James B. Baldinger

Jim Baldinger is a litigation veteran who knows how to settle difficult disputes.

Jim shows up for mediation thoroughly prepared, having carefully reviewed all submitted materials regarding the factual, legal, and procedural issues in the case, but also with a focus on the business, personal, and emotional implications of the dispute. Jim is an active and creative participant in mediation sessions, not simply a message carrier between the sides.

Jim’s extensive experience from the courtroom to the boardroom provides invaluable perspective that informs his approach to guiding parties and their counsel to a successful outcome at mediation. His evaluative process ensures that all parties come away from mediation with a sensible settlement that they believe is in their best interest or, at a minimum, with a deeper understanding of the risks and opportunities in the dispute that will allow them to proceed forward in a more informed and strategic way.

For over 30 years, Jim represented clients as a business litigator and trial lawyer in more than a thousand lawsuits, arbitrations, and mediations across the country, resulting in more than 200 published court decisions. He has earned the respect of clients, opponents, and judges alike.

Jim’s success as an advocate was based on counseling clients from a strategic and holistic perspective, then addressing specific disputes in ways that best serve the client’s overall business objectives. He understands the perspective of clients because he was one for many years, as a senior executive managing a 250 person team for a Fortune 100 company, and as in-house corporate litigation counsel.

Over the course of his career, Jim has been involved in business disputes covering nearly every substantive legal area, and he has participated from the vantage points of lead trial counsel, appellate counsel, in-house corporate counsel, the court (as a judicial law clerk), and as a party. He has navigated the complexities of litigation from both the plaintiff and defense perspectives. Jim’s experience includes contract disputes, real estate disputes, consumer litigation, class actions, tax matters, fraud litigation, employment cases, intellectual property disputes, antitrust cases, landlord/tenant cases, personal injury litigation, zoning and land use cases, and many others.

Above all, Jim understands that cases resolve when the parties believe that settlement is in their own best interest. He brings patience, persistence, expertise, empathy, and a fresh perspective to mediation that gets cases settled.

EDUCATION

Georgetown University Law Center Washington, DC
Juris Doctor, Cum Laude May 1990
Law Review: The Tax Lawyer

University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Arts May 1987


EXPERIENCE

Carlton Fields, PA West Palm Beach, FL
Shareholder 2003-2021
Associate 1992-1995

AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. West Palm Beach, FL
Vice President - Business Security 2002-2003
Senior Corporate Counsel - Litigation 1995-2002

Hon. Wm. Terrell Hodges, United States District Judge Tampa, FL
 Law Clerk 1990-1992

Hon. Steven D. Merryday, United States District Judge Tampa, FL
Law Clerk 1992


SELECTED RECOGNITION

AV Preeminent® Rating, Martindale-Hubbell*

Florida Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Magazine (2011–2013, 2017–2018, 2023-2024)

Most Effective Lawyers Award, Daily Business Review (2009, 2016, 2019)

Certificate from FBI Director Robert Mueller for assistance in combating international terrorism in connection with work on stopping wireless handset trafficking (May 2010)

Top Lawyer, Jupiter Magazine (2024)

Finalist, Key Partners Awards, South Florida Business Journal (2008)

AT&T Wireless Circle of Excellence Award (1997, 2001)


SELECTED PRESS COVERAGE

Wolchek, Rob, “Detroit-Style Smartphone Trafficking Hits LA,” Fox 2 News Detroit, 15 June 2015.

Thurwachter, Mary, “Co-Chair of West Palm Empty Bowls Event Gears Up for Hunger Fundraiser,” Palm Beach Post, 9 Feb. 2015.

Elinson, Zusha and Ovide, Shira, “Throwing the Switch on Smartphone Theft,” Wall St. Journal, 27 July 2015, p. A3.

Associated Press, “Cell Phone Companies Scramble to Halt Trafficking,” San Jose Mercury News, 13 July, 2008.

MacLean, Pamela, “Phone Tactic Rings Up Lawsuits,” National Law Journal, 20 Aug. 2007.


PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Florida Academy of Professional Mediators

American Bar Association
 Co-Chair, Privacy and Computer Crime Committee

The Florida Bar
 Alternative Dispute Resolution Section

Craig S. Barnard American Inn of Court LIX
 Master

International Security Management Association

Wireless Chief Security Officers Forum
 Founder

United Jewish Communities of North America
 National Young Leadership Cabinet

Palm Beach County Bar Association

Palm Beach County Food Bank
Co-Chair, Empty Bowls Annual Fundraiser

Palm Beach County Commission for Jewish Education
 President

Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County
 Chair, Business and Professions Division
Chair, Community Demographic Study Committee
Chair, CJE Advisory Council

Meyer Jewish Preparatory School
 Trustee

Mandel Jewish Community Center
 Board of Directors


MEDIATOR CERTIFICATION

Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator
US District Court, Middle District of Florida, Certified Mediator
US District Court, Southern District of Florida, Certified Mediator


BAR ADMISSION

US Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
US Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
State of Florida
US District Court, Middle District of Florida
US District Court, Northern District of Florida
US District Court, Southern District of Florida
US District Court, Northern District of Illinois
US District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
US District Court, Northern District of Texas
US District Court, Southern District of Texas

* AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished℠ and Martindale-Hubbell Notable℠ are Certification Marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell® certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories - legal ability and general ethical standards.