Jan Frankel Schau specializes in employment and business mediation, but has also resolved hundreds of litigated cases arising out of tort, malpractice, real estate and employment.

Jan is honored to have been elected as the 2007 President of the Southern California Mediation Association, where she served on the Board for four years.

In addition to private mediation, Jan serves on the American Arbitration Association's Panel of Arbitrators in Employment, as well as the EEOC and serves as a Civil Service Hearing Officer for the City and County of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District. She also serves as an Arbitrator for FINRA, the Securities Dispute Resolution arm of the National Stock Exchange.

Jan began her legal career in a large, downtown Los Angeles Insurance Defense firm in 1979, and was admitted to practice in California in 1981 and the U.S. District Court in 1984. In 1995, she branched out on her own, specializing in employment litigation for over five years as a sole practitioner. Since 2000, when she began mediating, she has successfully resolved over 500 cases.

Jan has published numerous articles on topics related to Alternative Dispute Resolution and is considered to be a leader in the mediation community. She has also lectured and taught classes at various public and professional forums, including the Encino Chamber of Commerce, National Association for Women in Construction, Pepperdine's Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution, USC Law School and the San Fernando Valley Bar Association.

Jan holds a B.A. from Pomona College in Claremont, Cal. in International Relations and Diplomacy and a J.D. from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, Ca. In addition, she holds a certificate from the Dispute Resolution Services of the Los Angeles County Bar, an Advanced Mediation Certificate from the Strauss Institute in Malibu, Ca. and a Special Certificate in Disability Mediation from Loyola Law School's Western Center for Law and Disability Rights.

Attorney Jan Frankel Schau is a highly skilled professional, engaged in full-time dispute resolution. Following a successful career spanning two decades in litigation, she has mediated over 700 cases for satisfied clients. Ms. Schau understands the nuances of trial and settlement practice as well as client relations and balancing the needs of their representatives with the risk and expenses of litigation and trial. Those who have used Ms. Schau’s services recognize excellence in her persistence, optimism, creativity and integrity.

Ms. Schau was the 2007 President of the Southern California Mediation Association and as such has been recognized by her peers as among the most outstanding mediators in Southern California.

She also serves on the Board of Directors of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association, and has presided as Chair of it’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and Litigation Section. She holds a Certificate of Advanced Skills in Negotiation from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution of Pepperdine University as well as from the Western Law Center for Disability Rights at Loyola Law School.

Ms. Schau has been practicing law in the Los Angeles area since 1981. She received her Law degree from Loyola Law School, and holds an undergraduate degree from Pomona College in Claremont, California in International Relations and Diplomacy.

Ms. Schau is a member of the American Arbitration Association's Panel of Neutrals, specializing in Labor and Employment, as well as an appointed member of the Arbitration panel of the FINRA (National Securities Dealers). She serves as a neutral for cases under Kaiser Permanente's Panel of Arbitrators and Mediator's and presides as a Civil Service hearing Officer for the Los Angeles Unified School District, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Los Angeles, all within their Personnel Commissions. Ms. Schau is an active member of the Los Angeles Superior Court Mediation and Arbitration Panel and has served as a member of the LASC's ADR Committee. She also serves as a Mediator for the United States District Court's Panel of Mediators.

Ms. Schau prides herself on helping the parties in each case to reach a result which is logical, justifiable, fair and often times creatively engineered to effectuate a true resolution of all issues presented.

Both plaintiff and defense lawyers praise Ms. Schau’s efforts in tackling the hard issues and settling cases expeditiously and effectively.

Her colleagues in the bar and members of the Judiciary express the highest regard for Ms. Schau’s work as an Alternative Dispute Resolution professional. Visible in the ADR Community, Ms. Schau writes on various ADR subjects in a number of trade journals and periodicals.

Ms. Schau has enjoyed enormous success over the past several years in assisting the local legal and business community in resolving their disputes before trial, Ms. Schau is known to work with diplomacy, skill, determination and sensitivity.