Mediator Resume

Combination of legal, financial, and healthcare expertise. Along with judicial experience, particularly ideal to serve as an arbitrator and mediator in any serious business dispute.

Levi Benton & Associates PLLC - Sole Member

Arbitrator, Mediator, Attorney, Former District Judge

Member, Levi Benton & Associates PLLC, 2012-Present; Of Counsel, Mahomes Bolden PC, 2018; Member, Benton Massey LLP / PLLC, 2010-2012; Partner, Strasburger & Price LLP, 2009-2010; Judge, 215th District Court State of Texas, 1999-2008; Director, Phillips & Akers PC, 1992-1999. Adjunct Professor (Business Law), University of Houston-Clear Lake, Spring 2025 Semester.

A 33-year lawyer who is a former Texas state district judge. A vast amount of experience in litigation and arbitration in matters involving construction, franchise, including automotive service and repair franchises and food service franchises, real estate, fiduciary, fraud, business torts, accounting and auditing malpractice, financial malfeasance, legal malpractice, errors and omissions, directors' and officers' liability, executive compensation, insurance, ERISA, healthcare, corporate governance disputes, partnership disputes, commercial banking, finance, contract negotiation, business law, employment, architecture, engineering, procurement, transportation, oil and gas, environmental and nonsubscriber worker injury. Also, a licensed Certified Public Accountant, a former hospital Chief Financial Officer, and a current non-profit hospital board member.

Mediated cases since 2009. The vast majority are soft tissue personal injury cases and non-subscriber compensation cases but there have been several with significant injury or death cases. Mediated partnership and LLC breakups, shareholder disputes, and family divorce cases. Substantial multi-party mediation experience.

I aim to stay with asking questions and avoid telling parties and their lawyers what they should do. I especially seek to avoid playing judge and telling parties the likely outcome of legal questions that are presented. In asking questions I hope to get parties to look at questions of fact and law from another perspective.

South Texas College of Law (JD-1992); Texas A&M University-Kingsville (BBA, cum laude-1980).

Admitted to the Bar: Texas (1992). Certified Public Accountant, Texas (1982).

Fellow, College of Commercial Arbitrators; Texas Supreme Court Rules Advisory Committee 2003-2023; Life member, Uniform Law Commission; Vice Chair, Uniform College Name, Image, or Likeness Act of 2021, member Uniform Law Commission Study Committee on Antitrust; Houston Bar Association; Chair of Board of Trustees, Houston Methodist Hospital Clear Lake (based in Nassau Bay, Texas), National Association of Bond Lawyers.

No travel time for hearings in Bexar County, Brazoria County, Cameron County, Dallas County, Fort Bend County, Galveston County, Harris County, Jefferson County, Nueces County, Tarrant County, Travis County. All preliminary matters by Zoom or phone conference with Final Hearings in person in any of the counties listed above with no travel time charged to any of the parties.

Hourly Rate: Not provided Daily Rate: $4,000.00 Study Rate: Not provided Cancellation: Not provided Cancellation Period: 10 Days Comment: 10% discount from rate above if mediation is via Zoom. Reserve the right to adjust these rates depending on the complexity of the matter, the amount in controversy and the number of parties involved. Will travel to mediate without charging for travel time for Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana and Oklahoma cases if there is a non-stop flight available. Travel expenses are borne by the parties.

English

United States of America

Houston, Texas