Over 25 years of resolving Bay Area disputes

Katherine Gallo is an expert in complex discovery issues and is actively involved in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as a Discovery Referee, Mediator, and Arbitrator in Northern California since 1994. Since 2010, she has authored a blog on discovery titled "Resolving Discovery Disputes--Using Discovery to Reach Evaluation, Mediation and Trial Goals".

Ms. Gallo has served as a court-appointed or party-selected private Discovery Referee or Special Master for over 25 years in the areas of construction defect, product liability, insurance, employment, personal injury, and family law, many with multiple party litigants, including class actions. Well known to the judiciary, her court appointments in complex matters have come from the Superior Courts throughout the state.

As a referee, Ms. Gallo firmly believes in the “meet and confer” process and is willing to meet with counsel to facilitate a resolution by teleconference, videoconference or in person. Knowing that discovery disputes can hinder settlement negotiations and scheduling of dispositive motions, she creates prompt briefing schedules so the dispute can be quickly adjudicated. Ms. Gallo also works with the parties to outline the driving issues in the case and formulates a discovery plan that utilizes existing scheduled hearing dates to manage discovery in the context of overall case management. Ms. Gallo takes pride in accomplishing the parties’ and the courts’ objectives with regard to impartiality, timeliness, and accuracy.

Ms. Gallo has also mediated or acted as a pro tem settlement judge in over 500 matters with a 90% settlement rate.

Ms. Gallo is an approved California Bar MCLE provider for Discovery. Take your MCLE Self-Study exams on discovery here.

Arbitrations, Mediations and Discovery Hearings can be held via teleconference or videoconference.