Mediator Resume

Over 45 years of experience in complex civil cases both in State and Federal Courts (trial and appellate) involving contract disputes, business torts, insurance bad faith, insurance coverage, declaratory relief actions, aviation, product liability, personal injury, trade secrets, construction and environmental litigation. This includes more than 20 years as a federal court mediator and evaluator in complex civil cases involving contractual disputes, construction related matters, insurance coverage and insurance bad faith disputes, declaratory relief actions, federal tort claims, civil rights matters and claims for attorney's fees. Served as an expert witness on insurance coverage/ insurance bad faith issues and claims for attorney's fees.

Christopher Johns, ESQ., Mediation and Arbitration Services - Principal

Attorney, Arbitrator, Mediator

Principal, Christopher Johns, ESQ., Mediation and Arbitration Services, 2024-Present; Founding Partner, Johns & Allyn, APC, 1983-2024; Associate Litigation Attorney, Bronson, Bronson, & McKinnon, 1980-1983; Law Clerk, Honorable Procter Hug, Jr., Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Reno, Nevada, 1979-1980.

Extensive experience in complex commercial, real estate, insurance, construction, and municipal issues and disputes. Commercial: Experience includes business and family disputes involving breach of contract and business torts, including allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, self dealing, fraud, collusion, undue influence, and conversion seeking damages and equitable remedies through declaratory relief, specific performance, interpleader, and partition. Cases have ranged from the sale of a private aircraft and related claims of misrepresentation, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty; to breach of contract and negligence in the installation of an alarm system; and to trade secret violations with regard to the chemical treatment process of toxic materials in a mining operation between competing companies as well as claimed breaches of confidentiality and violations of covenants not to compete with regard to former employees. Real Estate: Experience includes claims stemming from development agreements, purchase agreements, promissory notes, deeds of trust, personal guarantees, property management agreements, listing agreements, commercial leases, appraisals, limited partnership agreements, homeowner association agreements, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Insurance: Experience in handling first-party and third-party insurance claims on behalf of both policyholders and insurers with regard to the duty to defend obligations and coverage issues. Experience includes the following policies-commercial general liability, builder's risk, homeowners, automobile, umbrella and excess coverage, professional liability, disability and life insurance policies. Served as expert witness on both insurance coverage and insurance bad faith issues. Construction: Experience in handling claims of construction deficiency and environmental contamination on behalf of insurers, owners, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. Experience includes large commercial and residential projects involving office buildings, apartments, condominiums, townhomes, and single family homes. Experience also includes claims against municipalities for design deficiencies with regard to the construction of streets and highways. This includes the application and implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Municipal: Experience with regard to municipal matters including permits, ordinances, and zoning as well as claims against municipalities and the immunities attendant thereto. This also includes the application and implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Part of Hastings extern program, in the spring of 1979 was law clerk to Judge Alfred T. Goodwin, Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Portland, Oregon.

Trained as a mediator and neutral evaluator by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program in 2001. Based on appointments by the Court, served as a federal mediator and evaluator in scores of cases and handled more that 60 mediations for the Court while a member of the ADR Mediation and Neutral Evaluation panels from 2001 thru 2025. These cases involved complex federal court actions involving breach of contract, business torts, federal tort claims, insurance coverage and bad faith actions, and civil rights matters. In 2024, served on the faculty for the Court in training new mediators. Established private mediation and arbitration practice in Boise, Idaho in the fall of 2024. Joined the Idaho Mediation Association in 2025 and was Certified as a Professional Mediator by the IMA on May 28, 2025 (CPM #434). Having practiced law for more than 45 years as a civil litigator, before becoming a full-time mediator and arbitrator, participated in more than 150 cases in mediation as an advocate in matters involving breach of contract, business torts, real estate, construction, insurance coverage and bad faith issues, municipal issues, environment issues, personal injury, and trade secrets.

Contract disputes, business and personal torts, insurance coverage and bad faith insurance cases (involving all aspects of insurance coverage-commercial general liability, builder's risk, homeowners, automobile, umbrella, professional liability, life and disability insurance) consumer protection (lemon law cases), construction, real estate, federal tort claims, personal injury, and civil rights matters.

Given 45 years of civil litigation experience and more than 20 years of mediation experience, a hybrid approach of being both evaluative and facilitative has proved to be most effective in the mediation process. This affords the parties and counsel the benefit of the mediator's experience in evaluating cases, but also allows for the full participation of the parties and counsel in the negotiation process. It also recognizes and embodies the parties' right of self-determination in the process. Further, it allows for a mediator's proposal when an impasse has been reached, provided the parties and counsel agree to such a proposal, as a mechanism to achieve an agreed upon resolution, when all other avenues have been explored but have not produced a resolution. Finally, the cornerstone of this approach is listening to the parties and counsel to assure that all participants have been able to meaningfully engage in the process to explore a resolution of the matter and to have their interests addressed in the mediation process.

Available for in-person and virtual hearings. Familiar with various online platforms, such as Zoom and Blue Jeans, and amenable to hybrid formats.

UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings College of the Law) (JD, Managing Editor, Hastings International and Comparative Law Review - 1979); University of California (BA, with "Honors in Rhetoric," "Great Distinction in General Scholarship," Phi Beta Kappa - 1975).

Admitted to the Bar: California (1979), Idaho (2025); California Supreme Court (1979), Idaho Supreme Court (2025); U.S. District Courts: Northern, Eastern and Central Districts of California; District of Idaho; U.S. Court of Appeals: Ninth Circuit (1980); U.S. Supreme Court (2001).

Member of the State Bar of California (1979); Member of the State Bar of Idaho (2025); Member of the American Bar Association (1980), serves on the Mediation and Arbitration Committees: Member of the Idaho Mediation Association (2025), certified as a Professional Mediator by the IMA (CPM# 434); and certified as a Specialist in Appellate Law by the California Board of Legal Specialization (2017, re-certified 2022).

Master in the Richard Sangster Inn of Court (for Marin, Napa, and Sonoma Counties, California) from 2001-2024, and served as a presenter at Inn of Court meetings on numerous occasions addressing the topics of civility, ethics, and attorney's fees, with such topics as "Sometimes it hard to get paid" (Odyssey of a Cumis Counsel) and F. Lee Bailey-Disbarred (Should he be re-instated?).

Hourly Rate: Not provided Daily Rate: Not provided Study Rate: Not provided Cancellation: Not provided Cancellation Period: Not provided Comment: Compensation rates, established by the AAA, are set forth in the applicable Consumer Mediation Procedures.

English

United States of America

Boise, Idaho