Resume

Steven A. Block, Esq. is a highly experienced mediator, arbitrator, special master, and referee. Since 2003, he has handled hundreds of disputes as a neutral spanning the full spectrum of civil litigation, including business, partition matters, employment law, family law, products liability, personal injury, medical malpractice, real estate, partnership dissolutions, premises liability, and uninsured motorist claims. In addition to his private ADR practice, Mr. Block previously served as a Settlement Conference Judge for the Sacramento County Superior Court and as a Certified Mediator for the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District.

Prior to joining ADR Services, Inc., Mr. Block spent 43 years as a trial lawyer and civil litigator, handling a wide variety of complex litigation, including products liability, medical malpractice, fire (cause and origin), personal injury (assault and battery, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death), employment, and a variety of business and construction disputes. He has tried numerous cases to verdict and has argued before the California Courts of Appeal and the California Supreme Court.

Through his extensive trial and dispute resolution experience, Mr. Block has developed a broad working knowledge of the complex issues that often present in ADR proceedings. He draws upon his intimate understanding of the challenges, risks, and benefits associated with trial in order to present the parties at mediation with realistic and cost-effective alternatives. His down-to-earth demeanor and legal acumen have earned him the respect of counsel and clients alike, leading to the resolution of numerous disputes.

Mr. Block was admitted to the American Board of Trial Advocates in 2000, and in 2009, he received the Sacramento Valley Chapter’s Civility Award, bestowed upon attorneys who “elevate the standards of integrity, honor, and courtesy in the legal profession.” He served as a Master of the Bench for the Anthony M. Kennedy American Inn of Court from 2001 through 2018, and has served as a visiting lecturer at Stanford University School of Law, the University of San Francisco School of Law, and McGeorge School of Law. He received his B.A. from U.C. Davis in 1975 and obtained his J.D. With Distinction from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1978.

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

• Business/Commercial Contract
• Elder Abuse
• Employment
• Medical & Dental Malpractice
• Partnership Dissolution
• Personal Injury
• Product Liability
• Real Estate

EDUCATION

• University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law
  Juris Doctor with Distinction (graduated top 7% of class), 1978
  Dean’s Counsel; Roger J. Traynor Scholastic Honor Society
  American Jurisprudence Awards: Constitutional Law; Decedents, Estates & Trusts; 1977
• University of California at Davis
  Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, 1975

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT

Demler, Armstrong & Rowland, LLP, 2017-2021

• General litigation practice and counsel involving professional negligence, products liability, personal injury, business, employment, real estate, construction, and general civil trials. Concurrently served as a mediator, arbitrator, and referee.

California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, 2014-2017

• Served as Deputy Attorney General for the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (BMFEA). Investigated and prosecuted claims of physical and financial elder abuse, and whistleblower claims brought by qui tam plaintiffs alleging fraud based on overbilling for prescribed medications, off-label use of drugs or medical products, and illegal kickback schemes for Medi-Cal patient referrals.

Law Office of Steven A. Block, 1982-2014

• From 2003 to 2014, served exclusively as a mediator, arbitrator, special master, and discovery referee. Regularly volunteered as a settlement judge pro tem for the Sacramento County Superior Court and as a court-appointed referee in Sacramento, Sutter, Solano, and Placer Counties. From 1982-2002, practiced litigation in the areas of professional negligence, products liability, personal injury, business, employment, real estate and construction, and general civil trials.

Porter, Scott, Weiberg & Delehant, 1978-1982

• Insurance defense practice including general liability, products liability, dental malpractice, and public entity defense.

HONORS AND AWARDS

• Civility Award, American Board of Trial Advocates, Sacramento Valley Chapter, 2009
• Voice of Conscience Award, Anthony M. Kennedy American Inn of Court, 2008-2009
• Rated AV by Martindale Hubble
• University of the Pacific Commission Member, National Commission for the Next Level of Excellence, 2000-2001

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Member
• Anthony M. Kennedy American Inn of Court, Master of the Bench, Past Member Emeritus
• California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, Certified Mediator
• McGeorge School of Law Alumni Board, Member and Past President
• McGeorge School of Law, Competition Trial Advocacy Team, Coach/Advisor
• Sacramento County Bar Association, Member
• Sacramento County Superior Court, Pro Tem Settlement Conference Judge
• Special Master and Referee, the Superior Court of California, Counties of Sacramento, Placer, Solano, and Yuba
• Pacific-McGeorge Ethics National Trial Competition, Trial and Scoring Judge, 2008-2010
• National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Past Member of Board of Directors
• The State Bar of California, Member