Objective perspective. Thorough analysis. Prompt resolution.

April 2017–Present

After successful careers as a law professor at University of San Diego, Managing Partner at Ruiz & Sperow, and litigator at Morrison & Foerster, Janice has turned her 30+ years’ experience as an Arbitrator into her full time passion.

October 2020–Present: Hearing Officer, Port of San Diego

Personnel Advisory Board, presiding over employment disputes.

April 2017–Present: Arbitrator (AAA)

Arbitrator on AAA (American Arbitration Association) roster. Member of the employment and labor specialty roster, the commercial specialty roster, the large commercial cases specialty roster, and the workplace investigations roster. Also frequent Arbitrator on consumer, expedited, and pro se cases. Attends AAA in-person, self-paced online, and monthly telephone trainings to stay current and share expertise. See adr.org

October 2018–Present: Arbitrator & Mediator (San Diego Superior Court)

San Diego Superior Court arbitrator and mediator for civil disputes. Member of SD Superior Court Civil Mediation Panel. See sdcourt.ca.gov

January 2020 – Present

Arbitrator, Mediator, and Dispute Prevention Specialist on CPR (International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution) rosters. Member of the commercial, mass claims, employment, banking, financial services, dispute prevention, and pro bono panels. Also a member of CPR’s Dispute Prevention Committee, Mediator Panel, and CPR-FTI Legal Innovators Flat Fee Mediation Program. See cpradr.org

June 2020 – Present

Arbitrator & Mediator, FORUM. See adrforum.com

September 2018–Present: Arbitrator (National Futures Association – NFA)

Arbitrator for all commodities-related matters.

April 2018- Present

Arbitrator for the BBB (Better Business Bureau) overseeing commercial, business, automobile, contract, warranty, and consumer disputes. See bbb.org

August 2018–Present: Arbitrator (ROSE.arb.com)

Arbitrator with specialized qualification in all intellectual property disputes including patent and trade secret matters.

1989–Present: Arbitrator & Chair of the Arbitration Panel (FINRA)

Serving as Arbitrator and Chair of the Arbitration Panel on behalf of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA, formerly NASD). Qualified as Arbitration Chair, general public Arbitrator, and specialist Arbitrator in employment law, breach of contract, discrimination, and sexual harassment. Handling the full range of cases, with damages in the tens of thousands to billions of dollars. Selected as the Chair on 75%+ of her cases. As a result, served as Arbitrator in charge of the initial hearing, all discovery disputes, and pre-hearing motions as well as conducted the hearings themselves.

Present: WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)

Arbitrator for WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) in intellectual property disputes, specializing in the technology and entertainment fields. See wipo.int

March 2017–Present: Arbitrator (NAM)

Qualified as general Arbitrator at NAM (National Arbitration & Mediation Association), as well as an employment and labor law specialist.

1997: Hearing Officer (Single Arbitrator at MUNI)

Appointed by then-San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown to serve as Hearing Officer for the San Francisco Municipal Railway Public Transportation System (MUNI) to resolve customer-driver disputes. Arbitrated all public rider disputes against MUNI drivers, which typically involved non-monetary relief. Neither side appealed any decision, even though they could do so directly to the MUNI executive board.

1989–95: Arbitrator & Chief Arbitrator (BASF)

Served as Arbitrator & Chief Arbitrator for the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) hearing attorney-client disputes. Cases involved billing and other substantive and fee disputes, ranging from a few thousand dollars to several million dollars. Oversaw 10–12 cases a year, of which approximately 3–5 cases a year went to hearing, for a total of 30+ decided cases.

Hundreds of hours of arbitrator and mediator training through the ABA, AAA, CPR, NASD, FINRA, BBB, NFA, San Diego Superior Court and more. Full list of training details available by request.

University of California at San Francisco, Hastings College of Law. Graduated with Juris Doctorate summa cum laude, second out of over 400 students.

University of California at Berkeley. Graduated with Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude with High Honors.

1986–87

While still in law school, Janice started her career as a judicial extern to Chief Judge Clifford Wallace of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Upon graduation, she clerked for Judge Richard J. Cardamone of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, becoming the first graduate of the UCSF Hastings College of the Law to serve as a Second Circuit law clerk.

1995–2017

Sperow left Morrison & Foerster, joining Celia Ruiz to form Ruiz & Sperow as the firm’s Managing Partner. Serving a large variety of private and public sector clients, Sperow specializes in:

• Litigation
• Employment Law
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Counseling
• Training

Since its inception, Ruiz & Sperow LLP has provided full-service legal resources to an array of public and private sector clients. Sperow emphasizes:

• Preventive Measures
• Exposure Assessments
• Lawsuit Avoidance Protocols

Working with clients to develop in-house policies to address recurring problems, she has conducted comprehensive audits of policies and/or departments to recommend cost savings and best practices. Then, she assists clients in implementing such measures. Additionally, Sperow has directed several in-house employment investigations.

1987–94

After her clerkship, Janice Sperow joined Morrison & Foerster, a 1,000+ attorney, full-service international law firm with over a dozen offices worldwide. Located at the firm’s San Francisco headquarters in the litigation department, she gained experience in general civil, commercial, and employment litigation matters. Sperow specialized in complex civil litigation in a wide variety of areas on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants in both the litigation and arbitration setting.

At Ruiz & Sperow, Sperow has handled all facets of employment and disability law for public and private employers of all sizes. These topics include:

• Harassment
• Discrimination
• Retaliation
• Wage & Hour
• Disability Accommodation
• Employee Discipline & Termination
• Medical Leave Matters

In the area of labor relations, Sperow represented management in issues such as:

• Collective Bargaining
• Arbitrations
• Strikes
• Unfair Practice Proceedings
• Advised on Contract Implementation and Interpretation

At the national level, Sperow served as President of the National Association of Women Lawyers as well as previously Executive Board Member, Treasurer-Elect, and Health Care Committee Co-Chair.

For the American Bar Association, she served as Vice-Chair of the International Human Rights Litigation Subcommittee and was a member of Law Practice Management Section and Women Rainmakers Interest Group. Served on the ABA Commission of the Status of Women in the Law. Currently a member of the Dispute Resolution Section.

At the state level, she served as Second Vice-President of the California Women Lawyers, as well as participating as a member of the Executive Committee, the Board of Governors, the Chair of CWL Health Care Task Force, and Educational Foundation.

Received the California Women Lawyers President’s Award.

Served as Chair of the California State Bar Litigation Section Education Committee.

In addition to her own practice, Janice Sperow proudly serves as a neutral for the:

• American Arbitration Association (AAA)
• International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR)
• San Diego Superior Court
• Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
• National Association of Arbitration and Mediation (NAM)
• FORUM
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• ROSE IPR Arbitration
• Better Business Bureau (BBB)
• National Futures Association (NFA)
• National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN)
• Port of San Diego
• Arbitral Women
• Resolute Systems

Sperow litigated several precedent-setting cases in the public sector.

Successfully petitioned court to remove a large Northern California school district from its twenty-four-year desegregation consent decree upon proving school district’s annual compliance and successful integration of its students. Court freed client from all federal orders and allowed the client to realign its borders and neighborhood schools. Victory eliminated student assignment quotas and granted unitary status, while preserving equity.

Successfully represented a large East Bay city when an ex-employee sued for wrongful termination claiming discrimination and whistleblower status. Case raised several issues of first impression regarding the interpretation of the whistleblower statute. Unanimous jury verdict for the city.

Successfully defended a public utilities commission in a case of first impression alleging reverse discrimination in allocating energy contracts. Plaintiff claimed that the commission’s allocation of points in its public bidding process for minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and disabled-owned businesses violated the state and federal constitutions. Won case at both the trial and appellate levels.

Successfully defended employers in several highly complex state and federal litigations involving race, gender and disability discrimination, sexual harassment, medical leave issues, whistleblowing, and workplace search and seizure, including class actions. For example, represented a public utilities commission in an age-discrimination class-action lawsuit with 500+ plaintiffs. After a lengthy trial, the jury unanimously found for the commission and awarded it its costs and expenses from plaintiffs.

As Managing Partner at Ruiz & Sperow, Janice handled:

• Routine disciplinary hearings on behalf of employers
• In-house investigations for both private and public sector employers
• Fact-finding for a large school district under a desegregation consent decree
• Teacher and classified discipline and termination hearings for several California school districts

One of Janice’s two then-largest arbitrations in history:

A large Bay Area school district laid off 600+ certificated employees (teachers) and 300+ classified staff (non-teacher school positions), nearly its entire workforce, in order to restructure its academic program. Since the California Education Code and labor contracts protect all school positions, each staff member was entitled to—and did demand—arbitration.

As outside counsel for the school district, Sperow successfully represented the school board in these 900+ individual arbitrations. The ALJs upheld every layoff, and the union did not appeal. This victory allowed the school district to avoid closure, revamp its program, rehire qualified staff, and continue today as a California Blue Ribbon model district.

Two key employment law examples from Sperow’s career:

Successfully defended employers in several highly complex state and federal litigations involving both state and federal anti-discrimination statutes, race, gender, age, and disability discrimination, sexual harassment, medical leave issues, whistleblowing, and workplace search and seizure, including class actions. For example, represented a public utilities commission in an age-discrimination class-action lawsuit with 500+ plaintiffs. After a lengthy trial, the jury unanimously found for the commission and awarded it its costs and expenses from plaintiffs.

Successfully represented a large east Bay Area city when an ex-employee sued for wrongful termination, claiming discrimination and whistleblower status.

Key example of Sperow’s commercial law experience:

Early in her career, Sperow represented a class against the local public utility company for antitrust and California Public Utility Code violations. After successful resolution, she became lead counsel for a consortium of alternative energy producers in their $100 million breach of contract and fraud suit against the utility for its failure to transmit alternative energy over its infrastructure. These successful cases led to a heightened awareness of the need for cost-effectiveness and viable alternative energy sources, now a part of the public utilities’ infrastructure.

Sperow is experienced at representing clients in administrative investigations of disability claims and litigation initiated by either administrative agencies or individual plaintiffs. Disability-related claims have become some of the most complicated and rapidly developing areas of employment law.

Janice has worked with a variety of laws that may relate to disability issues, including:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Fair Employment & Housing Act (FEHA)
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504)
• Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• California Family Rights Act (CFRA)
• Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL)
• Workers Compensation Laws

For example, she successfully litigated a cutting-edge disability discrimination complaint alleging $1,000,000+ in damages, which was brought by a former dean claiming that the college district had failed to accommodate her disability and failed to participate in an interactive process to determine appropriate accommodations. After a month-long jury trial, obtained a jury verdict in the college’s favor and judgment against the former dean.

Sperow knows the importance of serving the community. While at Morrison & Foerster, she served as pro bono committee member and chair of the firm’s participation in the San Francisco Community Legal Services Program.

Janice received the State of California Board of Governors’ Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Legal Services Contributions.

As a junior associate at Morrison & Foerster, she participated in a three-month pro bono program, working at the San Francisco Public Defenders Office and handling 90+ individual criminal defendant cases. The alleged crimes included misdemeanors plus assault on an officer with a deadly weapon, brandishing a weapon with intent to kill, assault on a public transportation driver, prostitution, and trespass. Pled out one case and successfully tried the rest, all with defense verdicts.

Sperow has practiced before a multitude of administrative agencies, including:

• National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
• California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)
• California Department of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE)
• United States Department of Labor (DOL)
• California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• State Teachers Retirement System (STRS)
• California Employment Development Department (EDD)

In 2013, Sperow was honored with an Award for Outstanding Sexual Harassment Training from Coronado Naval Base.

With the goal of foreseeing and avoiding litigation, Janice has trained thousands of employees and managers on many topics, including:

• Access & Requirements Under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
• The Collective Bargaining Process (Interest-Based & Collaborative)
• Brown Act Compliance with California’s Open Meeting Laws
• Child Abuse Reporting in Educational Institutions
• Employee Discipline & the First Amendment
• Affirmative Action & Discrimination Laws
• Comprehensive School Safety Plans
• Sexual Harassment
• Background Checks
• Contracting Out
• Gender Equity
• Workplace & Campus Violence
• Investigating Employee Misconduct
• Legal Responses to Disruptive Incidents
• Liability for Peer Sexual & Racial Harassment
• The Hiring Process (Legal Mandates & Practical Tips)
• Technology & the Law (Including Laws Regulating Employee Computer Use)

After years of litigation and arbitration experience, Sperow decided to help train the next generation of lawyers.

Once she relocated to San Diego, Janice joined the University of San Diego Law School (USD) as an adjunct professor teaching the first-year legal writing, research, and oral advocacy program (2004). Then, she promoted to the Director of the program overseeing all legal writing instructors.

Next, Janice stepped down as Director to create and teach USD’s first advanced legal writing program, which she continued to teach until August 2017. Also, she created and taught two other programs: USD’s first Legal Analysis of Criminal Procedure class and USD’s first Fundamentals of Bar Writing class.

Additionally, Janice tutors California bar examinees—with a 100% pass rate—and coaches attorneys on advanced writing and analysis skills. Janice also tutors for BarMD, which offers bar writing and law school tutoring programs.

Janice’s recent presentations below:

• [forthcoming] Federal Bar Association, “Business Development,” June 17, 2022.
• Time to Restore the Arbitral Promise of Efficiency – Read it here.
• San Diego County State Bar Association, “Hot Topics in Arbitration: the 2022 Update,” March 25, 2022.
• AAA, Commercial Arbitrators, West Coast Roundtable, March 9, 2022, “New Developments in Third-Party Discovery Subpoenas in Arbitration,” with co-presenter Theo Cheng.
• CPR, Corporate Counsel Roundtable on Leveraging Technology to Prevent Disputes & Minimize Risks, March 2, 2022, moderator with counsel from Microsoft, Lotame, General Dynamics, and Bath & Body Works.
• AAA Webinar, “Time to Restore the Arbitral Promise: Neutral Efficiency for All,” February 15, 2022, available on demand at www.adr.org.
• ABA Dispute Resolution Section, “Arbitration Efficiencies,” January 12, 2022, with co-presented Saloni Mavani.
• New York State Bar Association, “Nonparty Discovery in US Arbitrations: The Legal Challenges & Differences from Litigation,” January 11, 2022, with co-presenter Theo Cheng.
• AAA, Commercial Arbitrators, West Coast Roundtable, September 8, 2021, “Efficiency Tips for Arbitrators,” with co-presenter Saloni Mavani.
  ABA, Dispute Resolution Section, Conference, July 21, 2021, “Dispute Prevention and Clause Drafting,” with co-presenter AAA VP Aaron Gothelf.
  ABA, Arbitration Institute, facilitator, “The Evidentiary Hearing,” June 18, 2021.
• ABA, Arbitration Institute, facilitator, “The All-Important Preliminary Hearing,” June 14, 2021.
• ABA, Dispute Resolution Section, Spring Conference April 14, 2021, “Third Party Subpoenas in U.S. Arbitrations,” with co-presenter Theo Cheng.
• AAA, Commercial Arbitrators, West Coast Roundtable, February 17, 2021, “Dispute Prevention: from Reaction to Pro-action.”
• ABA, Dispute Resolution Section, December 2, 2020, “Dispositive Motions in Arbitration.”
• AAA Commercial Arbitrators, West Coast Roundtable, September 16, 2020, “Dispositive Motions in Arbitration, The Tide is Rising,” with co-presenter arbitrator Reginald Holmes.
• Will Work for Food Project, Mediators’ New Possibilities Hour, October 29, 2020, “The Best Dispute Resolution is Prevention,” with co-presenter CPR Senior VP Ellen Parker. Watch the video here.