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Chris White, Esq. practiced law for over 30 years and earned a reputation as one of the top civil litigators in California. As an experienced trial lawyer and litigator, Chris handled and tried a wide variety of cases including, but not limited to, personal injury cases, construction defect claims, and catastrophic loss cases that included fatalities, paralysis, traumatic brain injuries, and amputations. In 1999, Chris co-founded a prominent AV-rated law firm and served as Co-Managing Partner for more than 23 years before stepping down to become a full-time mediator. As an attorney and a mediator, Chris has been involved with more than 800 mediations. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), a prestigious trial lawyers’ organization whose membership is by invitation only.
Chris has also served the Orange County legal community by volunteering his time as a settlement officer and temporary judge for the Orange County Superior Court. He has successfully resolved dozens of settlement conferences and presided over hundreds of civil trials through this program. He is a proud member of the “100 club” which honors volunteers who have donated more than 100 hours of their time to the Orange County Superior Court in a year.
As a mediator, Chris blends his extensive civil litigation background and trial experience with his practical, optimistic and determined nature to effectively resolve disputes. He is known as a closer who gets cases settled, which is why he is such a sought-after mediator.
Chris advises: “I understand that parties hire me as a mediator to settle their case. They do not hire me to get them close to settling. My objective is to get the case settled. During my 30+ year legal career, I ran into too many mediators that were not willing to put in the time, energy, hustle, and determination to get a matter settled. As a mediator, I am a determined optimist, I work hard, and I energetically use my experience, expertise, and practical judgment in order to make sure I am doing all that I can to help the parties resolve their case. I take great satisfaction in settling a case, and I am not satisfied unless, and until, the matter settles. Helping people resolve their cases is a privilege, and the work is personally rewarding. I am grateful that this is my profession. It feels natural for me to be a mediator, and I think that is why I am effective at settling cases.”
EDUCATION
• Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University
• Loyola Law School of Los Angeles, Juris Doctorate
• University of California at Berkeley, Bachelor of Science
EXPERTISE
• Auto Accidents
• Catastrophic Accidents
• Construction Accidents
• Construction Defect
• Fire Cases
• Premises Liability
• Product Liability
• Security Guard Cases
• Subrogation Matters
• Toxic Tort Claims
• Trucking Accidents
• Wrongful Death