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Voluntary Early Mediation (VEM) Program

Choosing a Mediator

The parties agree that BASF will administer the case if this mediator is chosen. File the Mediation Consent form (43KB PDF) to initiate the process.

Elizabeth E. Bader

Bader Conflict Resolution Services

Areas of Experience: Insurance Coverage, Construction Defect, Real Estate, Partnerships, Personal Injury, Professional Malpractice, Medical and Dental Malpractice, Health Care Law, General Civil Litigation

Elizabeth E. Bader is a professional mediator whose style of mediation combines rigorous case evaluation with compassionate yet objective and highly practical problem solving.

Bader has been a lawyer for almost 20 years, and has experience in a wide range of civil cases. She has special expertise in the area of insurance coverage: she worked for an insurance company for several years but also has extensive experience on the policyholder side. See Conestoga Services Corp. v. Executive Risk Indemnity Inc. (9 th Cir. 2002) 312 Fed.3d 976. As a result, she is comfortable with both the plaintiff and defense bars and with frank discussions about the evaluation and funding of settlements.

Bader was a certified appellate specialist prior to becoming a mediator. She was counsel of record for parties or amici in 15 published cases on California civil law. She has argued before the California Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and other appellate courts. Bader uses this experience to emphasize to clients the importance of being practical and realistic in their case evaluations.

Bader's practice includes mediation of complex, confidential matters. In 2004, she was mentioned in a leading California Supreme Court opinion on mediation confidentiality. An amicus brief she submitted was relied on by the court in that case. See Rojas v. Superior Court (2004) 33 Cal.4th 407, 418, n. 7. She also authored a chapter on confidentiality in "A Litigator's Guide to Effective Use of ADR in California" (CEB 2005).

Bader is a Vice-Chair of the Dispute Resolution Committee of the ABA's Tort, Trial and Insurance Practice Section and a Diplomat member of the California Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

Hourly Rate: $400 per hour for two party cases; sliding scale also available