• Over more than three decades, Joan Haratani has honed practical, goal oriented, strategic thinking and courtroom skills in high-exposure cases. A co-lead counsel on some of the largest mass tort litigations, Joan defends her clients in class actions, from product liability litigation, to complex licensing agreements, to trade secret indemnity issues. While her litigation experience spans industries, including retail and finance, she focuses much of her current practice on the banking and finance industries. She is co-lead national counsel for one of the world’s largest financial institutions.

  • Ann I. Park is a Partner in the Los Angeles office of the national law firm, Foley Mansfield, specializing in the defense of complex toxic tort and mass tort actions. During 2022-2023, Ms. Park served as the first Asian American President of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA), one of the largest voluntary bar organizations in the nation, with 20,000+ members. A graduate of Harvard College and UCLA Law School, Ms. Park was recognized in 2022 as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California by the Daily Journal. Ms. Park also received the President’s Award of the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Association, was recognized as a Leader of Influence among Minority Attorneys in the January 2023 by the Los Angeles Business Journal, and was named an Inspirational Woman by the Los Angeles Times in its Second Annual Inspirational Women Awards. Ms. Park served as President of the Korean American Bar Association of Southern California in 1996 and has also served on the California State Bar’s Council on Access and Fairness. Since 2007, Ms. Park has organized the LACBA High School Mentoring Program, which brings lawyers and judges to local high schools to mentor diverse students and encourage them to pursue careers in the law.

  • D’Lonra C. Ellis is the Chief Legal Officer of the Oakland Athletics and the San Jose Earthquakes. She works on all of the organizations’ legal matters, including their intellectual property, real estate, employment, commercial, and government affairs matters. She also oversees the People Operations and Technology departments for the Oakland Athletics. D’Lonra is an Adjunct Professor at UC Hastings College of Law, where she teaches Sports Law and the Corporate Counsel Externship Program. Prior to joining the Oakland Athletics and the San Jose Earthquakes, D’Lonra was the General Counsel of Aspire Public Schools; a Director and Senior Corporate Counsel in the intellectual property, marketing and advertising group at Gap Inc.; and a litigation associate at Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk and Rabkin (now Arnold &

    Porter). D’Lonra currently sits on the boards of Bay Area Legal Aid, which provides direct legal services to low income residents in seven Bay Area counties; Seven Stories Institute, which runs a non- profit bookstore collective in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City; and KIPP Northern California, which operates K-12 charter schools in the Bay Area and Central Valley. She is a member of the Alameda County Bar Association and Golden Gate Chapter of Lambda Alpha International. She received her BA in Architecture, Preservation, and Planning from Columbia University and her JD from Stanford Law School.

  • Michelle “Mika” Domingo is the award-winning Founder and Managing Attorney of M.S. Domingo Law Group. With a passion for helping others, Mika Domingo represents people throughout California in matters involving Probate and Trust Administration and Litigation, Estate Planning, and Conservatorships. Mika fulfills her commitment to fairness, legitimacy and equality within the legal community by serving on numerous boards including as the first Filipina President of California Women Lawyers (CWL), co-chairing its Judicial Evaluations Committee for the past eight years, chairing the Annual Dinner Committee and So, You Want to be a Judge program, and serving on numerous committees. She also currently serves on the board of the California Asian Pacific American Bar Association (Cal-APABA), co-chairing its 2023 Presidents’ Summit and 2023 Annual Conference. She is proud to serve as Co-Director of Professional Development of the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California (FBANC), co-chairing the Night with Fil-Am Attorneys (Program on Intersectionality) and the Night with Fil-Am Judges (Program on Pathways to the Bench). Mika served on the State Bar’s Committee of Bar Examiners for four years, working on Moral Character Evaluations, Testing Accommodations, and Law School Accreditation. She is Past President of Contra Costa County Bar Association Women’s Section, and Past Chair of Contra Costa County Bar Association’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Mika believes that the justice system should work to benefit everyone, not just the few. Mika fulfills these same commitments to her clients by implementing a client-centered approach – meaning, she places herself in the shoes of those whom she represents. Because the stress and anxiety of pending litigation can cause barriers to communication, empathizing with her clients can overcome that barrier and contribute to a greater success in the litigation process: treating the client as a person, not just another “case.” Mika’s advocacy for diversity and inclusion has earned her numerous awards including the Minority Bar Coalition Unity Award, Contra Costa County Bar Association’s Diversity Award for the past six years, the Justice Marchiano Inn of Court Award and the California Bar Foundation Award.

  • Eric Kapral brings decades of overall business development experience to a diversity of clientele. He has served in leadership positions in several organizations, owned and led three successful businesses, and understands the nuances of entrepreneurship, leadership, and management which allows him to bring a cumulative blend of approaches that lead to intended results. Additionally, Eric is a Senior Trainer with the Anthony Robbins Company and is an award-winning business coach, author, and certified speaker. He offers distinguished Professional Development Programs that truly address today’s business needs. His areas of expertise cover: CEO & Executive Coaching; Strategic Planning; Business and Talent Development Assessments; Personal Performance; Team Development, Superior Sales Skills and Sales Management; Business Analytics; Start Ups, Succession Planning; Partnerships; and Exit Planning. His passion is helping others succeed.

  • Celene Chan Andrews is a partner at LippSmith LLP. With over $200 million in settlements, Celene is admitted to practice in California and Hawaii. She litigates class actions, mass torts, construction defect, and personal injury cases. Celene graduated cum laude from UCLA and received her J.D. from UC Law SF (formerly known as UC Hastings). She clerked for Hon. Alan S. Gold (Ret.) (U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida) and externed for Hon. David A. Ezra (U.S. District Court, District of Hawaii). Celene values giving back to her community with the same passion she brings to representing her clients.

    Celene’s honors include Volunteer of the Year, Legal Eagles Pro Bono Clinic (2013-14), Best Under 40, NAPABA (2022), and the President’s Award, Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association (SCCLA) (2016), for which she served as President when SCCLA received NAPABA’s Affiliate of the Year Award (2022). Celene serves on the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) Litigation Section Executive Committee (Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee), Co-Chair of the Mass Torts and Class Actions Committee of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), is an officer of the California Asian Pacific American Bar Association (Cal-APABA), and a Women Lawyers of Los Angeles (WLALA) board member. Celene is a Top 10 Under 40 Attorney in California (National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys), Top 40 Under 40 Attorney (National Trial Lawyers), Super Lawyer, Rising Star, Up-and-Coming 50 (Women Southern California Rising Stars), and Up-and-Coming 100 (Southern California Rising Stars).

  • A former Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, with over fifteen years of experience conducting civil settlements for the courts, Hon. Kenneth K. So (Ret.) is bringing his history of insightful, sound decision-making and conciliatory spirit to Signature Resolution’s neutral panel. His experience as a trial judge and trial attorney will assist litigants in the evaluation of their cases. He sees resolution as an opportunity to bring a sense of certainty to the often straining and uncertain nature of disputes.

    Judge So’s thoughtful, direct approach to mediation is appreciated by parties who seek to be heard and understood while avoiding the risks of trial. Judge So began his judicial career in San Diego in 1994. Elected by his colleagues, he has served his Court as the San Diego County Assistant Presiding Judge and Presiding Judge from 2007 to 2009. Through his experiences as a trial attorney and settlement judge, Judge So’s practice areas have spanned business and commercial contracts, civil rights, employment, personal injury, professional liability, real estate, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Century City | Los Angeles | Oakland | San Diego

    Appointed by the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, Judge So served on the California Judicial Council from 2008 to 2019. There, he gained an intimate understanding of the common difficulties lawyers and litigants encounter throughout the state in finding access to justice. Beginning in 2009, Judge So was appointed by the California Supreme Court to the Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions to provide judicial ethics advisory opinions and advice to judicial officers and candidates for judicial office. He has consistently demonstrated sound judgment and understanding of the ethical intricacies at play when working with disputing parties.

    Above all, Judge So’s experience has shown that it is usually in the best interest of all parties to aim for resolution. As a trial judge and attorney, he is familiar with the highs and lows of litigation and recognizes the pressures parties are under, both financially and emotionally. It is his belief that most litigants simply want their cases resolved, and his aim as a mediator is to help the parties come to a fair solution.

  • Janet Hong is the owner of The Hong Firm, APLC. She has a wealth of experience in criminal defense, having conducted over 40 trials in New York and California, including several homicides. Janet is a California State Bar Certified Criminal Law Specialist and has drafted questions for the California State Bar Criminal Specialist examination. She is an adjunct lecturer for the Criminal Justice Clinic at UC Irvine Law School where she trains and advises law students representing clients in misdemeanor cases. As a member of the federal bar panel, she represents indigent defendants under the Criminal Justice Act. She has expanded her practice representing plaintiffs in civil rights cases and is a member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA). Her unique background in criminal and civil matters, in government and private practice, and in the New York, California, and Federal courts, has made her into an advocate that not only commands a courtroom but can also win a case on paper. At Columbia University, Janet played Division I basketball for the Columbia Women’s Basketball Team. Inspired by the Ethnic Studies movement at her school, she majored in African American Studies. She graduated from Columbia magna cum laude. At USC Law School, she served as the President of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, competed in the Hale Moot Court Honors Program, and worked with inmates in the Post- Conviction Justice Clinic. Giving back to the community is a big priority for Janet. She regularly volunteers as a judge for local high school and college mock trial competitions. She is a founding board member of The K.W. Lee Center for Leadership, a youth leadership program in Koreatown that trains high school and college students in the art of community organizing. The Center is named after civil rights activist and journalist Kyung Won Lee, whose investigative articles on the 1973 murder conviction of immigrant Chol Soo Lee led to a new trial, acquittal, and release of Chol Soo from San Quentin’s Death Row. Janet has been recognized as a SuperLawyer in criminal defense for the past five consecutive years, a distinction given to the top 5% of attorneys in the state. She has been named by The Daily Journal as one of the Top 100 Women Lawyers in California. Janet is a lifetime member of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles and currently serves as its 103 rd President. Janet is a three-time IronWoman Finisher. She has traveled to all seven continents. Her newest passion is surfing.

  • Shireen Matthews is a former federal prosecutor who now helps companies conduct internal investigations and build, enhance, and maintain effective corporate compliance programs. She regularly defends clients in high-stakes government investigations and regulatory proceedings relating to health care, false claims, cybersecurity, and data privacy. Shireen also is an experienced civil litigator who represents businesses facing complex, and often enterprise-threatening, litigation. She has managed civil discovery, including depositions and motion practice, from case inception through trial. Prior to joining Jones Day in 2013, Shireen served as the Criminal Health Care Fraud Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of California. During that time, she prosecuted violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, criminal false claims, and aggravated identity theft. Her success stories include uncovering a multimillion dollar fraud involving stolen medical equipment from Camp Pendleton, prosecution of wide-ranging contract fraud by a San Diego-based biotech firm, and obtaining one of the largest individual restitution awards for the Social Security trust fund. Shireen also has broad criminal trial experience and has successfully briefed and argued several cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

  • Phyllis Cheng is a neutral at ADR Services Inc. In her seven years as a mediator, she has resolved hundreds of employment, civil rights, class actions, and other matters. She also serves on the mediation panels of the California Court of Appeal and the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, where she led its mediation practice group for several years. Ms. Cheng has served in the administrations of California Governors George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown. Among other things, for nearly seven years, she was Director of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) (recently renamed the Civil Rights Department), the largest state civil rights agency in the United States. She also served on the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission, Comparable Worth Task Force, and Commission on the Status of Women. Ms. Cheng was an employment partner at global firm DLA Piper, of counsel at employment firm Littler Mendelson, and associate at civil rights firm Hadsell & Stormer. She also served as a research attorney at the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Seven, and was a deputy attorney general at the California DOJ, Civil Rights Enforcement Section. The State Bar of California named her the 2012 Ronald M. George Public Lawyer of the Year. Inside Counsel magazine featured her on its 2014 cover. She was formerly Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor of the California Lawyers Association’s (formerly State Bar of California) CALIFORNIA LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW REVIEW, where she has continuously written for 20 years a column on employment cases pending before the California Supreme Court. She is co-editor of CALIFORNIA FAIR HOUSING AND PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS (Thomson Reuters-The Rutter Group), writer of a daily employment law alert, and contributor to many other publications. Before becoming a lawyer, Ms. Cheng was Title IX Coordinator of the Los Angeles Unified School District, and was responsible for the enactment of California's version of the Title IX law. Ms. Cheng received her bachelor and master degrees from UCLA, her law degree from Southwestern Law School, and her Ph.D. from USC, where she was a James Irvine Fellow. An immigrant from Hong Kong, she speaks Cantonese, Shanghainese, and some Mandarin.

  • Sandhya Ramadas Kogge is a Principal Counsel at The Walt Disney Company, where she provides counsel on matters related to domestic and international television and film distribution, specializing in Disney's streaming platforms (Hulu, Disney+ and Star). A former federal prosecutor, and a former trial attorney at Bird Marella Boxer Wolpert Nessim Drooks Lincenberg & Rhow, Sandhya clerked for the Honorable A. Howard Matz of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the Honorable Michael Daly Hawkins of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Sandhya is the President of the Federal Bar Association of Los Angeles, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Barnsdall Art Park Foundation, currently serves on the Public Appointments and Judicial Endorsements Committee of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles, and is a founding member of the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California's In-House Committee. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, the University of Paris (Sorbonne), and Harvard College.

  • With over 17 years of experience, Monique Ngo-Bonnici is a seasoned professional in Labor & Employment. Her pragmatic approach, entrepreneurial mindset, and passion for solving problems naturally led her to a full-time mediation practice. Formerly chair of Winston & Strawn’s LA and Silicon Valley labor and employment practices, Monique's expertise spans wage and hour claims, discrimination cases, non-compete issues, and more. Her success lies in efficient problem-solving, driven by her empathy and dual perspective as a former employee and business owner. Monique's contributions have earned recognition, including multiple "Rising Star" awards by Super Lawyers, The Recorder's "Lawyers on the Fast Track" list, and the 2018 Euromoney LMG Rising Star for Labor & Employment. Her commitment to diversity in law and mediation stems from her immigrant background, fueling her dedication to accessible justice. In her pursuit of resolution, Monique combines experience, empathy, and a strong work ethic, embodying her belief that diverse perspectives drive equitable outcomes.

  • Hon. Jackson Lucky (Ret.) Mediator, Arbitrator, Referee/Special Master, Neutral Evaluator, Hearing Officer, Temporary Judge/Judge Pro Tem

    Hon. Jackson Lucky (Ret.) joined JAMS in 2021 following 13 years as a judge with the Riverside County Superior Court. During that time, he presided over thousands of family law and unlimited civil cases. He served as the supervising judge of the family law division for four years, where he developed multiple alternative dispute resolution (ADR) programs, one of which settled 90% of its cases year after year. In his civil assignment, he was a member of the court’s ADR Committee, where he helped develop and participated in multiple settlement programs. He also settled hundreds of family and civil cases.

    Judge Lucky is a passionate technologist who has built and programmed computers for decades. His contributions to the computer programming website Stack Overflow put him in the top 11% of over 14 million worldwide users in 2021. Judge Lucky has been an instructor for multiple organizations on virtual ADR. He is sought after to teach lawyers and judges throughout the state of California due to his ability to explain complex legal and technical topics in plain language.

    Judge Lucky has been recognized by numerous bar associations for his distinguished service and leadership as a jurist. He was bestowed the Outstanding Jurist Award by the Leo. A. Deegan Inn of Court, named Judicial Officer of the Year by the Riverside County Barristers and jointly awarded the Family Law Legacy Award by the Riverside and San Bernardino bar associations. As the first Korean-American and first AAPI judge in Riverside County, he earned the Trailblazer Award from the Asian Pacific American Lawyers of the Inland Empire. Lawyers have described him as meticulous and well reasoned, but also courteous and approachable. Judge Lucky brings a passion for the law, exhaustive preparation and persistence to his mediation and arbitration practice at JAMS.

  • Mona Shah is the Executive Director of the South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABA), a minority bar association dedicated to the advancement of South Asian lawyers and the South Asian community. SABA has 30 chapters in North America serving over 10,000 lawyers.

    She is also an adjunct professor at USC Gould School of Law where she focuses on legal ethics. She also teaches seminars on U.S. juries, mediation, and other classes. Mona is the co-author of the legal ethics textbook: Legal Ethics: A Guide For Future Practitioners.

    Mona is a California native and enjoyed a successful litigation and mediation practice in both Northern and Southern California with emphasis on employment, business, and real estate litigation before her transition into the nonprofit sector and academia.

  • Asit Panwala is the current president of Cal-APABA and has worked in both the public and private sector. He currently works as an Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco. In the past, he has taught criminal procedure at UC School of Law, San Francisco, and successfully argued for the right to referendum in City of Morgan Hill v. Bushey, in the California Supreme Court. He also served as a past president of the South Asian Bar Association of Northern California."

  • Jay Pang is an AUSA in the Major Frauds Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney's Office in 2019, Jay worked at Boies Schiller Flexner in Los Angeles and Latham & Watkins LLP in San Francisco. He is currently leads the Office's recruitment and hiring efforts. Jay is also a board member of the LGBTQ+ Lawyers Association of Los Angeles. Jay graduated from UCLA School of Law in 2013.