Mediator Resume

W. Jerry Hoover - Attorney/Mediator/Arbitrator Gulf Interstate Engineering Company - Former Outside General Counsel

Attorney, Mediator, Arbitrator, Special Master, Insurance Umpire, Neutral Case Evaluator, Dispute Resolution Board Member

Attorney/Mediator/Arbitrator, Law Offices of W. Jerry Hoover, 1994 – Present; Outside General Counsel, Gulf Interstate Engineering Company and its subsidiaries; 1999 – 2025; Senior Vice President/General Counsel, 3D/International Inc., 1987 – 1994; President and Chief Executive Officer, Texas Commerce Bank-Richmond/Sage, 1985 – 1987; President, Texas Commerce Bank Del Oro, 1982 – 1985.

A 35+ year former trial lawyer with extensive experience in domestic and international litigation and arbitration of commercial and construction disputes involving real estate development & construction (architecture, engineering, procurement, construction management), energy (production, pipelines, petrochemical, & power), insurance disputes, banking and finance, corporations, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiation, business law, employment, real estate, transportation, oil & gas and environmental laws and regulations. From 1999 - 2025, served as outside General Counsel to Gulf Interstate Engineering Company (GIE), a Houston based international oil & gas pipeline engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) firm in the Energy Industry. GIE is often listed in ENR's top 250 private firms. Former General Counsel for 3D/International, Inc., a Houston-based international construction industry holding company that was acquired several years ago by Parsons International. Supervised all litigation, arbitration, mergers and acquisitions, contract review and negotiations for this architectural, engineering, construction management, and environmental services firm. Environmental experience in risk assessment, contamination, site remediation, toxic torts, indoor air quality, hazardous waste, permitting, and enforcement. Served on the roster of several construction industry Dispute Resolution Boards. Currently serve on the international roster of the AAA/ICDR Dispute Avoidance and Resolution Board. Mediated and arbitrated several toxic mold cases in Texas. Former adjunct professor at University of Houston, teaching Environmental Laws and Regulations. Former Bank President and CEO with two major Houston based commercial banks. Responsibilities included managing over $100 million in bank assets and over $100 million in commercial, industrial, energy, construction and real estate loans to both domestic and international clients. Appointed Special Commissioner on multiple occasions by County Court at Law Judges to preside over condemnation and eminent domain proceedings in Harris County, Texas.

Experienced mediator and arbitrator in all types of complex civil cases. Mediated and/or arbitrated over 5,000 cases, including commercial litigation, business law, construction and real estate, environmental, energy, personal injury, DTPA, medical/legal malpractice, labor/employment law, insurance coverage and disputes, probate, and oil and gas/energy related cases. Has also conducted several pre-litigation mediations and arbitrations for multiple insurance providers. Is an approved mediator and arbitrator panelist for the American Arbitration Association (AAA), and approved mediator panelist for the international center for dispute resolution (ICDR/AAA) in New York. Mediated several large, multi-party, and complex commercial and construction industry cases for the American Arbitration Association and for private parties. Is an approved mediator panelist for the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas. Appointed Master in Chancery in Harris County District Court to oversee the settlement procedures in a complex toxic tort case involving over 800 plaintiffs and multiple defendants in a pipeline explosion case in Texas (in that case, the court appointed the mediator reported to the Master in Chancery). Has mediated numerous multiple party cases in construction industry and the energy industry where owners, contractors, operators, producers, architects, engineers, and subcontractors were a party to the litigation and participated in the mediation. Successfully mediated a 30-party construction/design defect case involving a South Texas Independent School District (ISD) and multiple construction industry related parties (that case settled after 7 mediations). Successfully mediated a 22-party construction defect case where 21 different homeowners were suing a homebuilder (that case was settled by all parties after a two-day back-to-back mediation). Holds the designation of TMCA "Credentialed Distinguished" Mediator Certificate from the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association. Has also served as an advisory board member for the Frank Evans Center for Conflict Resolution at the South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas.

Construction industry cases mediated have included the following issues: construction defects, design defects, breach of contract and/or warranty, delay damages, failure to perform, insurance coverage, owner interference, and design errors or omissions. Commercial cases mediated have included issues involving: breach of employment and non-compete contracts; debtor/creditor collection cases; royalty payments; sales contracts for goods and services; foreclosures; product defects; city/county/state entity geographical boundary disputes; estate of decedent/heir disputes; medical and legal malpractice; insurance coverage disputes; trademark/patent disputes; breach of employment/sales contracts; federal wage and overtime disputes; securities fraud disputes; stock/shareholder disputes including shareholder oppression cases, real estate title disputes; finance and banking disputes; maritime disputes; disputes arising out of merger and acquisition transactions; oil and gas contract disputes; and franchisor disputes. Energy Industry cases: mediated multiple energy industry cases involving disputes related to engineering, procurement, construction management, production (both onshore and offshore), transportation and pipeline explosions. Served as outside General Counsel for a Houston-based Oil & Gas Pipeline Engineering Firm from 1999-2025; managed their litigation team for the past 25 years; Firm's contract review officer reported to me in my capacity as General Counsel. Employment related cases: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) cases; Title VII cases; wrongful termination cases; discrimination cases, retaliation cases and general employer-employee related disputes including non-compete agreements.

I subscribe to the philosophy that the mediation process belongs to the parties. The decision-makers participating in the mediation have control over the outcome, not the mediator. The mediator should conduct him or herself as a hard working professional, and a "quick study" facilitator. The mediator typically facilitates two matters during the mediation process: 1) the mediator facilitates the evaluation of the case for settlement purposes, and 2) the mediator facilitates the negotiations between the parties during the mediation process. During the general session of each mediation, I typically ask the parties for three commitments: that they give their best efforts to negotiate in good faith; they keep an open mind for options and solutions to settlement; and they give the mediation process ample time. Finally, I expect counsel for each party to come prepared for the mediation and particularly require plaintiff's counsel to have a detailed damage model with specificity available either prior to (preferably), or at the beginning of the mediation.

Experienced in using online platforms including Zoom and Teams. Willing to conduct arbitrations and mediations in-person or via videoconference or teleconference where appropriate.

South Texas College of Law-Houston (JD-1981); Louisiana State University, School of Banking of the South (Graduate Banking Degree-1978); University of Florida (Masters Business Administration-1973; BS, Business Administration, with honors-1972).

Admitted to the Bar: Texas, 1981; U.S. District Court: Southern District of Texas, 1984; U.S. Court of Appeals: Fifth Circuit, 1984; U.S. Supreme Court, 2020.

National Association of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN-Texas Chapter); Judge Frank Evans Center for Conflict Resolution at the South Texas College of Law (former Board of Advisors); American Bar Association (Dispute Resolution Section); Texas Bar Association (ADR Section and Construction Law Section); Houston Bar Association (ADR Section, Past Chairman, and Construction Law Section, Past Council Member); Association for Conflict Resolution; Institute for Responsible Dispute Resolution at South Texas College of Law (Charter Member); Texas Bar Foundation (Fellow); Houston Bar Association (Fellow); International Mediation Institute (IMI) Certified Mediator. Texas Mediator Credentialing Association (TMCA) - Credentialed Distinguished member.

Panel Member: Effective Construction Arbitration Practice Tips: From the Arbitrator's Point of View, presented to the 36th Annual State Bar of Texas Construction Law Conference, San Antonio, Texas, March, 2023; Panel Moderator: "Construction Industry Disputes: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly," State Bar of Texas Construction Law Conference, San Antonio, Texas, February 2013; "Breaking Logjams at Mediation," Houston Bar Association Construction Law Section, January 2012; Panel Moderator: "Advanced Mediator Training," University of Houston A.A. White Dispute Resolution Institute, April 2012; Panel Moderator: "ADR: Mediation and Arbitration Options and Strategies for Construction Disputes," University of Texas CLE Construction Law Conference, Houston, Texas, January 2009; "To Have or Not to Have Experts at Mediation," University of Texas Construction Law Seminar, Houston, Texas, September 2006; "Mediation & Arbitration - When, How to Find a Good One, Tips," State Bar of Texas, Collections Practice Seminar, May 2003; Speaker: "Is There a New Approach to Conflict Resolution? Discovery How Alternative Dispute Resolution Can Be Effectively Used in Your Organization," Council on Education Management, Houston, Texas, April 2001; Speaker: "Keeping Disputes Out of Court and Raising Employee Morale: Strategic Use of Peer Review Panels, Mediation and Arbitration," 15th Annual Texas Conference Personnel Law Update, Houston, Texas, November 1998; frequent speaker for various civic and CLE programs, speaking on the topic of alternative dispute resolution in Texas.

Houston, Texas

Hourly Rate: $750.00 Daily Rate: Not provided Study Rate: $750.00/hr Cancellation: $1,750.00/Day Cancellation Period: 45 Days Comment: Rates above for Mediation via Zoom. Will discuss logistics, and forum fees, if In-Person is requested. Hourly rate above for two-party case; $875.00 per hour for multi-party case (three or more parties), plus forum fees, if applicable. If the mediation is canceled within 45 days of the scheduled mediation date, a one time cancellation fee of $1,750.00 will be charged to the canceling party(s).

English

United States of America

Houston, Texas