Sep 10, 2026
Hon. Ruth Kwan (Ret.) Joins ADR Services, Inc.
ADR Services, Inc. is excited to announce the addition of Hon. Ruth Kwan (Ret.) to our panel of distinguished neutrals.
After more than four decades in the legal profession, including 31 years of judicial service, Judge Kwan brings extensive experience in civil litigation, trial risk, judicial decision-making, case management, and dispute resolution to her work as a mediator, arbitrator and referee.
Judge Kwan was appointed to the East Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1995 and elevated to the Los Angeles Superior Court in 1998, becoming only the second Chinese-American woman to serve on the California Superior Court bench. She spent the last 19 years of her judicial career presiding at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
Her civil experience is particularly substantial. Judge Kwan spent 14 years in an Independent Calendar Court, where she presided over business and commercial disputes, real estate matters, construction defect, insurance bad faith, personal injury matters including wrongful death and traumatic brain injury, sexual abuse, asbestos and products liability, and employment matters including class actions, PAGA, FEHA, and wage-and-hour claims. She later served in a Long Cause Civil Trial Court and also served as Assistant Supervising Judge of the Civil Division.
Judge Kwan’s settlement experience spans decades. Upon her retirement, her judicial colleagues recognized her for presiding with skill, work ethic, and integrity over “countless settlements and trials.” That experience is complemented by her pre-bench work at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, where she supervised the Dispute Resolution Program in addition to the Consumer Protection Section. As an attorney for the City of Los Angeles, she handled numerous high-profile consumer fraud cases, and authored the City’s price-gouging ordinance following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake – the first ordinance of its kind in California.
Her years managing civil cases from filing through trial give Judge Kwan a practical understanding of what drives settlement: the strength of the evidence, credibility, damages, legal uncertainty, litigation cost, timing, and the risk of leaving the outcome to a judge or jury. Her background allows her to engage directly with complex factual and legal issues while helping parties focus on the points that genuinely affect case value and resolution.
Judge Kwan has also presided over hundreds of jury trials. That trial experience gives her a grounded perspective on how arguments actually perform in a courtroom and on the difference between a position that appears persuasive on paper and one that is likely to resonate with a jury.
Judge Kwan has been repeatedly recognized by the legal community for her judicial excellence, unparalleled work ethic, public service, and leadership. Her honors include the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel’s 2026 Judge of the Year, the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles 2024 Trial Judge of the Year Award, the Los Angeles Chapter of ABOTA’s 2022 Judge of the Year, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s 2021 Public Service Award, the Armenian Bar Association’s 2019 Judge Night Honoree recognition, and the Metropolitan News-Enterprise’s 2023 Person of the Year designation. She has also received numerous accolades from the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, including the Judge Delbert E. Wong Distinguished Service Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as multiple honors from the Korean Community Lawyers Association, including its 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award.