Jesse E. Guerra, Jr.

Jesse has been involved in civil case mediations since 2007. He has experienced first hand how the effectiveness of a mediator can help or hinder the mediation process. His experience has revealed that some mediators are not willing to prepare for the mediation and anticipate underlying issues each party brings. Additionally, some mediators are not adaptable in their style to accommodate different parties. In other words there are those mediators that attempt to power through the parties and clients and those too soft to present intelligent creative alternatives to get deals done.

His subtle soft spoken style in dealing with high conflict situations where patience and persistent commitment to the process are key to getting a case settled are critical in high conflict cases. He is extremely adaptable and can mediate cases based on clients’ needs and expectations. As he often says “some people want the dance only and some need the lyrics and a dancing partner”. The mediation dance is a process that is unique to each case and mediation participants. He has experience in collaborating with many top gun and high profile attorneys and has learned that these attorneys often require a different type of mediator to get reasonable minds to meet with both sides being reasonable on dollar amounts and expectations of case value.

When it comes to family law cases Jesse brings his own experience from being raised in a single parent household and having been once divorced himself to the process. Having walked in the shoes of a divorced parent, he knows the importance of stressing to each party that the mediation is truly their best chance at a successful conscious uncoupling that allows their loved ones to move on from the legal fight to healing and growth in life after divorce. His out of the box thinking allows parties creative solutions to problems and issues that many believe are unsolvable. While no one can guarantee a deal at mediation. He can guarantee that he will work diligently and skillfully to resolve the hardest of cases. His ability to listen and allow people to vent and talk through the issues will certainly be a plus in the process.

Not every case is right for Jesse to mediate and he will honestly let you know if you would be better served by another mediator. He will not waste peoples time in mediations. He will ask that each party prepare a position statement prior to mediation that can be confidential to his eyes only or shared with the other parties if asked to do so. He will call attorneys or potential pro se participants prior to mediation to dive into issues and prevent wasting time at mediation.

He is committed to providing a mediation environment that reduces stress as much as possible so he can accommodate peoples’ individual needs at mediation if he has sufficient notice to acquire the necessary items or things that could help people at mediation remain calm and engaged in the process. For example, it’s not uncommon that someone prefers music or a guitar or a yoga mat to de-stress during the hurry up and wait sessions that often exist in full day mediations.

“I look forward to resolving your case and the challenges brought to each mediation. If you have any questions about the process, don’t hesitate to call me to discuss any concerns you may have regarding the process. I can assure you that true justice is blind and that mediation is your chance to have say and control the outcome of your case. The juries are all unique and a trip to the courthouse can be like rolling the dice. Just ask any seasoned lawyer worth his or her salt. They have all won cases they should have lost and lost cases they should have won. Mediation is the way to go these days and certainly less expensive than continued litigation and trial.” --Jesse E. Guerra Jr. Attorney/Mediator--

Education:

B.S. in Communications from the University of Texas at Austin.
J.D. Arizona State University College of Law at Tempe Arizona.

Required and Optional State of Texas Mediation Credentials:

Basic Mediation Class University of Texas Law School Dispute Resolution
Hour Advanced Family Law Mediation Class by San Marcos Dispute Resolution Center
Elder Care Law Mediation Class by Austin Dispute Resolution Center.

Attorney Credentials:

Licensed in all State and Federal Courts in Texas.
Licensed to practice law in Arizona and Illinois state courts.

Work History:

Prior to becoming an attorney and mediator Jesse was an Allstate Insurance Agent and had an Allstate Insurance Agency for 14 years. After becoming an attorney, he made a name for himself handling swimming pool drowning cases on a nationwide basis and other catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases.