Profile

Debra Bogaards, Esq. has served as a private mediator for over six years, as well as a mandatory settlement conference officer in San Francisco for over five years and in Marin County for almost 30 years. Her extensive career highlights a remarkable track record of successfully mediating hundreds of cases, achieving a consistent settlement rate above 98%. Ms. Bogaards brings a distinct advantage to her role, offering a clear and balanced perspective derived from having represented both plaintiffs and defendants throughout her 40-year career.

Ms. Bogaards’ subject matter expertise includes a wide range of employment issues in individual and multi-party cases involving wage and hour disputes, discrimination (across all protected classes), sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, whistleblowing, defamation, fraud, and reductions in workforce. Her expertise extends to personal injury matters including catastrophic injury, wrongful death, toxic tort, sexual abuse, and rideshare (Uber and Lyft) cases, elder neglect and abuse, as well as landlord-tenant disputes, including wrongful eviction and breaches of habitability like mold and carbon-monoxide exposure.

Ms. Bogaards brings nearly 25 years of experience managing two insurance defense firms and 7 years as an associate, providing her with a profound understanding of how claims representatives set reserves, evaluate cases to determine value, and negotiate settlements. With 15 years of plaintiff’s work overlapping her defense practice and over six years exclusively on the plaintiff’s side, she possesses a comprehensive perspective on personal injury cases. Ms. Bogaards is adept at calculating Howell medical specials, analyzing wage loss claims, reviewing life care plans, assessing economic damages, as well as discussing expert retention and trial budgets. Her experience, including almost 40 successful jury trials, enhances her effectiveness as a mediator in personal injury matters.

Ms. Bogaards embodies warmth, compassion, and empathy, while also maintaining a straightforward, direct, and no-nonsense approach. She adeptly discusses the strengths and weaknesses of a case with attorneys or parties directly, employing a polite, respectful, and professional manner. Her extensive experience earns the respect of seasoned trial attorneys, making them attentive to her insights. With grit, perseverance, and determination, Ms. Bogaards is committed to settling your case.

As a mediator, Ms. Bogaards has earned a reputation as a quick study capable of identifying the key issues in the heart of a dispute. The “secret” to her success lies in meticulous pre-mediation preparation, including a thorough review of all case materials. During the pre-mediation conference, expect a detailed discussion of your case’s strengths and weaknesses, potentially accompanied by additional homework. In the event that the case doesn’t settle at the hearing, Ms. Bogaards offers continued phone calls and follow-up at no extra cost until a resolution is achieved. Ms. Bogaards doesn’t give up!

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

PERSONAL INJURY: motor vehicle accidents; bicycle and motorcycle accidents; pedestrian accidents; train accidents; public entity liability; premises liability; trip and fall; traumatic brain injury (TBI); sexual abuse; dog bite; product liability; wrongful death and catastrophic injury; psychological injury.

LANDLORD/TENANT: habitability issues arising from noise, mold, vermin, heating, plumbing, roof leaks, and electrical; inadequate repairs; constructive evictions; multi-unit buildings.

EMPLOYMENT: sexual harassment; wrongful termination; retaliation; discrimination (across all protected classes); failure to accommodate.

SEXUAL ABUSE: by teachers and coaches in a school district; religious leaders in a church; peer on peer abuse in a residential home for teenage students.

ELDER NEGLECT AND ABUSE: failure to provide medication; failure to prevent bed sores leading to the death of the patient.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

ADR Services, Inc.    2024-Present
Full-time mediator and arbitrator specializing in resolving Personal Injury, Landlord/Tenant, Employment, Sexual Abuse, and Elder Abuse disputes.

UC Law San Francisco’s Center for Negotiation & Dispute Resolution    2023-Present
Adjunct Faculty teaching “Negotiation and Settlement” class.

Bogaards Law    2017-2023
Solo practice on behalf of plaintiffs in personal injury, wrongful death, landlord/tenant, medical malpractice, sexual abuse, elder abuse, toxic tort and employment law.

Pave & Bogaards and Bogaards Davis    1994-2017
Managing Partner and Senior Trial Attorney handling insurance defense and plaintiffs’ work.

Associate with Various Insurance Defense Firms    1983-1993

Holman Fenwick (London) and Loeff & Van De Plufg (The Netherlands)    1982-1983
Post-J.D. law student in Salzburg, Austria as well as clerkships at two maritime firms.

EDUCATION

  • Harvard Advanced Mediation Training 2019
  • Certificate of International Law, McGeorge School of Law, Salzburg, Austria 1983
  • J.D., University of California College of the Law, San Francisco 1981
  • B.S. in Accounting & Finance, University of California at Berkeley 1978

Representative Cases

Personal Injury: Motor Vehicle Accidents

  • Handled case brought by a Harley Davidson motorcyclist against a van making an abrupt left turn, thereby cutting him off. No comparative fault found by either expert. Motorcyclist suffered a below knee amputation and lung issues during Covid hospitalization.
  • Mediated a claim brought by a day laborer/gardener gathering his tools out of the back of his truck parked at the curb in front of a house. A rideshare driver hit him, causing the day laborer a significant back injury requiring surgery as well as a mild TBI. Expert reports from the accident reconstruction expert, pulmonary functional capacity expert, orthopedic surgeon, life care plan expert and neuropsychologist were reviewed. The rideshare company asked for the mediator’s evaluation, after reviewing deposition excerpts of the parties and experts.
  • Handled case involving an attorney who fell asleep at the wheel near her house after a long trip. Her car pinned a woman who was getting something out of the trunk of her parked car. Plaintiff suffered an above-knee amputation. The policy limits of the insurance as well as a significant cash contribution settled the case.
  • Handled a case involving a drunk driver leaving a bar in the East Bay and driving his friend’s pickup truck, which he backed up into the rear of the pickup truck parked directly behind him in the bar’s parking lot, pinning another bar patron in between the trucks. The woman suffered a significant hematoma and leg injury requiring a year of repeated needle aspirations.
  • Mediated a case involving a motorcyclist who was hit by a truck which made a u-turn. While liability was disputed, the motorcyclist had his leg amputated below the knee.
  • Mediated a pedestrian hit by a car who suffered shoulder, hip, and knee injuries. A functional capacity evaluation was offered by plaintiff in support of $50,000 in Howell specials with no surgery.
  • Mediated a wrongful death of a young woman whose pickup truck was struck by a tractor-trailer making a lane change, causing the pickup truck to veer off the road and down an embankment, striking a tree. Defendant disputed liability, alleging that the decedent is the one who made a last-minute decision to change lanes.
  • Mediated a catastrophic injury case involving a construction worker who was washing his hands at the wash station inside a construction site when a semi-tractor suddenly drove forward and crushed plaintiff’s lower extremities, pinning him to the wash station.
  • Mediated the case of two plaintiffs, who were passengers in their friend’s car, and on their way to a bar after consuming some whiskey at home. It was a disputed red light intersection case. One of the two plaintiffs suffered a catastrophic injury: TBI, colon injury, small bowel obstruction, hip pain, etc.
  • Mediated complex liability case of security guard working at an evening event held on the pier. After the event, another company had its workers loading waste from the event to remove from the site. In the pier parking lot, a diesel generator that powered light for the event went out. The security guard drove his rental car to investigate why the light was out. The security guard hit one of the waste removal workers. Plaintiff suffered a TBI and orthopedic injuries. There were multiple defendants who questioned liability and the severity of the TBI.
  • Handled a case of a pedestrian struck in the crosswalk by a private bus turning right. The plaintiff pedestrian suffered a Lisfranc injury with the need for surgery. Plaintiff had restrictions on her range of motion especially when playing with her young children and a visible limp.
  • Mediated a cyclist hit by a left turning vehicle, suffering a wrist injury requiring four surgeries due to an infection from the spica splint. The defense disputed liability but the policy limits were very low.
  • Handled a vespa scooter case involving a rideshare driver who came to a stop in the travel lane to let a passenger exit his car. The rideshare car blocked the scooter operator’s path of travel. The scooter operator suffered orthopedic injuries.
  • Handled a left turning car that collided with an electric skateboard in the crosswalk, coming from the sidewalk on the edge of U.C. Berkeley’s campus. An accident reconstruction expert opined about when the electric skateboard could be seen by the driver of the car.
  • Mediated a case involving the passenger in a taxi cab. The passenger was reaching for her purse in the backseat when the taxi cab was rearended. The impact allegedly propelled her forward into the cab’s divider. Plaintiff, the passenger, suffered a nasal fracture and underwent a rhinoplasty.
  • Mediated a case of a box truck that made a left turn in front of plaintiff. Plaintiff suffered a blunt trauma to his chest, needed lumbar facet joint injections and future surgery, as well as a meniscus tear.
  • Mediated a three-vehicle rear end accident. Plaintiff who suffered a shoulder injury had a subsequent bike accident before having her shoulder surgery.
  • Handled a pedestrian case of an elderly woman who got off of the MUNI bus and crossed the street at night to go to the supermarket to buy her dinner. The parking lot of the supermarket had confusing signage to control traffic, and the city allowed jaywalking. The elderly woman suffered significant injuries. Plaintiff’s counsel had its accident reconstruction expert film for 24 hours the flow of traffic and pedestrians in the area to support its theory of liability.
  • Handled a case where a pedestrian, actually sitting on a designated bench at a car wash, got hit by her own car that had been washed, and was being driven to the pickup area when the car wash attendant suddenly accelerated in reverse. She suffers significant injuries.
  • Handled a pedestrian versus auto case that occurred when the plaintiff was crossing the street in the crosswalk, and a driver coming uphill hit her without stopping. She suffered a leg injury that required surgery and a long period of rehabilitation.
  • Handled wrongful death case that occurred when a driver turned right into an area where traffic backed up on the railroad tracks for a red light. That driver was instantly killed. Her children sued Caltrans.
  • Mediated auto versus pedestrian case where the driver made a right turn, hitting the pedestrian, who had already entered the crosswalk. The driver claimed the sun was in her eyes. The pedestrian suffered multiple orthopedic injuries.
  • Handled a crash in Tahoe due to extremely icy conditions on the road when a driver crossed the double yellow line and hit an oncoming car head on. The family inside of the car, all suffered injuries, with the most significant being a broken nose and eye issues.

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Personal Injury: Public Entity

  • Mediated trip and fall case involving dangerous condition from planter boxes blocking the path on a sidewalk in front of two retail stores in Sausalito. Plaintiff suffered a significant ankle injury. Apportionment between the City, two store owners, and property manager was key to a successful mediation.
  • Handled a claim against the City and nearby supermarket for the dangerous condition created by placement of the Haight Street bus stop on the sidewalk, too far from the pathway across the street to the supermarket. The elderly plaintiff was hit by a rideshare car at night when plaintiff got off the MUNI bus, and walked across the street to buy her dinner. Plaintiff suffered severe injuries requiring surgery.
  • Handled a wrongful death case against the city caused by a diseased Eucalyptus tree on an isolated public walking path to the supermarket. Two young sons’ 40-year-old single mother died when a branch of the tree fell on her head. Both sides’ tree experts agreed as to the tree being diseased and, therefore, there was liability and settlement for the policy limits.
  • Mediated a case involving a grandmother who was walking in the City of Larkspur and suddenly fell when a broken manhole cover on the sidewalk gave way. She suffered a severe ankle injury requiring surgery. Defendants claimed that work being done on nearby driveways by a construction company may have caused the manhole cover to break.
  • Handled a case involving a woman walking on the sidewalk in Union Square in San Francisco who tripped and fell over a divot in the sidewalk, suffering an ankle injury requiring surgery. Recent laws shifted liability from the City to the retail store owner.

    Personal Injury: Sexual Abuse

    • Mediated lawsuit against public high school and the school district in connection with the repeated sexual assault and grooming over time of the tennis team’s star player by the popular tennis coach. Plaintiff claimed that the school district was negligent in its hiring and supervision of the tennis coach.
    • Handled sexual abuse of a middle school young girl by her roommate due to the lack of supervision by the residential home.
    • Mediated claim brought by a female patient against the private hospital for its doctor who masturbated behind the female patient on several occasions. The defense team brought the doctor, medical practice counsel, private counsel and criminal counsel. The defense team also insisted on an in-person mediation.
    • Handled Sonoma University case involving a male student who videotaped without consent his sexual intercourse with his girlfriend who was passed out on his bed.
    • Handled a case of a 13-year-old student whose significant self-harm, suicidal ideation, and depression led her for overnight hospitalization at the MGH, followed by a stint in a residential home. There, she was subjected to peer-on-peer abuse and forced into sexual acts with her older roommate due to lack of supervision.
    • Mediated the case of a tennis rockstar who was sexually molested by his high school tennis coach when the statute of limitations was reopened. Defendant public school district had notice of the tennis coach’s molestation of many students.

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    Personal Injury: Bicycle Accidents

    • Mediated a case of a serious cyclist who was riding with other cyclists on a casual weekend ride to Pt. Reyes. The driver of a car tried to pass, while plaintiff and a cyclist were riding two abreast. The driver of the car denied any liability. Fortunately, the cyclist’s injuries were modest. The cyclist and her counsel wanted to send a strong message to the driver about her conduct.
    • Handled the case of a left turning driver in Menlo Park who hit a peloton of Sunday cyclists in brightly colored jerseys. Injuries ranged from slight to very severe.
    • Handled the case of a cyclist in Oakland who was hit by a truck that decided to back up into a parking space.
    • Mediated the case of a cyclist who was cut off by a right hand turning vehicle in the Mission district. The cyclist suffered clavicle and shoulder injuries.
    • Handled the case of a cyclist hit as a car was waved on by stopped traffic to turn left. The cyclist suffered a bad wrist injury that got infected by the spica splint given to him by urgent care, that misdiagnosed his fracture. He underwent 5 wrist surgeries.
    • Mediated the case of a cyclist who got doored in Sausalito.

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    Personal Injury: Premises Liability

    • Handled the claim against a private museum when an elementary school student suffered a partial finger amputation due to his curiosity with an interactive exhibit. There were stanchions and signage for adults, but not meant for children.
    • Handled the wrongful death action of the baby of a young father/gang member who was shot during a party at an Airbnb home in Oakland.
    • Mediated the trip and fall of a 91-year-old woman in a supermarket with disputed liability involving a femur fracture and surgery.
    • Mediated the claim of a female plaintiff who jumped out of a limousine stuck on the train tracks as a wine country train came barreling towards the limousine. Apportionment amongst the four defendants was key, with an MSJ pending. The case had been mediated with another mediator for two full days without any offer.
    • Mediated a case involving a traumatic brain injury of a young man working in the parking lot of Fort Mason after an event due to inadequate lighting.
    • Handled case involving traumatic brain injury arising from a construction worker doing work inside of a dental office who stepped outside onto the deck for a break. The deck collapsed due to dry rot.
    • Handled toxic tort case caused by scrap yard’s hydraulic oil line of its crane that ruptured, causing oil to spray onto the next-door neighbor marble store’s marble inventory held in its outside yard. In addition to monetary damages, the marble owner sought injunctive relief requiring the scrap yard to cease operating its scrap loader near the fence line.
    • Handled a case involving ski collision at Palisades resort.
    • Mediation involving a dance club in Oakland. Plaintiff was a female patron at the dance club. Patrons nearby started fighting behind her. She was struck on the head by the butt of a glass beer bottle. Plaintiff suffered a serious injury to her eye, facial scarring and PTSD.
    • Handled case brought by a retired judge who tripped and fell on her way to volunteer at the League of Women Voters. She suffered a severe wrist injury, that necessitated surgery with an exterior rod.
    • Handled case involving the trampling of a concert goer due to the lack of security at the venue for Kanye West’s concert, on the day he dropped his first album. Defendants included concert promoter, security company and venue.
    • Mediated case of a customer at a retail store. As the customer was paying for her items, a heavy plexiglass Covid barrier with metal edging which divided the customer from the cashier fell hard onto her. Plaintiff claimed TBI, concussion and intractable headaches.
    • Mediated a case involving homeowner’s insurance under a reservation of rights. Two couples whose husbands were old military buddies got together for dinner in one of their homes. The parties all engaged in sexual acts with one another that night. One couple filed this lawsuit for defamation after the other couple claimed they were raped and then contacted the employers of the other couple to report their rape.
    • Mediated case for plaintiff, a professional personal trainer, who suffered a head injury when a cable broke on a machine at the gym, causing mild TBI, concussion and daily headaches. The gym failed to save the gym equipment.
    • Mediated a case for plaintiff who went to a supermarket to buy a gallon of milk and then slipped on a puddle of water. She suffered an ankle fracture requiring surgery.
    • Handled a case where a contractor left a tarp spread out on the floor in a front entry of a home. Plaintiff tripped on that tarp while coming downstairs in her home. She suffered a bad wrist injury which required surgery.
    • Handled significant second-degree burn caused from extra hot coffee spilled down the chest of a 5-year-old girl. Her mother was paying with her credit card at the cash register at a book store’s café. The barista moved the coffee cup over the counter to the mother without first properly securing the lid. The hot coffee left scarring and hyperpigmentation on the Asian girl’s chest. The IME doctor who was the head of the hospital’s burn unit found areas of numbness in the healing burn area over one year later.
    • A 91-year-old plaintiff’s trip and fall in a supermarket with disputed liability resulting in a proximal femur fracture requiring surgery for $350,000.

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    Personal Injury: Dog Bite

    • Mediated case involving pit bull that got loose when the property manager’s workers left through the defendant’s back gate without making sure the dog was secured. The dog bite a passerby.
    • Mediated case involving an electric skateboard that was allegedly defectively designed and manufactured. Plaintiff, who was commuting on his skateboard to the bus stop so he could catch his bus to work, suffered significant injuries when plaintiff flew downhill and the brakes gave out.

    Personal Injury: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

    • Handled a case brought by a young family who rented an old house on a ranch in West Marin. The wall heater allowed the emission of carbon monoxide poisoning while the family was sleeping at night. Fortunately, the family was taken by ambulance to the hospital for life saving hyperbaric chambers.
    • Handled case of two sisters who stayed in an old hotel, and suffered carbon monoxide poisoning from an old heater.

    Landlord / Tenant and Habitability

    • Mediated a rural rental home with habitability issues (roof leaks, water damage and mold). Defendant denied the existence of any mold, electrical, plumbing, heating, vermin or safety issues.
    • Mediated a case involving a tenant alleging short term construction within a commercial unit of the building two floors below interfered with his tenancy.
    • Mediated case of tenant claiming sewage leak, rat infestation and gas leak in the apartment building and flooding his apartment.
    • Mediated combined habitability/personal injury claims of 18 families/units alleging inadequate heat, sewage back up, flooding, mold contamination, chronic moisture intrusion, electrical issues, assaults on the premises with demand of over $14 million dollars. Defendants included the property owner and property manager, with at least four insurance carriers, coverage counsel and defense counsel. There were several status zoom conferences before the full days of mediation.
    • Mediated habitability and constructive eviction claim of tenant who claimed noise problems, race discrimination and rodent infestation. The tenant had some of the same complaints in his next apartment.
    • Handled habitability claims of two families living in two separate apartments in deplorable conditions. The landlord was filmed breaking the bars on the bedroom window using a crow bar and slithering into the tenants’ bedroom window. The settlement included a buyout.
    • Mediated habitability claims of tenant in an older rental house in a wooded area. The owner of the home had passed away, and his daughter inherited the home. This was her first rental. The tenant claimed a myriad of problems. The property manager that the daughter hired because the tenant was abusive to her kept detailed records of the repairs done.
    • Mediated case of young tech couple who rented an apartment, claiming inadequate repairs and two months of mold issues before constructive eviction.

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    Employment

    • Plaintiff, an ironworker at CONCO in Concord, injured his back and was available for modified work duty for a year and a half. Plaintiff claimed that no accommodation was made nor was the interactive process initiated. Plaintiff thought he was fired. CONCO gave him leave for disability which is an accommodation and moreover, no modified work was available as the construction industry was decimated during the pandemic.
    • Mediated a case of a plaintiff sexually harassed by two co-workers at a stone and tile showroom. The defense claimed that the co-workers were not her supervisors and plaintiff was in a consensual relationship with her co-workers. There were text messages and emails.
    • Mediated wrongful termination and retaliation of c-level employee who was one of the original starters of the non-profit start up and was due significant past wages.
    • Mediated case of employee at NPO whose CEO made unreasonable demands after plaintiff insisted that the letters to donors greatly overrepresented its staff size as well as the number of children served per year. The demands made the employee physically ill and she needed to work from home. Failure of the CEO to accommodate her disability led to retaliation and wrongful termination.
    • Mediated case involving for profit organization that put on concerts for charities. Its owner had to let everyone go when the pandemic started. There were three left: the Owner/CEO, the owner’s boyfriend, and the CFO. When the CEO let go the CFO, the CFO turned around and sued for past wages and wrongful termination. There were highly charged emotions since the plaintiff and defendant used to be close friends.
    • Mediated case in San Diego involving two female personal fitness trainers who sued the owners of a gym for sexual harassment and back wages. The owners were getting divorced and the deep pocket belonged to one of the owner’s relatives.
    • Mediated the case of a female low-level employee who claimed wrongful termination.
    • Handled case of female marketing director who was let go as part of a layoff while on her maternity leave.
    • Handled case of racial and gender discrimination against a strong black female employee at a driverless start up.
    • Handled case of a young employee of one of Elon Musk’s companies who was a whistleblower.
    • Handled case of a female scientific writer and sales team member who was terminated after 20 years at her company due to being one of the highest paid employees. The company claimed she did not meet the new sales quotas. She sued for age discrimination.
    • Handled the case of a female manager at a tech company who had a disability – ADHD - and was let go after some yelling and other incidents.

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    Testimonials

    “I think she is an excellent mediator with a phenomenal demeanor. I don’t use many mediators and this was my first mediation with Debra. She was recommended to me by other lawyers, so I agreed to try using her services. I think Debra’s practice of calling both counsel beforehand is smart and effective. I would definitely pay to have Debra mediate future claims. She is now on my very short list of mediators. Thank you for inquiring, I enjoy working with your office and am super impressed.”


    “Ms. Bogaards did a great job. She is personable and provided helpful insight when necessary. Most importantly, she was successful in getting the case settled!”


    “I have already recommended Ms. Bogaards to two other attorneys in other cases so I hope that says everything!  I thought she did a very good job mediating this complicated and emotional landlord-tenant case which involved mixed contribution to the settlement from both the insurer and the insured.  I really appreciated her knowledge of the subject matter and ability to educate compassionately on both sides.  Five stars.”


    “Ms. Bogaards is fantastic.  She is a thoughtful mediator that has a firm grasp on the underlying facts and law of the case.  However, it is her personality and perseverance that sets her apart from other mediators.  She has a fantastic ability to bond with the parties.  Earning their trust and buy-in is critical to get any case resolved.  Additionally, she never gives up.  Over the years, I’ve had too many mediators that get the 5 o’clock jitters and try to push a square peg into a round hole.  She doesn’t do that. In my mind a mediator has one job: settle the case.  I’ve not had a matter that Debra didn’t settle.”


    Ms. Bogaards did an amazing job mediating this case. She was pleasant and knew how to handle the clients and the attorneys on the other side. Excellent with negotiating skills, I would definitely ask her to mediate similar cases in the future! 10 out of 10.”


    I thought she did excellent and have recommended her to clients for future use. She was pleasant, strong, kept to the issues without being over the top and got my client to be reasonable to get the case done.”


    Our firm regularly recommends Ms. Bogaards for mediations, and I specifically aim to use her as mediator often when I can. She not only has a great understanding of the trial process, but she is able to use that experience to quickly hone in on the relevant issues relating to a matter and to then articulate those issues to parties. She goes above and beyond with pre-mediation meetings, and she will follow up and assist in settlement after the fact if necessary. In my cases, Debra has almost a 100% success rate when I have mediated with her, and I will continue to recommend her for my cases in the future. She is a great addition to the ADR Services team.”


    “Debra was great and I thoroughly enjoyed working with her on this case and her willingness to make herself available as needed. I especially enjoyed the in person mediation and hope to work with her again in the future.”


    “We greatly appreciated Ms. Bogaards’ optimism and enthusiasm for the mediation process. This set a very positive tone and framing for the mediation itself. We also appreciated that she was a great listener, and welcomed hearing background information and emotional content that is present in most disputes, but that is often glossed over or ignored. She also did a great job of reality-checking, gently telling us about the potential weaknesses in our case. Finally, we thought it was great that she reminded us that a successful mediation will be one where both parties are unhappy. This was a great reminder of the nature of compromise. She also reiterated the upside of settling, as opposed to taking our chances with proceeding with the litigation – helpful to remind the parties about the risks of proceeding.”


    “My mediation with Ms. Bogaards went smoothly and productively. The case settled within the allotted time frame due largely in part to Ms. Bogaards’ persistence, but also her vast experience in personal injury work. It was obvious her defense and plaintiff’s background gave her credibility with both parties. All in all, it was all a very positive experience. She was prepared and knew the flash points needed to get this settled. It took time but it was due to the parties’ obstinance, which she dealt with professionally and civilly. I’ve known Ms. Bogaards over the years from having litigated with her in her role as a defense attorney. I thought this case was perfect for a Mediator with a defense background that also does plaintiff’s work, as she does. I was very impressed with her grasp of value in regards to a plaintiff’s case. She was spot on regarding the values and issues. I would not hesitate to use her again and recommend her as a Mediator to all plaintiff’s attorneys who view her strictly as a former defense attorney. She is way more than that – very efficient; there was no wasted time.”


    “I recently had to mediate a complex and difficult case, where opposing counsel and I agreed to use Debra as the mediator. I found her to be extraordinarily competent, empathetic and efficient in getting my case resolved. Debra was very thorough, read through and understood all the materials, and was very well prepared. She privately met with the parties and impressed upon them the risks each of them faced by going to trial. As a result, the parties reached a compromise which was fair, and only accomplished because Debra was able to see the case from a good perspective from both the plaintiff and the defendant’s point of view.”


    “What we’re looking for when selecting a mediator is someone willing to put in substantial groundwork in advance to make sure the right people will be there with all the answers necessary for success, selects a location based on the participants’ needs, perceptively reads people, never gives up, and if the matter does not resolve, follows up, follows up, and follows up until it gets done. Debra Bogaards is at the top of her game as this type of mediator, and why we trust her to help resolve our most complicated cases.”


    “A month before trial, Ms. Bogaards successfully mediated a challenging personal injury case and was able to effectively bridge a vast cultural and legal divide, to broker a settlement acceptable to all.”


    “Debra is a very effective mediator because she is able to understand the important issues in every case and effectively discuss them with both sides to facilitate the settlement. She doesn’t give up and keeps finding creative ways to get the mediation process going.”


    “Debra is well prepared and follows up after the mediation. I will definitely use her again as a mediator. We need more mediators like her.”


    “Debra combines dogged determination with a velvet touch in her mediation work. She worked hard, showed my client she knew the case and understood much of what he was going through and once she did that, her evaluative comments had credibility. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with Debra again.”


    “We had a tough personal injury case with multiple parties, and two prior efforts to resolve the case with a different mediator had been unsuccessful. Debra quickly grasped the issues that had been roadblocks to resolving the case and worked tirelessly to get the job done. Her experience as both a defense attorney and a plaintiff attorney was invaluable -she could see the case play out in a courtroom from both perspectives and was able to point out the strengths and weaknesses in the case to all parties. She also has a complete understanding of indemnity, which in our case helped to secure settlement contributions from all parties. Debra Bogaards is a dedicated and effective mediator whom I highly recommend.”


    “Bogaards is a skilled neutral who can quickly navigate challenging issues and find a solution. Her thorough preparation allows her to hit the ground running and quickly identify the key issues in the case. Most importantly, her tenacity and ability to bond with clients allows her to get cases resolved.”


    “Our firm has had several successful mediations with Debra. She is a seasoned professional who thoroughly prepares and builds trust with the parties. Her extensive experience and strong work ethic bring results.”


    “Debra’s background and experience working on both sides of the “v” make her uniquely qualified and adept at successfully mediating disputes. She understands what motivates people — the parties, the attorneys, and the insurance claims professionals. When Debra talks, decision-makers listen.”


    “Our firm has had great success with Ms. Bogaards in resolving a variety of claims. It goes without saying that her impressive litigation experience allows her to hone in on the core issues of any dispute, but above all, she is tenacious. It is immediately obvious she is invested in the matters before her, and that she is genuinely focused on achieving an appropriate compromise every time. It is always a great pleasure working with Debra, and I look forward to recommending her to others and using her services again in the future.”


    “Great Result Debra. We call you GRD from now on. Thank you so much for your help and hard work. That wasn’t an easy one. Kudos!”


    I appreciate not only your savvy and skill but your passion, compassion, and ability to communicate a complex reality. I like to feel like I do the best I can for my clients, and money is one kind of yardstick but it is best measured in other ways. Thank you for helping me with that in this case.”