Gilda Turitz is a well-respected mediator, arbitrator and litigator of a wide range of business disputes pending in federal and state courts and arbitration tribunals. Her cases involve complex commercial transactions; contractual, partnership, intra-corporate and securities disputes; unfair competition claims; legal malpractice and other professional liability; real estate; fraud and breach of fiduciary duty; and trusts and estates litigation. Her diverse practice extends to trademark and related intellectual property litigation, trade secret and employment termination matters, product liability claims, construction litigation; and securities arbitrations before FINRA.
Ms. Turitz’s practice actively embraces alternative dispute resolution processes, both in her practice as a neutral mediator and arbitrator and as effective tools to resolve the cases in which she represents clients in litigated disputes. To that end, Ms. Turitz also provides business counseling and advice to clients with an eye toward avoiding future disputes, including counseling on appropriate forms of alternative dispute resolution.
Ms. Turitz is a member of both the mediation and arbitration panels of the American Arbitration Association (including its Large, Complex Case arbitration panel) and the California ADR Panel and the Banking, Accounting and Financial Services Panel of the CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals. She is also a member of the Trademark Mediators Network of the International Trademark Association (INTA), and on the mediation and early neutral evaluation panels for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and certain Bay Area state courts. Ms. Turitz has actively served as an arbitrator since 1985 and as a mediator since 1995, and has arbitrated and mediated hundreds of commercial cases. In addition, in connection with the settlement of SEC v. Prudential Securities (1994-1996), Ms. Turitz was appointed arbitrator in more than 300 expedited arbitrations involving investor suitability and misrepresentation claims.
Ms. Turitz’s clientele for both her representation as an advocate and as a neutral mediator and arbitrator includes businesses ranging from multi-national to closely held corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships, as well as individual directors, officers and executives in diverse industries such as telecommunications and high technology, professional service firms, other service industries, and real estate and investment concerns. She also represents individuals in the defense or prosecution of claims arising from their business, investments, or employment.
Ms. Turitz is active in ADR organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors of The Mediation Society, as a regional chair of the Women in Dispute Resolution (WIDR) group of the American Bar Association (ABA) Dispute Resolution Section, and as a sub-committee chair of the ABA Litigation Section’s ADR Committee. Ms. Turitz has also been appointed to the California State Bar’s Standing Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for a three-year term commencing in October 2013. She actively speaks and publishes on ADR topics. Ms. Turitz also has been recognized for her professional accomplishments by being awarded the ABA Law Practice Management Section’s Glass Hammer Award for efforts to shatter the glass ceiling, and being designated as a Northern California Super Lawyer® in the field of business litigation for the last 10 years.
Ms. Turitz is the Litigation Practice Group Leader for Sideman & Bancroft LLP which she joined in 1998. Prior to that, Ms. Turitz was a partner in the San Francisco office of Graham & James LLP, where she chaired the commercial litigation group.