation - SF Ferry Building
San Francisco Democratic Club
Irish Forum – Board of Directors
Irish Historical and Literary Society
Golden Gate Yacht Club (Past Commodore)