Case Manager: Haward Cho
James R. Lance, Esq. brings more than 38 years of experience as a highly successful and respected trial attorney to ADR Services, Inc. Throughout his career Mr. Lance has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in complex, high-stakes disputes, which gives him a unique perspective on the needs, priorities, and pressures facing each party in litigation. His practice included “bet-the-company” commercial cases, catastrophic personal injury/wrongful death claims, real estate/construction disputes, employment cases, professional liability claims and class actions.
Mr. Lance has secured several seven and eight figure verdicts, judgments, and settlements for his plaintiff clients, and many excellent results for his defense clients on high exposure cases. His track record of success, coupled with his ability to analyze complex facts and legal issues from every angle, informs his fair, balanced, and practical approach to alternative dispute resolution.
Mr. Lance’s peers consistently have recognized his excellence. He was selected as a “Top 50” San Diego Attorney seven times beginning in 2019 and has been a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) since 2013. In 2024, the San Diego ABOTA Chapter selected Mr. Lance to be its President. Mr. Lance served on the CAL-ABOTA Board of Directors from 2023-25 and is honored to be the 2026 selection for the CAL-ABOTA member-at-large position. He also is a Board Member of the William B. Enright Chapter of the American Inns of Court and will join the Executive Committee as an officer in 2026.
Deeply committed to the legal community and public service, Mr. Lance has mentored countless young lawyers and students. He also coached youth football and baseball for more than 15 years. Since 2020, Mr. Lance has spearheaded a program at an underserved high school in Southeast San Diego which provides on-campus speakers who encourage students to actively pursue their education/career goals and assure them they can overcome hurdles and negativity. The program also assists students with internships and sponsors oral argument competitions at the school. His decades of advocacy, leadership, and mentorship now fuel Mr. Lance’s dedication to helping parties resolve their disputes efficiently and effectively.
“Mr. Lance was extremely effective both before and during the mediation. Although the case presented significant challenges to settlement, it resolved during the mediation session. Mr. Lance was well prepared, having reviewed the parties’ briefs and conducted pre-mediation calls with counsel. He quickly and thoroughly grasped the legal and factual issues, communicated effectively, and managed a multi-party process involving differing interests with professionalism and respect. He also helped engineer a complicated settlement structure that ultimately achieved a global resolution. I would use Mr. Lance’s services again.”
“Jim Lance was very prepared for our mediation. He did a great job of communicating with both sides before mediation to ensure that he was fully apprised of the situation. Jim has great communication skills and clearly understood the issues before him. It was a complicated case with some very personal issues that he had to deal with. Jim did a great job in getting both sides to realize the weaknesses of their case and settling the case. I would certainly use Jim again for a mediation.”
“I have had the privilege of working closely with James Lance on a complex employment matter with a very difficult client. I am pleased to provide my strong endorsement for James as a highly skilled and dedicated mediator.”
“He approaches mediation with a sense of integrity and professionalism, ensuring that all parties involved are heard and respected. His ability to navigate sensitive and contentious issues with tact and diplomacy is remarkable.”
“He had total command of the issues even as new facts and information, which were not a part of the briefs, were being thrown at him during the mediation.”
“Mr. Lance was impartial while providing his honest assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the case. His impartiality was key to having the client engage with him during the mediation.”
“James consistently demonstrated exceptional mediation skills and a deep understanding of conflict resolution principles throughout the entire case. His ability to create a neutral and collaborative atmosphere is truly commendable. His calm demeanor and excellent communication and persuasive skills undoubtedly enable him to guide parties toward mutually beneficial resolutions, making him a resourceful and unique problem solver.”
“Mr. Lance had a plan for getting both sides to explore different options for resolution. Ultimately, both parties agreed to Mr. Lance issuing a mediator’s proposal, which was accepted by both parties.”
“We think that Jim Lance did an excellent job. He was very patient, very knowledgeable, very insightful, and we don’t believe the deal would’ve been done without him.”
“Mr. Lance was completely professional even when dealing with emotional clients. This was critical to earning the trust of the client and counsel.”
“He was a clear and effective communicator to all parties who attended the mediation – the client, counsel, and insurance adjusters.”
“Mr. Lance was prepared to hit the ground running. He spent the time to read the briefs well in advance of the mediation and set up pre mediation calls with both counsel in advance of the mediation so we could hit the ground running.”
“Mr. Lance was impartial while providing his honest assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the case. His impartiality was key to having the client engage with him during the mediation.”
“We would absolutely use Mr. Lance again.”
“Mr. Lance had total control of the mediation process which allowed the mediation to proceed efficiently.”
