It is with great excitement that I write to introduce the newest member of the Phillips ADR team, the Honorable Gary A. Feess (Retired). On January 5, 2015, Judge Feess retired after more than 15 years of service as a United States District Judge in the Central District of California. Judge Feess will join Phillips ADR’s team of independent panelists and will assist me in the continued growth of our ADR practice.

I first had the pleasure of meeting and working with Judge Feess during my tenure as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles, CA where he worked from 1979 to 1989 holding various positions of leadership, ultimately ascending to become acting United States Attorney for the Central District of California. During this period, I came to know Gary as an extremely talented attorney, a fierce litigator, and a good friend.

Judge Feess has extensive experience handling a unique breadth of work in both public and private practice. After his work in the US Attorney’s Office, he became a partner with both Jones Day and Quinn Emanuel in Los Angeles. During his time in private practice, Judge Feess handled a wide variety of major corporate litigation. Additionally, during his tenure with Jones Day, Judge Feess served as Deputy General Counsel to the Christopher Commission, which was created to conduct an examination of the LAPD’s structure and operational processes.

Judge Feess brings to Phillips ADR extensive neutral and trial oversight experience in a variety of business litigation arenas including intellectual property, multi-district litigation, securities fraud, and corporate governance to Phillips ADR. It is my belief that Judge Feess, with his unique practice and skill set, will provide a highly valuable perspective to parties during the ADR process, and I am extremely honored to welcome him to the Phillips ADR team.

Hope to work with you in 2015, Happy New Year.

Layn R. Phillips
Former U.S. District Judge