Debra Bogaards, Esq.

Debra Bogaards brings more than four decades of civil litigation experience—and over 300 mediations—to her work as a full-time neutral at ADR Services, Inc. Her career spans both sides of the aisle: nearly 35 years as a defense attorney, including 25 years as managing partner and co-owner of two insurance defense firms in San Francisco, and 13 years representing plaintiffs in complex, high-value cases. This dual-perspective background gives her exceptional credibility with counsel and an intuitive grasp of risk, value, and negotiation psychology.

Ms. Bogaards has tried nearly 40 jury trials to verdict, the majority as sole trial counsel, in venues throughout the Bay Area. Over the years, she developed a reputation as a tenacious, detail-oriented litigator who understood not only the legal mechanics of a case, but also the emotional toll of litigation on clients. That insight now informs her work as a mediator, where she is known for building trust quickly, managing complex personalities, and driving results.

At ADR Services, Inc. Ms. Bogaards possesses a proven ability to settle difficult, emotionally charged disputes. Her mediation philosophy blends empathy with strategic realism. She listens intently to parties’ experiences and concerns, educates them on risk, and works methodically toward resolution. When appropriate, she offers mediator’s proposals—98% of which are accepted, or lead to resolution shortly thereafter. Her preparation is exhaustive; she reviews briefs, records, and deposition transcripts in advance, conducts pre-mediation calls with counsel, and maintains post-mediation momentum until the case is resolved.

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