The Litigation Experience Behind Strategic Mediation
Jeremy Naftel, Mediator
Over the last 30 years I have litigated a wide variety of employment cases before the California Supreme Court, government agencies, arbitrators, and federal courts. From discrimination and harassment, failure to accommodate, retaliation and wrongful termination, to the most esoteric of wage and hour claims. After a decade of single plaintiff cases, in the early 2000’s I began to focus on wage and hour class actions and the then-new beast called PAGA.
While single plaintiff matters remained part of my practice, I became a sought-after authority on litigating representative actions. I handled representative actions with as few as a dozen employees, litigated class certification with a putative class of 50,000, and argued nationwide FLSA actions with notice going out to 500,000.
I bring this wealth of experience to the mediation process. It is hard-earned battlefield experience that gives me unique insight into what really drives settlement decisions.
When Your Case Needs Strategy, Not Just Shuttle Diplomacy
Strategic Depth
I don’t just facilitate conversations. I help parties truly understand the complex financial and legal landscape of their dispute. When I carefully highlight the real risks of continued litigation, you know I’ve been there myself.
Credibility That Matters
Having litigated cases with millions at stake and defended actions involving hundreds of thousands of workers, I bring the credibility to help parties assess their positions realistically, without sugarcoating the hard truths.
Psychology Meets Strategy
Complex employment disputes aren’t just legal puzzles. They are human conflicts with real consequences. I combine strategic legal thinking with genuine understanding of what motivates parties to reach resolution.
Background & Experience
With a foundation built on years of experience, I bring a practical and informed perspective to every mediation.
My Path from Litigator to Mediator
For thirty years, I lived and breathed high-stakes employment litigation. From representing single plaintiffs to defending nationwide class actions, I saw firsthand what drives disputes and what it takes to resolve them. I managed legal teams, built complex case strategies, and negotiated multi-million dollar settlements.
That battlefield experience taught me a crucial lesson: the best resolutions happen when parties fully understand the risks and realities of the fight ahead… Shifting my focus to full-time mediation was a natural evolution.
- University of Southern California, Gould School of Law - J.D.
- Pomona College - B.A., History
- University of California, Davis - Dispute Resolution Training
- Naftel Mediations
- 2025 - present
- Providing strategic mediation services for complex employment disputes.
- Martenson Hasbrouck & Simon LLP
- 2019-2025
- Managing Partner & Class/PAGA Practice Leader
- Led a team of litigators while overseeing strategy and risk assessment for high-value representative actions, guiding numerous cases to successful resolution.
- Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP
- 1998-2018
- Managing Partner & NorCal Class/PAGA Practice Leader
- Built and managed a premier litigation practice, focusing on strategic case management and negotiating favorable settlements in complex employment matters.
- Morrison & Foerster LLP
- 1996-1997
- Began my career handling a wide variety of employment litigation, developing a foundational understanding of dispute dynamics.
- State Bar California
- U.S. District Court for the Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- Northern California Super Lawyer
- 2014-2025
- Mediator, Los Angeles County Superior Court (Mandatory Settlement Conferences – Employment Law)
- Member, Southern California Mediation Association
- Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association ADR Section
- Member, Sacramento County Bar Association ADR Section
Ready to Mediate? Check My Availability.
Call my case manager to get real-time availability and book a convenient time for your mediation
