Jeff Abrams

Attorney/Mediator/Arbitrator

Jeffry S. Abrams, Attorney-Mediator has been practicing law in the fields of commercial litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution since 1983. His focus has been on Alternative Dispute Resolution since 1989. He currently has a full time ADR practice with an emphasis on mediation. He has conducted approximately 3500 mediations of almost every conceivable variety including, but not limited to commercial, construction, personal injury, employment, international, Title VII, ERISA, sexual harassment, discrimination, ADA, products liability, medical and professional malpractice, toxic tort, condemnation, oil and gas, maritime, real estate, probate, arts and entertainment and almost every other type of case, involving people and companies from many different countries around the world. Mr. Abrams was also trained as an arbitrator by the American Arbitration Association and has conducted a number of arbitrations as a sole arbitrator, party-appointed arbitrator and member of arbitral tribunals. He is one of the most well established and respected mediators in the Houston, Texas area, consistently obtaining business from both sides of the bar. He is available for mediation and ADR consultation.

Mr. Abrams has been very involved in the ADR community, previously holding the positions of President of the Association of Attorney-Mediators (AAM), national organization, President of the Houston Chapter of AAM, Chair of the Houston Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and on the Board of Directors for the Harris County Dispute Resolution Center.

He is a member of the mediation Commission of the Union Internationale des Avocats and has recently made mediation presentations in Buenos Aires, Argentina , Sydney, Australia , Washington D. C., Lisbon, Portugal, Hong Kong, China, Coolum, Australia, Geneva, Switzerland, Barcelona, Spain, New York City and Dublin, Ireland. Mr. Abrams has been accredited as a mediator by the Center for Effective Dispute Resolution ( CEDR) in London, England. He will receive his LL.M. in International Economic Law later this year.

Current Employment Position(s):
Sole Practitioner, since 1984

Year Joined Organization:
1984

Areas Of Practice:
Alternative Dispute Resolution
International Dispute Resolution
Mediation

Bar Admissions:
Texas, 1982
U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 1982
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court Western District of Texas, 1987

Education:
University of Houston Law Center, Houston, Texas, 1982
J.D.
Honors: American Jurisprudence Award for Academic Excellence
Honors: Law Review: Associate Editor, University of Houston Law Review, 1981-1982
Honors: L.L.M. International Economic Law (graduation expected 2010)

University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 1978, 1978
B.S., Business Administration
Honors: With High Honors
Major: Economics

Classes/Seminars Taught:
Settling Cases: Unraveling the Mystery of ADR, A.A, White Dispute Resolution Institute, 1991

Commercial Mediation Workshop, Alternative "Trial Notebook"; The Ninties Trend for Litigators and Mediators-Alternative Dispute Resolution, A.A, White Dispute Resolution Institute, 1992

Advanced Mediation Training for Attorneys, A.A, White Dispute Resolution Institute, 1992

Advanced Family Mediation Seminar, A.A, White Dispute Resolution Institute, 1993

Numerous Trainings and Presentations, Harris County Dispute Resolution Center, 1991 - 1995

Compulsory Mediation: The Texas Experience, 44th Congress of the Union Internationale des Avocats, Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 1, 2000

Collaboration in the Capitol, Section of Dispute Resolution Annual Conference in Conjunction with the Section of International Law and Practice: Confidentiality and Privilege in International Commercial Mediation, American Bar Association, Washington D.C., April 1, 2001

Confidentiality and Privilege in International Commercial Mediation, Compulsory Mediation and Mediator Immunity, Hong Kong International Arbitration Center, June 1, 2001

Mock Mediation of a Complex International Mediation, 46th Congress of the Union Internationale des Avocats, Sydney, Australia, October 1, 2002

Ethics in Mediation, Houston Bar Association, Houston, Texas, August 1, 2003

Advocacy in Mediation, Representing Your Client Effectively, 47th Congress of the Union Internationale des Avocats, Lisbon, Portugal, September 1, 2003

Ethics in Mediation, Association of Attorney-Mediators Annual Fall CLE, Austin, Texas, 2004

Mediating the Attorney Malpractice Case, Houston, Texas, 2004

Mediation in the United States, Lisbon, Portugal, 2004

Formulated and Conducted Mediation Role Play of International Commercial Dispute, Queensland Law Society Symposium, Brisbane, Australia, March 1, 2004

Cutting Edge Issues and Tools in ADR, Mediator Ethics Quiz, State Bar of Texas and South Texas College of Law, Houston, Texas, October 1, 2005

Panelist on A Model Rule on Confidentiality and Best Practices, Union Internationale des Avocats, Forum of Mediation Centers Barcelona, Spain, December 1, 2005

Coach, University of Houston Law Center Championship Team, First Annual International Chamber of Commerce Advocacy in International Commercial Mediation Competition, January 2006

"Advanced Civil Litigation", Attorney Ethical Considerations in Mediation, University of Houston Law Center, Houston and Dallas, Texas, May 2006

Moderator of International Panel on "Breaking Barriers to Mediation", Union Internationale des Avocats, World Forum of Mediation Centres, Dublin, Ireland, September 2006

Moderator of International Panel on Breaking Barriers to Mediation: The Centres,, Union Internationale des Avocats, World Forum of Mediation Centres, New York, New York, July 2006

Participated in role-play on Deal Facilitation, 51st Congress Union Internationale des Avocats, Paris, France, November 2007

Presentation in Spanish, Mediation Around the World, 1st Annual Statewide Meeting of Mediators, Oaxaca, Mexico, 2008

Guest Speaker on 3 Spanish-speaking radio stations in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, Mexico, Interview on Mediation In The United States and Mexico, September 2008

53rd Congress Union Internationale des Avocats, Seville, Spain, Role-play on international intellectual property dispute, October 2009

Professional Associations and Memberships:
Houston Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, 1997 - 1998
Chair

Houston Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, 1996 - 1997
Chair Elect

Houston Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, 1995 - 1996
Treasurer

Houston Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, 1998 - 1999
Immediate Past Chair

Association of Attorney-Mediators, National Organization, 2003 - 2004
President

Association of Attorney-Mediators, Houston Chapter, 1999 - 2000
President

Association of Attorney-Mediators, Houston Chapter, 1998 - 1999
Vice President

Association of Attorney-Mediators, Houston Chapter, 1997 - 1998
Treasurer

Harris County Dispute Resolution Center, 1991 - 1995
Member, Board of Directors

Institute for Transnational Arbitration, 1999 - 2000
Advisory Board Member

Texas Mexico Bar Association, 1995 - 2010
Member

Texas Bar Association, International Law Section
Member

Texas Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
Member

Union Internationale des Avocats, Commission on Mediation and Conflict Prevention
Member

Houston Galveston Institute
Board of Directors

Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County, Texas
Member, Board of Directors

Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts
Member, Board of Directors

Houston Blues Society
Member, Board of Directors

Past Employment Positions:
Pendergraft, Elam & Simon, Associate, 1983 - 1984

Pro Bono Activities:
Numerous Pro Bono Mediations and organizational activities, 1989 - 2010

Birth Information:
1957, Miami, Florida, United States of America