JEFFRY S. ABRAMS
ATTORNEY/MEDIATOR
3203 MERCER ST., SUITE 200
HOUSTON, TEXAS 77027
713/522-4733
FAX 713/877-8587
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Law Office of Jeffry S. Abrams , Houston, Texas
June, 1984 to present: Business litigation, bankruptcy, real estate, landlord/tenant, contracts, personal injury, arbitration, mediation (full-time)
Pendergraft, Elam & Simon, Houston, Texas
January, 1983 to May, 1984: Business litigation and bankruptcy
ADR TRAINING
Mediation, Inc., Houston, Texas
Litigation Mediation Training, October, 1988Attorney-Mediators Institute, Inc. , Dallas, Texas
Mediation Training, April, 1991American Arbitration Association,Houston, Texas
Arbitrator Training, June, 1993Dispute Resolution Center, Houston, Texas
24-Hour Family Mediation Training, February, 1991; 18-Hour Juvenile Mediation Program Training, July, 1990; 40-Hour Community-Based Mediation Training, August, 1989Center for Effective Dispute Resolution ("CEDR") , London, England
Mediation Training, June, 2002Miscellaneous Mediation Training
Hundreds of hours of mediation training over the last 20 years.
ADR EXPERIENCE AND ACTIVITIES
Since, 1989, I have 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, securities, condemnation, oil and gas, maritime, real estate, governmental, probate, arts and entertainment and almost every other type of case. I have also arbitrated a number of cases as a sole arbitrator, Tribunal member and party-appointed arbitrator.
Association of Attorney-Mediators - Immediate Past-President (2004/2005); President (2003/2004); President-Elect, (2002/2003); Treasurer, (2000/2002); President, Houston Chapter (1999/2000); Vice President, Houston Chapter (1998/1999); Treasurer, Houston Chapter (1997/1998); Member since 1991
Houston Bar Association, Houston, Texas - Immediate Past Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (1998/1999); Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (1997/1998) Chair-Elect, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (1996/1997); Treasurer, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (1995/1996); Treasurer, Alternative Dispute Resolution Center Committee (1994/1995);
Center for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) , London, England - Accredited Mediator
Dispute Resolution Center , Houston, Texas - 1992 DRC Volunteer of the Year; Member of Board of Directors (1991-1995); Treasurer (1994/1995); Chair, Continuing Education Committee (1991-1993); court-annexed, community-based, juvenile and family mediator
Assisted in numerous trainings since 1991.
OTHER ASSOCIATIONS
Texas Bar Association Sections of Alternative Dispute Resolution and International Law
Texas/Mexico Bar Association
Union Internationale des Avocats
Texas Bar Foundation-Fellow
Houston Bar Foundation-Fellow
Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County, Board of Directors
Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts, Board of Directors
Houston Blues Society, Board of Directors
EDUCATION
University of Houston Law Center, Houston, Texas, L.L.M. in International Economic Law (everything but thesis)
University of Houston Law Center, Houston, Texas, J.D., 1982
University of Houston, Mexican Legal Studies Institute, Mexico City, Mexico, 1981
Associate Editor, Houston Law Review, 1981-1982
University of Florida, Gainsville, Florida, B.S., Business Administration, with High Honors (3rd of 185), 1978
Florida State University London Institute, London, England, 1978
Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society, Gainsville, Florida
LL.M. in International Economic Law (effective 2010)
HONORS
American Jurisprudence Award for Academic Excellence - 1979
Harris County Dispute Resolution Center, Volunteer of the Year - 1992
Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts - Karen Susman Volunteer of the Year for work in the Arts Mediation Program-2001
Association of Attorney-Mediators, Steve Brutsché Award - 2006
AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
RECENT PRESENTATIONS
44 th Congress of the Union Internationale des Avocats, Buenos Aires, Argentina: Compulsory Mediation: The Texas Experience, November, 2000.
Collaboration in the Capitol, April, 2001, Washington D.C., American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution Annual Conference in conjunction with the Section of International Law and Practice: Confidentiality and Privilege in International Commercial Mediation.
Hong Kong International Arbitration Center, June 2001: Confidentiality and Privilege in International Commercial Mediation, Compulsory Mediation and Mediator Immunity.
46 th Congress of the Union Internationale des Avocats, Sydney, Australia, October 2002, mock mediation of a complex international mediation.
Ethics in Mediation, Houston Bar Association, Houston, Texas: August 2003.
47 th Congress of the Union Internationale des Avocats, Lisbon, Portugal: Advocacy in Mediation, Representing Your Client Effectively, September 2003.
Queensland Law Society Symposium, Brisbane, Australia, March 2004. Formulated and conducted mediation role play of international commercial dispute.
48 th Congress of the Union Internationale des Avocats, Geneva, Switzerland. Helped formulate and conduct mediation of complex international intellectual property dispute, September 2004.
Association of Attorney-Mediators, Austin, Texas: Mediator Ethics Quiz - Interactive Session, November 2004.
Lorman Education Services, Houston, Texas: Mediating the Legal Malpractice Case - How to Keep the Lawyers Out of It!, November 2004.
State Bar of Texas and South Texas College of Law, Houston, Texas: "Cutting Edge Issues and Tools in ADR", Mediator Ethics Quiz, October 2005.
Union Internationale des Avocats, Forum of Mediation Centers, Barcelona, Spain: Panelist on "A Model Rule on Confidentiality" and "Best Practices", December 2005.
Coach, University of Houston Law Center Championship Team, First Annual International Chamber of Commerce Advocacy in International Commercial Mediation Competition, Paris, January 2006.
University of Houston Law Center, Houston and Dallas, Texas: "Advanced Civil Litigation", Attorney Ethical Considerations in Mediation, May 2006.
Union Internationale des Avocats, World Forum of Mediation Centres, Dublin, Ireland: Moderator of International Panel on "Breaking Barriers to Mediation," September 2006.
Union Internationale des Avocats, World Forum of Mediation Centres, New York, New York: Moderator of International Panel on "Breaking Barriers to Mediation: The Centres," July 2007.
51st Congress Union Internationale des Avocats, Paris, France; Participated in role-play on Deal Facilitation, November 2007.
1st Annual Statewide Meeting of Mediators, Oaxaca, Mexico. Presentation in Spanish, Mediation Around the World, 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.
