Patricia Thompson
Arbitrator, Mediator, Neutral at JAMS
Experience
7 years as arbitrator (primarily) and mediator with JAMS; 40 years as construction, commercial insurance, commercial dispute and employment trial, arbitration and appellate attorney in Miami, Florida offices of three prominent law firms. Frequent lecturer and writer in areas of legal expertise, including ADR.
Work History
2017-present JAMS, Miami office 1990-1997 Popham Haik, Miami 1997-2016 Carlton Fields, Miami 1976-1990 Kimbrell & Hamann, Miami
Cases
Most of my arbitrations have concerned construction, fidelity and commercial insurance coverage, breach of contract, fraud and deceptive practices, independent contractor/employment matters, (including non-compete disputes, discrimination, wage claims, wrongful termination), and although not strictly “commercial”, I have handled numerous banking disputes concerning individual customers, including allowing alleged elder fraud, and numerous consumer claims arbitrations involving the TCPA, federal unfair debt collection, credit discrimination, and analogous state law claims.
Training
On going ADR training for 6 years at JAMS
License(s)
Florida licensed attorney
Education
JD - Vanderbilt University School of Law 1976 BA - Saint Olaf College, magna cum laude
Publications
1. “Preparing and Presenting the Complex Surety Case to a Panel of Arbitrators,” MANAGING AND LITIGATING THE COMPLEX SURETY CASE (ABA 1998). 2. “Effective Use of Arbitration,” ARBITRATION AND THE SURETY (ABA 2020). 3. \"Drafting Disasters - Why You Need to Sharpen Your [Arbitration] Clause,\" ABA Forum on Construction Midwinter Meeting (January 2015) 4. “An Indispensable Resource for Construction Arbitration: The College of Commercial Arbitrators Guide to Best Practices in Commercial Arbitration” (4th ed. 2018) American Bar Association: Under Construction, Vol. 20, No. 1, Summer 2018. 5. “Arbitration Appeals: A Safety Value That Is Fast, Fair, Cost-Effective and Final,” ADR Times, March 2022. 6. “Private Adjudication - A Solution to Justice Delayed by Coronavirus Disruptions,” Daily Business Review – Miami-Dade, April 2020. 7. “Demystifying the Surety Industry\"s Expedited Dispute Resolution Bond,” Construction Executive, March 2020. 8. \"The Danger of Inconsistent Choice of Law, Jurisdiction and Arbitration Clauses in Insurance Policies,\" Bloomberg BNA (May 2014) 9. “Mandatory Dispute Resolution of Consumer or Customer Disputes with Goods or Service Providers,” THE ADVOCATES ADR HANDBOOK, ABA (2000). 10. “Drafting Arbitration Clauses in Construction Contracts: Best Practices and Questions to Consider”, https://www.jamsadr.com//blog/2017/drafting-arbitration-clauses-in-construction-contracts.
Awards
Martin J. Andrews Award for Lifetime Achievement in Fidelty and Surety Law, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, TIPS, ABA Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center Sister Catherin Cassidy Compassion Award for pro bono legal services
Associations
Fellow of American College of Construction Lawyers; Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; American Bar Association: Litigation Section, Past Chair of Construction Lit. Committee; Tort, Trial and Insurance Practice Section, Past Chair of Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, Forum on Construction, Div. 1 currently active member; Florida Bar, ADR Section, Chair of Arbitration Committee (2022-23)
Miscellaneous
Presentations: 1. “To Arbitrate or Not to Arbitrate – That is the Question”, Pearlman Conference, Sept. 2021, Woodinville, WA. 2. “Advanced Ethical Considerations in Construction ADR” [Implicit Bias in Arbitration], Feb. 24-27, 2022, American College of Construction Lawyers, Annual Meeting, Laguna Beach, CA. 3. “Effective Use of Arbitration,” The Fidelity & Surety Law 2018 Midwinter Conference Washington, D.C.; January 24 - 26, 2018, https://www.jamsadr.com//events/2017/the-fidelity-surety-law-2018-midwinter-conference. 4. “Busting the Myth: The Right to Fast, Fair & Cost-Effective Appeals in Arbitration,” Toolbox Talk Series by D1 Construction Litigation & Dispute Resolution, ABA Forum on Construction Law, December 2021. 5. “Representing the Surety in Construction Arbitration,” AAA Second Annual National Forum on Conflict Management in the Construction Industry (2004). 6. “Preparing and Presenting the Complex Surety Case to a Panel of Arbitrators,” Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, TIPS, ABA, Spring Meeting, 1998. 7. “Discovery in Arbitration”, Arbitration Advocacy Institute, November 13, 2020, https://www.jamsadr.com//events/2020/arbitration-advocacy-institute. 8. “Demystifying Mediation and Arbitration Myths in the Construction Industry,” JAMS ADR Insights, April 2022 [PODCAST]. 9. “Preliminary Scheduling Conferences”, 11th Annual Arbitration Training Institute - A Comprehensive Training in Advanced Arbitration Skills Miami, FL, May 17 - 18, 2018, https://www.jamsadr.com//events/2018/11th-annual-arbitration-training-institute-a-comprehensive-training-in-advanced-arbitration-skills. 10. “Arbitration: Between a Rock and a Hard Place – A Surety’s Concerns,” ABA Litigation Section, Annual Meeting, 1991.