Jeane Struck is a neutral with more than 35 years of litigation experience handling personal injuries (ranging from soft tissue injuries to quadriplegia and catastrophic brain injuries), professional liability (architects, engineers, doctors, psychologists, nurses, massage therapists, aestheticians and brokers), construction defect, product liability, premises liability, commercial liability, professional and amateur sports and recreational liability, landlord/tenant, sexual assault and fraternity cases; defamation, nuisance, ADA and UM/UIM claims. 

As an attorney, Jeane evaluated both the strengths and weaknesses of each case, based on a distinct set of facts, in order to advise insurance carriers of the potential exposure. She learned early in her career that she could be an advocate for her carrier and insured defendant clients, while being respectful and fair to the plaintiff and opposing counsel. As a mediator, Jeane employs those same skills in order to reach a mediated resolution- she shares legal, factual and emotional perspectives, not just monetary demands and offers.

Jeane is a versatile neutral and is adept at handling everything from simple, two party matters, to complex, multi-party cases with unusual damage claims and everything in between. She understands unspoken dynamics and carrier/client relationships and is praised for her ability to quickly develop a rapport with counsel and their clients in order to effectively reach resolution. At JAMS Jeane has successfully mediated a wide range of matters, including those involving wrongful death, sexual assault, common carriers, mobile homes, municipalities, UM/UIM claims, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, professional liability, breach of contract, and habitability and wrongful eviction claims, many of which involved multiple insurance carriers and coverage issues.

Jeane's high settlement rate, based on the significant preparation and attention she gives each matter, makes her sought after by both plaintiff and defense counsel. By the time the mediation session begins she has already spoken with each counsel individually, and considered the legal and factual issues to be addressed, in order to make the mediation session both productive and successful.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• As a full-time neutral at JAMS, Jeane has successfully mediated cases ranging from product liability to landlord/tenant cases; uninsured motorist to Davis-Stirling Act claims, sexual assault, premises liability, motor vehicle and breach of contract cases
• Served as a settlement conference judge and arbitrator for the Santa Cruz County Court and a settlement conference panelist for the San Francisco and Marin County Courts
• As a litigator, Jeane arbitrated and mediated hundreds of matters throughout California 

Representative Matters

• Construction Defect
• Handled design and standard of care claims made against architects, civil engineers, structural engineers and engineering geologists, involving allegations of design negligence, inadequate construction administration or supervision, and reporting requirements
• Handled numerous construction defect matters involving issues ranging from water intrusion, rust/corrosion, and mold exposure to foundation instability and lack of structural integrity
• Handled complex multi- party construction defect matters with multi layered insurance issues involving homeowner associations, developers, general contractors, subcontractors, construction managers, special inspectors and design professionals
• Matters handled involve defects in a variety of types of structures including commercial, single family residences, sub divisions, wineries, casinos, schools, universities and resorts
• Represented the manufacturers of the products used in construction including roofing materials, siding and windows
• Handled contractual issues between the parties in construction defect matters including those related to indemnification, licensing/disgorgement and limitation of liability clauses
• Represented one of the subcontractors in what is believed to be the first case managed by a special master in coordination with a California court in the mid- 1980s
• Landlord/Tenant
• Jeane has successfully mediated habitability and constructive/wrongful eviction cases involving the San Francisco Rent Ordinance, the Oakland Municipal Code, the Richmond Rent Ordinance and the Berkeley Rent Ordinance 
• Successfully mediated landlord tenant cases involving multiple plaintiffs and multiple insurance carriers with varied coverage issues 
• Successfully mediated claims of carbon monoxide exposure suffered by multiple tenants, claimed lack of mandated smoke and carbon monoxide detectors provided by landlord
• Resolved a range of claims made against building managers, commercial and residential landlords including habitability, wrongful eviction, and constructive eviction
• Handled injury and death claims made by tenants/heirs against landlords and property managers
• Other Statutory and Common Law Claims
• Successfully mediated claims against mobile home parks including a multi- party case involving an easement enforced by the City post purchase, and a Davis-Stirling Act claim brought against an HOA Board which included an alleged assault and battery
• As a litigator, Jeane handled claims of elder abuse and premises claims against owners and operators of senior living facilities
• Handled private and public nuisance claims made pursuant to case law and municipal ordinance
• ADA compliance cases in state and federal court
• Represented universities and professors in matters involving claims of defamation based on “recovered memory” studies, denial of tenure, whistleblower, invasion of privacy, and sexual harassment claims
• Handled claims made against governmental entities ranging from recreational liability to personal injury claims involving transit authorities
• Personal Injury
• At JAMS Jeane has successfully mediated personal injury and wrongful death cases involving cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians, elevators, theaters, supermarkets, bumper cars, semi-trucks, electric trolleys, municipal buses and ride- share vehicles, with claims ranging from soft tissue and orthopedic injuries to traumatic brain injuries to sexual assault 
• As a litigator, she handled personal injury matters with medical diagnoses of meningitis, RSD (complex regional pain syndrome), traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, ruptured breast implant, bilateral ruptured biceps, traumatic amputations, orthopedic injuries, double vision, PTSD, laryngeal trauma, stroke, Bell’s palsy, quadriplegia, paraplegia, cardiac arrest, formaldehyde toxicity and degloving injuries
• The circumstances surrounding the personal injury and wrongful death matters Jeane handled as a litigator include:
• Sports and recreational activity cases involving race tracks, swimming pools, ATVs, zip lines, bicyclists and triathletes, resulting in catastrophic injuries to a professional jockey, nationally ranked collegiate diver, and other athletes
• National professional and amateur athletic organizations and local chapters, including baseball, soccer, cycling, volleyball, track, tennis and triathlon injuries to participants and spectators, including claims of bodily injury and sexual molestation
• Hundreds of uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) claims
• Wrongful death cases arising from motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, elevator shaft fatalities, rooftop falls and toxic exposures
• A range of premises liability matters including dog bites, slip and falls, assault and battery, construction site injuries and injuries caused by the service of alcohol to an intoxicated minor
• Product liability claims involving a range of products including condoms, riding helmets, boilers, gym equipment, a retrofitted ambulance and pleasure craft components resulting in injury or death
• Professional Liability
• At JAMS, Jeane has successfully mediated claims brought against a manicurist for injuries requiring a partial amputation, and arbitrated claims made against a design professional for negligence and breach of contract with counterclaims for breach of contract
• As a litigator, Jeane handled professional liability claims made against architects, civil engineers, structural engineers and engineering geologists, involving allegations of design negligence, inadequate construction administration or supervision, and reporting requirements
• Handled claims of broker negligence including failure to disclose, errors in selection of coverages.
• Handled health care malpractice claims involving physicians, nurses, psychotherapists, chiropractors, pharmacists, optometrists, massage therapists, estheticians and ambulance companies with alleged injuries including stroke, tetanus, medical amputation, Bell’s palsy, ant infestation, double vision and death
• Handled medical malpractice matters involving emergency room physicians, internists, and prison physicians for alleged failure to diagnose and treat, and nursing error resulting in patient’s death

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Recognized as Northern California Super Lawyer, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2018-2019
• Martindale-Hubbell Client Distinction Award 2015
• Martindale- Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women
• Martindale- Hubbell AV rated since 1999
• Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California & Nevada (ADCNC)
• Board of Directors, 1990-1994; 2004-2009
• Recipient, President’s Award, ADCNC, 2008
• Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
• San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association (SFTLA)
• Construction Lawyers Society of America (CLSA)
• Northern California Super Lawyers
• California Bar
• United States District Court for the Northern District of California
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of California

ADR Profile

• "Building Rapport," Daily Journal, ADR Profile, June 1, 2018

Background and Education

• Severson & Werson, San Francisco, 2006-2018
• Member, 2010-2018
• Certified Litigation Management Professional, CLM/Columbia Law School, 2013
• Selman Breitman, LLP, Special Counsel, San Francisco, 2002-2006
• Mac Morris & Carbone (Staff Counsel, Senior Litigator, California State Automobile Association) San Francisco, 1996-2002
• Grunsky, Ebey Farrar & Howell, Watsonville, CA 1983-1996
• Shareholder 1989-1996
• J.D. Santa Clara University, 1983
• B.A. (Honors in Psychology) University of California, Santa Cruz, 1977