Testimonials
"I think both sides felt like it was a fair settlement. There are some fairly complicated medical issues and factual issues in these asbestos cases, and he was in his element. He totally understood both sides’ arguments, and then he came up with what I thought was a reasonable compromise number, and we both went for it."
"He is very fair to both sides. He doesn’t take sides. Like when he was on the bench, there was no perception that he favored the plaintiff’s side versus the defense side."
"Lawyers, of course, try to explain, but when a third-party neutral – who has more experience and knowledge - sometimes when they are speaking it has more weight than the explanations given by their own counsel. I think Judge Kleifield knows how to play his role in that sense, and I really think he helped [the parties] to better understand the case, the claims and applicable case law."
"He saw the issues right away. I didn’t have to bring him up to speed. And he was able to bring somebody up to speed who was not knowledgeable in the law. …He was able to identify the legal issues and communicate why this case needs to be resolved and why it was in their best interest to do so. And in the end, he was successful in doing it. He got it done."
"I just highly recommend him. He thinks outside the box, and his experience gives him the knowledge to probably resolve any case before him. He just brings so much credibility to the table."
"Judge Kleifield approached the mediation in the same way that he approached the civil cases assigned to him as a judge. In other words, he was fair to both sides, treated everyone with respect, did his homework and was well prepared, listened closely to what was being communicated and asked good questions and brought his thorough knowledge of the law with him. He was instrumental in helping my client and plaintiffs resolve the disputed claims here and I understand from plaintiff counsel that two other defendants also succeeded in resolving as a result of the one day mediation. On behalf of my clients, I would certainly retain his services again as a mediator and would recommend Judge Kleifield as a mediator to my colleagues."
"Judge Kleifield was excellent and now on my list of recommended mediators. This was a very difficult case to resolve and his calm approach and attention to detail made it resolve. Highly recommend him."
"We really enjoyed working with Judge Kleifield. He has a calm and effective way of communicating news that may not be so good for our case. I have suggested him to defense counsel on another case we plan to mediate."
"Judge Kleifield was a very good mediator. I enjoyed him when he was a judicial officer in Los Angeles Superior Court. He works hard and took the time before the mediation to reach out to counsel and talk about the case and what he would need to assist him during the mediation. We were prepared and the prior preparation and discussion assisted in resolving the litigation. He was professional and courteous and worked well to speak with all parties and listen to all parties. Overall, good mediator."
