Rebecca Callahan, Esq.

T: 310.203.8200
F: 310.203.8211

EDUCATION:

Pepperdine University School of Law (Straus Institute) (LLM 2007)
Boalt Hall, University of California at Berkeley (JD 1982)
University of Southern California (BA, cum laude, 1974)

LEGAL CAREER:

AV rated attorney listed in The Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
Current Principal: Callahan Law Corporation
Former Partner: Lobel Winthrop & Broker
BAR ADMISSIONS:
State of California
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
District of Columbia
Supreme Court of the United States
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States District Court for the Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California
Admitted pro hac vice in numerous jurisdictions, including Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Wyoming

ADR EXPERIENCE:

Arbitrator and Hearing Officer:
Arbitrator, Commercial Panel, American Arbitration Association
Temporary Judge, Orange County Superior Court
Early Neutral Evaluation Panel, Orange County Superior Court
Mediator:
Callahan Dispute Resolution, principal
Bankruptcy Mediation Panel for the Central District of California, panel member
Attorney Settlement Officer Panel for the Central District of California, panel member
Settlement Panel for the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, panel member
Alternative Dispute Resolution Panel for the Los Angeles County Superior Court
Alternative Dispute Resolution Panel for the Orange County Superior Court

ADR TRAINING:

Early Neutral Evaluation Training (Orange County Superior Court, 2008)
Temporary Judge Training / Ethics (Orange County Superior Court, 2007)
Temporary Judge Training / Demeanor (Orange County Superior Court, 2007)
Temporary Judge Training / Probate (Orange County Superior Court, 2007)
Best Practices in Commercial Arbitration (College of Commercial Arbitrators, 2007)
International Commercial Dispute Resolution (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2006)
Religion and Dispute Resolution (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2006)
Mediation Externship with Judge Alexander Williams III (LASC), Judge John Woolley, Retired (JAMS), Dennis Torres (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2006)
International Commercial Arbitration (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2006)
Cross-Cultural Negotiation (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2006)
Arbitrator Level II Training (American Arbitration Association, 2006)
Seminar Paper Presentation (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2006)
Negotiation and Advocacy Skills (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2006)
Mediation Seminar (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2005)
Independent ADR Study (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2005)
Arbitration Externship with Carl Ingwalson and Thomas Pistone (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2005)
Arbitrator Level I Training (American Arbitration Association, 2005)
Social Psychology of Conflict (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2005
Communication and Conflict (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2005)
Interviewing and Counseling (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2005)
Arbitration Practice (Pepperdine LLM Program, 2005)
Negotiation Skills (Straus Institute Seminar, 2004)
Advanced Mediation Training (Straus Institute Seminar / 1998)
Basic Mediation Training (Straus Institute Seminar, 1995)

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

Ms. Callahan has more than 25 years of litigation experience in matters involving complex facts, voluminous documents and electronic evidence and multiple theories of recovery or defense, including experience in such areas as accounting, attorney malpractice, business management, business ownership, commercial, contract, conversion, corporate dissolution, employee-employer, estates and trusts, fair housing practices, fair debt collection practices, fair credit reporting practices, fiduciary duty, financial elder abuse, fraud, fraudulent transfer, healthcare, insolvency, interference with contract, interference with prospective business advantage, intra-family, landlord-tenant, leasing, lending, misappropriation of trade secrets, negligence, partition, non-dischargeability, partnership dissolution, personal injury, probate, quiet title, real estate, specific performance, trade secrets and unfair business practices.

Ms. Callahan has extensive experience mediating and arbitrating cases involving Bankruptcy and Related Litigation; Breach of Contract; Business Torts; Breach of Fiduciary Duty Litigation; Civil Rights; Healthcare; Insurance; Intellectual Property; Partnership; Personal Injury; Real Property; and Wills and Trusts Litigation.

PUBLICATIONS & ADR ARTICLES:

“Truth or Dare: California’s New Ethics Standards for Private Arbitrators,” Business Law News (Issue 1 2008)
“California’s New Ethics Standards: A Hot Bed of Controversy and Conflicting Decisions,” 5 J. Am. Arb. 295 (2006)
“Facework in Mediation: The Need for A Little Face Time” (2005 Paper)
“The Judicial Exceptions to California’s Strict Confidentiality Scheme: A Lesson in Process” (2006 Paper)
“Arbitration v. Litigation: The Right to Appeal and Other Misperceptions Fueling the Preference for a Judicial Forum” (2006 Paper)
ADR AWARDS / HONORS:
Most Settled Mediations / Santa Ana (2006-2007 Bankruptcy Mediation Panel)
Most Settled Mediations / Entire District, Santa Ana and San Fernando Valley
(2005-2006 Bankruptcy Mediation Panel)
Most Frequently Chosen Mediator / Santa Ana and San Fernando Valley (2005-2006 Bankruptcy Mediation Panel)
Mediation With Most Parties / Entire District (2005-2006 Bankruptcy Mediation Panel)
Most Settled Mediations / Santa Ana (2002-2003 Bankruptcy Mediation Panel)
Most Frequently Chosen Mediator / Santa Ana Division (2002-2003 Bankruptcy Mediation Panel)

NON-ADR ARTICLES:

“Police Power Exception to the Automatic Stay: What Is Its Scope When Applied to Postpetition Governmental Action Against Property of the Estate,” 18 Cal. Bankr. J. 261 (1990)
“What Do Bankruptcy and Family Law Have in Common? . . . A Lot!” Bus. L. News, p. 13 (Summer 1994)
“The Future of Non-Exclusive License Agreements in California After the Ninth Circuit’s Ruling in In re Catapult Entertainment, Inc.,” Bus. L. News, p. 6 (Summer 1999)
“Contracting Around Section 523 of the Bankruptcy Code: Is There an Iron-Clad Way to Create a Nondischargeable Settlement Obligation?,” Orange County Lawyer, Vol. 45, No. 4, p. 35 (April 2003)
“Contracting Around the Debt Discharge Under Section 523(a)(2)(A), 27 Cal. Bankr. J. 40 (2003)

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS / AFFILIATIONS:

Member, ADR Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of California
Member, California Dispute Resolution Council
Member, Southern California Mediation Association
The Pacific Club (2002-Present); Bridge Group (2005-Present)
Foothill Education Fund Foundation, Board of Directors (2000-2004), Auction Chair (2002), Alumni Contributor’s Campaign Chair (2003)
Foothill Knights Football Boosters (2000-2004), Special Events Co-Chair (2001-2002), President (2002-2004)
Orange County Bankruptcy Forum, director (2004-2007), Holiday Fundraiser Committee benefiting the Armed Services YMCA at Camp Pendleton (2004)
Peter M. Elliott Inn of Court, Master (1995-2005), Secretary (1997-1998), Treasurer (1998-1999), Program Chair (1999-2000), Vice President (2000-2001), President (2001-2002)
Board of Judges Seminar, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, Program Speaker on the Mediation Panel and Small Group Discussion (February 2008)
“What’s Your Mediation IQ?”, Peter M. Elliott Inn of Court (October 2005)
“Alternative Dispute Resolution,” Orange County Bankruptcy Forum (1991)
Veloce Santiago Cycle Club (2007-Present)

PERSONAL:

Married since 1982 to Rich Keys, an attorney with Bidna & Keys APLC. One son, Alex, who graduated from Chapman University in Orange, California in 2008 with a BS in Business Administration.

INTERESTS:

Hobbies and interests include skiing, cycling, bridge, working out and walking her dogs.

AVAILABLE:

Throughout Southern California

REFERENCES:

The following are people who know Ms. Callahan’s work, reputation, character and capabilities:

Allan P. Leguay – Law Offices of Allan P. Leguay (Newport Beach)
Alexander H. Williams, III – Judge, Los Angeles Superior Court
Arturo Cisneros – Malcolm Cisneros (Irvine)
Bruce Holden – Best Best & Krieger (Irvine and Riverside)
Chinin Tana – Dillingham Murphy LLP (San Francisco)
Hiroshi Okada – Okada Consulting (San Jose)
Hugh Saddington – Saddington Shusko (Irvine)
Kate Corrigan – Corrigan Law Corporation (Newport Beach)
Jeffrey W. Broker – Broker & Associates P.C. (Irvine)
Jack McCrory - Professor, Straus Institute (Malibu)
John Markley (Corona del Mar)
Karen Naylor – Burd & Naylor (Santa Ana)
Matthew M. Proudfoot – Gates O’Doherty Gonter & Guy LLP (Irvine)
Michael J. Maloney – Coleman & Associates (Los Angeles)
Michael J. Wolder – Pistone & Wolder LLP (Irvine)
Ofer Grossman – Glass & Goldberg (Woodland Hills)
Pamela Zylstra Karger – Law Offices of Pamela Z. Karger
Peter J. Deeb – Frey Petrakis Deeb & Blum (Philadelphia)
Peter Gasperoni – Casa Colina, Inc. (Pomona)
Peter Robinson – Managing Director, Straus Institute (Malibu)
Peter T. Steinberg – Steinberg Nutter & Brent (Calabasas)
Richard Fahrney – Fingal Fahrney & Clark (Newport Beach)
Richard Watts – Family Business Office (Santa Ana)
Richard O. Weed – Weed & Co. LLP (Newport Beach)
Robb O. Lewis – Argos Sign Company (Orange)
Robert Follman – R.A. Industries LLC (Santa Ana)
Robert Mosier – Mosier & Company, Inc. (Costa Mesa)
Robert K. Sall – Sall Law Offices (Laguna Beach)
Ron Clear – Clear Alexander & Associates (Newport Beach)
Ronald E. Tendler (Newport Beach)
Samuel Thomas – Bressler Amery & Ross (New Jersey and New York)
Steven L. Bergh – Prenovost Normandin Bergh & Dawe (Santa Ana)
Steven Spector – Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro LLP (Los Angeles)
Thomas Casey – Law Offices of Thomas Casey (Rancho Santa Margarita)
Thomas A. Pistone – Pistone & Wolder LLP (Irvine)
Thomas Garrett – Garrett & Heaton LLP (Newport Beach)
Thomas Reilly – Newmeyer & Dillon (Newport Beach)
Thomas T. Tierney – Vita-Tech International, Inc. (Tustin)
Thomas E. Tucker – Pennhill Properties (Newport Beach)
William Burd – Burd & Naylor (Santa Ana)
William N. Lobel – Irell & Manella (Newport Beach and Los Angeles)
William Toten – RecovAR Group (Rockville, MD)

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