Judicate West, one of California’s leading providers of private dispute resolution services, has added Daniel Grunfeld, Esq. to its roster of neutrals. Based out of the Los Angeles office, Grunfeld is available statewide as a mediator and arbitrator.

“Dan built a distinguished career over three decades in commercial litigation with both boutique and global law firms, earning a reputation among adversaries and peers for being fair, sharp, and creative. As an advocate in high-stakes matters, and representing clients on both sides, he has achieved remarkable success through mediation and arbitration, a 20-year dream that began in his tenure as co-head of LA litigation for a global law firm,” said Rosemarie Chiusano Aubert, Executive Vice President of Business Development with Judicate West. “Known for his thoughtfulness, active listening, and exceptional people skills, Dan naturally took on an ombudsman role in every position he stepped into, addressing complex issues with clients, partners, and stakeholders across California. Finding common ground where none seems to exist has been a defining aspect of Dan’s career, and his experiences collectively will give him the ammunition to excel in this new chapter and become a trusted resource for clients in resolving even their most challenging cases.”

Grunfeld has nearly 40 years’ experience in the legal profession, spending most of his multi-faceted and acclaimed career as a trial lawyer. He has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in various matters including business, intellectual property, real estate, civil rights, products liability, and professional malpractice. Most recently, Grunfeld served as an independent consultant on trial, litigation and mediation strategy; before that, he served as an office loss prevention partner and led the statewide litigation department for a national law firm. He also spent 10 years as the president and CEO of Public Counsel, the nation’s largest pro bono public interest law firm.

Leveraging his passion for public policy, Grunfeld spent two years as the Deputy Chief of Staff of Policy for former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, overseeing and implementing the mayor’s policy agenda. He chaired the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Commission and served on the Mayor of Los Angeles Homeland Security Committee and the Los Angeles County Bar Association Elections Committee. He also served as executive chair of the board and as interim CEO of Youth Policy Institute, a large non-profit that managed and implemented school-based programs to assist at-risk youth. Additionally, Grunfeld served as Executive Vice Dean of Strategy and Partnerships for the RAND Corp/Pardee Rand Graduate School, one of the world’s foremost graduate schools of public policy.

Grunfeld received the “Excellence in Advocacy” award from the Beverly Hills Bar Association in 2018 and was named the “California Lawyer of the Year” for public interest law by California Lawyer in 2015 and 2007. He has been selected numerous times by Lawdragon and the Daily Journal for the “Top 500 Leading Lawyers in America” and the “Top 100 Lawyers” lists, respectively. He also received the “In Kind Supporter of the Year” award from the Los Angeles Business Journal in 2014. Grunfeld earned his J.D. from Cornell University Law School (1986) and his B.S. from Drexel University (1982). He earned a certificate in “Mediating the Litigated Case” from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the University of Pepperdine School of Law.

About Judicate WestFor more than 30 years, Judicate West has been one of California’s leading providers of private dispute resolution services with a distinguished roster of proven neutrals, including retired state and federal court judges plus professional attorney mediators and arbitrators from a wide variety of practice areas. Founded in 1993, the firm prides itself on maintaining the utmost integrity in delivering innovative solutions to all types of civil disputes. The firm’s successful formula involves top-tier neutrals, a great company culture and an experienced team of ADR professionals dedicated to delivering gold standard service in alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

Contact:Melody KleimanJudicate West(714) 852-5189melody@judicatewest.com