Mitchell Lathrop, Esq.

ARBITRATION AND MEDIATION EXPERTISE

Mitchell L. Lathrop, Esq. has been practicing law for over 50 years and is a qualified domestic and international arbitrator based in San Diego. He has successfully handled over 100 mediations and arbitrations, serving as the sole arbitrator, party arbitrator, counsel, or neutral.

Mr. Lathrop focuses his practice on domestic and international arbitration and mediation in the areas of banking, business and commercial matters, class actions, complex civil litigation, environmental, insurance coverage and bad faith, international law, professional liability, reinsurance, and securities.  For more information, including a full list of Mr. Lathrop’s arbitration and mediation qualifications, please visit his website: www.mlathroplaw.com.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Insurance Coverage
• Bad Faith
• Reinsurance
• Professional Liability
• Securities
• Business / Commercial
• Class Actions
• Complex Civil Litigation
• Environmental

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Arbitrator, Mediator, and Consultant, 2012-Present.

Domestic and international arbitration and mediation, and expert consulting in matters involving insurance, reinsurance, and lawyers’ professional liability.

• Member, Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky & Popeo, PC, 2009-2012.

Domestic and international arbitration and litigation; insurance, reinsurance, and lawyers’ professional responsibility matters; environmental law; commercial, banking, securities and complex civil litigation.

• Partner and Of Counsel, Duane Morris LLP, 2003-2009.

Domestic and international arbitration and litigation; insurance, reinsurance, and lawyers’ professional responsibility matters; environmental law; commercial, banking, securities, and complex civil litigation.

• Partner, Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps LLP, 1994-2003.

Domestic and international arbitration and litigation; insurance, reinsurance, and lawyers’ professional responsibility matters; environmental law; commercial, banking, securities, and complex civil litigation.

• Senior Partner, Adams Duque & Hazeltine, 1986-1994.

Member of the Executive Committee, Firm Chairman, 1992-1993. National environmental counsel for groups of property and casualty insurance companies. Environmental law, insurance coverage issues, reinsurance arbitration and litigation, civil litigation involving the defense of accountants and attorneys, and complex business litigation.

• Partner, Rogers & Wells, Partner-in-Charge, San Diego Office, 1980-1986.

Complex civil litigation, principally involving environmental law, federal and state securities laws, and insurance and reinsurance law.

• Partner, MacDonald Halsted & Laybourne, 1971-1980.

Partner In-Charge, San Diego office, 1976-1980. Civil litigation in the areas of federal and state securities laws; complex business litigation; the defense of accountants, attorneys, and officers and directors of publicly-held companies; and insurance and reinsurance arbitration and litigation.

• Associate Attorney and Partner, Brill Hunt DeBuys & Burby, 1968-1971.

Civil litigation, primarily in the areas of aviation defense, eminent domain, products liability and professional liability defense; and reinsurance arbitration and litigation.

• Deputy County Counsel, County of Los Angeles, 1966-1968.

Civil litigation, primarily in the area of general liability defense. Principal clients were the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Los Angeles County General Hospital.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

• Preparatory education at The Thacher School, Ojai, California.
• B.Sc. in Engineering, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland.
• J.D., University of Southern California Law School.

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

• Securities Law, University of Southern California School of Law.
• Environmental Engineering, Industrial Waste Conference, Purdue University.
• Insurance & Reinsurance Arbitration, ARIAS-US, annual courses.
• International Commercial Arbitration, Paris.
• Diplomate in International Arbitration Law, College of Law of England and Wales.
• Certificate in Advanced Mediation, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution.
• Advanced Mediation Training, International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (“CPR”).

RECOGNITIONS

• Martindale-Hubbell “A” rated in both California and New York
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, 2006-Present
• Listed in Super Lawyers for both New York City and San Diego
• Lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, 2011-2014
• Best Lawyers: 2012 San Diego Insurance Law Lawyer of the Year
• Certified Civil Trial Advocate, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1982-2011
• M. Best Recommended Insurance Expert

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

American Board of Trial Advocates; Judge Advocates Association; State Bar of California; California State Bar Court; Los Angeles County Bar Association; San Diego County Bar Association; American Bar Association; Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers; International Association of Defense Counsel; Federal Bar Association; Bar Association of the District of Columbia; Association of Business Trial Lawyers; Association of Southern California Defense Counsel; Federal Bar Council (Second Circuit); Legion Lex, University of Southern California Law School; California Insurance Commissioner’s Environmental Liability Insurance Task Force; Fellow, Center for International Legal Studies; Board of Editors, Journal of Insurance Coverage; Claims & Litigation Management Alliance; Forensic Expert Witness Association.