Ken Strongman is a private commercial mediator/arbitrator of complex, high risk litigated cases since 2004.

As a full-time, mediator and arbitrator, Ken Strongman works to unite people into purposeful and unified directions, actions, and efforts by getting under surface appearances. By doing so, he facilitates the parties in developing their unique solutions. Disputes addressed include business, securities, construction defects, real estate, intellectual property, employment, environment, energy, and trusts & estates.

Successful Mediation Examples:

Real Estate. Appellant mediation: partners of an incomplete $40 million real estate development disagreed on who owned it and who would go forward with it.

Construction Defects. HOA v. contractor. The original contract was between the old HOA Board, and the contractor performed work under the new HOA Board. The new Board said the work was not to their specs even though it met municipal code standards.

Business. Appellant mediation: a national construction products manufacturer acquired a California manufacturer. A multi-million-dollar dispute arose with the acquired company claiming breach of contract, wrongful termination, breach of fiduciary duty, and accounting errors. Before mediation, the parties had participated in 2 private mediations, 4 settlement conferences, and received a jury verdict for the acquiring company after a 5-week trial.

Securities. A mediation involving a dispute over a 150-million-dollar portfolio.

Employment. Dispute regarding firm providing for disabilities for an employee.

Technology and Intellectual Property. A pre-litigation mediation, a $6 million dispute arose after the acquisition of a high-tech company. The contract “recipe” for an adhesive was different from the “real recipe”.

• The Mediation Society of San Francisco, Board Member
• Robert G. McGrath American Inn of Court, Board Member
• John F. Kennedy University, Paralegal Advisory Board
• Contra Costa Bar Association, Past Chair of the ADR Section
• Adjunct Law Professor
• Judge Pro Temp

• FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority)
• Third and Sixth Districts of the California Court of Appeals (the first district when it was active as well)
• Superior Court Panels: Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, San Juaquin.

Bar Admissions: State Bar of California, Bar #215483; U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (federal); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (federal)

• Juris Doctor, John F. Kennedy University School of Law, Walnut Creek, CA; Editor-in-Chief, John F. Kennedy University Law Review.
  
• Masters of Business Administration, Golden Gate University, emphasis in Information Systems/Computer Science, San Francisco, CA
• Bachelor of Science, University of California, Davis, Environmental Planning and Management (Urban & Regional Planning), Davis, CA

Ken Strongman’s overarching purpose is to leave the disputing parties in a better position than when they came to him, by having a major part of helping people to be uniquely outstanding in their own way raising them to their next best level.

Leadership: He is a proven leader performing mediations and teaching others the best practices of the profession; in addition, he has strong roots in the community in service organizations and board memberships.

Goals: Ken accomplishes this by joining people into a purposeful and unified direction, action or effort, working directly with people, either groups or individuals, communicating ideas, positions, opinions, proposals, and information.

Vision: He helps others plan, by helping them visualize future success by translating intangibles in to a picture that is original and distinctive – developing a strategy to achieve an end.

Investigation: Ken works hard investigating, getting under surface appearances gathering information not necessarily provided. The process is to find out things by going to people and inquiring of them either by formally interviewing them or starting a casual conversation which leads to picking their brains.

A refundable deposit of $1,500 from each party must be received before the date and time of the mediation session will be confirmed or at least 10 business days before the mediation session. Any additional fees incurred are due and payable upon receipt of the invoice. If the invoice is not paid within 30 days of the date of the invoice, a 1% per month compounding late fee will be applied.