Resume

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Hon. Paul A. Bacigalupo, Ret. joined ADR Services, Inc. in 2024 after 22 years as a Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court. In 2014, Judge Bacigalupo was assigned to the Van Nuys courthouse, where he conducted mandatory settlement conferences full-time for the last four years of his judicial career. He previously presided over an independent calendar civil and trial court and various criminal assignments. As a mediator, Judge Bacigalupo is characterized by his persistent curiosity to achieve resolution and his ability to ask the right questions at the right time. His reputation as an active, empathetic, and intense listener precedes him, and he is known to work tirelessly with the parties to develop creative pathways to settlement.

What further sets Judge Bacigalupo apart is his deep understanding of multicultural nuances and business and insurance decision-making processes that play a pivotal role in the settlement process. Having lived and worked in Europe, Asia and Mexico, and his familiarity with all the courts throughout California, Judge Bacigalupo has an unparalleled perspective of the diversity of litigants, attorneys, jury pools, insurance carriers, businesses, partnerships, government entities and injured parties. He is respected and sought after for his ability to accomplish resolution.

Judge Bacigalupo’s legal career spans both the public and private sectors. Prior to becoming a Judge of the Superior Court, he was a Judge of the California State Bar Court. During his legal career, he practiced public and private complex construction law, business litigation, employment law, insurance, product liability, personal injury, and immigration law in both state and federal courts. He was a founding attorney mediator and arbitrator of the JAMS/Endispute Los Angeles and Santa Monica offices in 1995.

Judge Bacigalupo’s dedication to judicial outreach and mentorship has left a profound and enduring mark on the legal community. He was elected as the 87th president of the California Judges Association (CJA) and founded its Judicial Fairness Coalition and is a former co-chair of the Judicial Branch Bench-Bar Coalition, a former member of the Judicial Council of California, a Special Master with the Commission on Judicial Performance (CJP), and a CJP mentor. He is frequently invited to speak to bar associations and organizations around the country about mentoring, judicial independence, and attorney well-being.

• Business/Partnership
• Personal Injury
• Employment
• Construction
• Complex Toxic Tort
• Sexual Assault & Abuse
• Professional Negligence
• Real Estate & Land Use
• Entertainment
• HOA Disputes
• Health Care
• Government Entities
• Religious Institutions
• Wrongful Death
• Cannabis
• Elder Abuse
• Aviation & Aerospace
• Technology/Social Media
• Product Liability
• Civil Rights

• J.D., McGeorge School of Law, 1987
• American University in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong), 1985
• B.S. Political Science, Santa Clara University, 1981
• Gonzaga University in Florence, Italy, 1979-1980

Van Nuys Courthouse, Northwest District, 2014-2024

• Dedicated Mandatory Settlement Conferences, 2019-2024
• Assistant Supervising Judge, 2020-2022
• Unlimited Civil and Trial Court, 2014-2019

Compton Courthouse, South Central District, 2003-2014

• Criminal Assignment: Long cause felony trials, felony and misdemeanor calendar and trial matters, preliminary hearings, arraignment and early disposition court, drug court and traffic court.
• Civil Assignment: Conducted mandatory settlement conferences.

State Bar Court, 2000-2002

• Appointed as a hearing judge to the State Bar Court of California. Sat on assignment on the Review Department. Founding Supervisor of the State Bar Court’s Southern California Alternative Discipline Program, the nation’s first comprehensive program for attorney substance abuse and mental health.

Los Angeles Superior Court Leadership

• Los Angeles Judicial Mentor Program, Founding Co-Chair, 2020-2023
• Los Angeles Judges Election Protection Committee, Founding Member of Board of Directors, 2018-2022
• Facilities Committee, Member, 2018-2024
• Outreach and Access and Fairness Committees, Member and Faculty, 2003-2024
• Teen Court Judge, San Fernando, Compton, and Jordan Downs High School, 2003-2017
• Countywide Court-Clergy Conference, Chair of Justice for All, 2016
• Executive Committee, Elected Member, 2008-2009

Law Office of Paul A. Bacigalupo; Castle and Associates; Meyers, Bianchi, McConnell; Law Office of Fredrick Wentzel (in-house counsel for Hartford Insurance Group), 1990-2000

• Practiced public and private construction law, handling complex litigation and claims involving structures such as courthouses, prisons, universities, airports, roads, bridges, hospitals, high-rise buildings, apartment buildings, and homes. Practice areas included contract negotiation, delay claims, bid protests, insurance disputes, professional liability, construction defects and accidents, bond and indemnity disputes, employment, and product liability. Represented a wide array of clients including international and national general contractors and joint ventures, manufacturers, subcontractors, construction managers, architects, engineers, owners, and public agencies.

JAMS/Endispute, 1995-1997

• Founding attorney mediator and arbitrator in the Los Angeles and Santa Monica offices. Member of its specialized construction and employment panels.

Howard Hom and Associates, Los Angeles, 1988-1990

• Practiced immigration law, handling cases involving investor visas, temporary and student visas, citizenship, and deportation for various clients such as families, employers, professionals, and religious workers. Represented Asian clients in both the United States District Court and United States Immigration Court.

United States Immigration Court, 1987-1988

• Judicial Clerk for the Executive Office of Immigration Review, U.S. Department of Justice. Drafted judicial decisions and legal memorandums. Conducted legal research on issues surrounding removal, exclusion, asylum, citizenship, fraud, and crimes of moral turpitude.

Riquelme and Associates, Mexico City, 1987

• Law Clerk at the Mexico City office of a leading international law firm assisting with drafting contracts and joint venture agreements for international business transactions and cross-border issues.

Prosperity United Law Firm, Taipei, Taiwan, 1985

• Law Clerk at an international law and accountancy firm, reviewing business contracts and agreements between Taiwanese and foreign countries.

• Judicial Council of California, Member and Liaison to Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, 2018-2019
• Judicial Council Rules and Projects Committee, Member, 2018-2019
• Commission on Judicial Performance, Special Master and Southern California Mentor, 2015-Present
• Judicial Branch Access, Ethics and Fairness Curriculum Committee, Former Chair and Member, 2010-2018
• Judicial Branch Fairness Committee, Member, 2004-2010

California Judicial Mentor Program, 2021-Present

• Founding Chair. A partnership between the executive and judicial branches dedicated to increasing broad diversity, inclusivity and excellence in the judiciary.

Appointed member of the Advanced Judicial Studies Institute, Advanced Judicial College Workgroup, Qualifying Ethics 6 and 7 Workgroup, and Judicial College faculty. Educational programs include:

• Building Resilient Leaders, 2019
• Mindfulness: How To Be a Calmer Judge, 2018
• Becoming a Resilient Judicial Officer, 2018-Present
• Trauma in the Courtroom, 2017-2018
• The Excellence of Judicial Decision-Making, 2015

• California Judges Association, 87th President, Board Member, and Member, 2000-Present
• Italian American Lawyers Association, Member of the Board of Governors, 2022-Present
• Bench Bar Coalition, Elected Co-Chair (2020-2022), Executive Committee, Member, 2019-Present
• California Latino Judges Association, Member, 2005 – Present
• National Implicit Bias Network, Member, 2018-Present
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, Member, Volunteer Mediator and Arbitrator, 1988 – 2000

• Every 15 Minutes, Participant and Speaker, 2016-2017
• Mock Trial, Constitutional Rights Foundation, Southwestern Law School Trial Advocacy Program, Participant and Judge, 2008-2015
• Para Los Ninos Charter Elementary School, Member of the Advisory Board, 2004-2010
• Sacramento Neighborhood Mediation Center, Founding Member of the Board of Directors, 1986-1987

• California Lawyers Association; Los Angeles County Bar Association; Defense Research Institute – Asbestos Medical Seminar.

• Advocate, Journal of Consumer Attorneys Associations for Southern California; Plaintiff, Magazine for Northern California Plaintiffs’ Attorneys; Association of Business Trial Lawyers The Report.

• San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Judge of the Year, 2017
• Mexican American Bar Association PAC, Judicial Excellence Award, 2017