Robert G. Heywood

Professional Experience

Robert G. Heywood serves as a mediator, discovery referee, special master and consultant in matters involving:
- Workers’ compensation
- Personal injury
- Employment cases, including FEHA/ADA and Discrimination
- Insurance coverage
- Medical malpractice
- Professional negligence
- Disability retirement

He is a former certified specialist in workers’ compensation and a past member of the Workers’ Compensation Law Advisory Commission of the State Bar of California. 

Mr. Heywood is a graduate of Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley, and Santa Clara University Law School, where he served as a law review editor.  He has taught at Santa Clara University, Hastings College of the Law, University of San Francisco Law School, Stanford Law School and the California Center for Judicial Education and Research.

He is a frequent author and lecturer in the areas of workers’ compensation, personal injury, public employee disability retirement litigation and third-party tort cases involving workers’ compensation issues.  He also serves on the board of editorial consultants for Lexis Publishing in connection with its publications dealing with workers’ compensation.

Mr. Heywood received his mediation training at the San Diego Mediation Center and Harvard Law School. From 1976 through 2001, he was affiliated with the Oakland office of Hanna, Brophy, MacLean, McAleer & Jensen.

Education

- Stanford University, A.B. (with distinction), (1971)
- University of California (Berkeley), M.A.; (1972)
- Santa Clara University School of Law, J.D. (cum laude);  (1975)
- Santa Clara Law Review, Articles Editor

Admitted to Practice

- State Bar of California
- The California Supreme Court
- The United States Supreme Court
- The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal
- The United States District Court, (Northern and Eastern Districts, California)
- Alameda County Bar Association, Member

Areas of Practice

- Mediation
- Special master
- Discovery referee
- Complex case facilitator
- Litigation consultation
-

ADR Servic

          Basic Crafts ADR program [Carve-out jurisdiction]

Mediation Training

-          Harvard Law School, Mediation Workshop; Program on Negotiation; 2006

 -          San Diego Mediation Center; 2002.

Specialization

Certified Specialist, Workers' Compensation, State Bar of California; Board of Legal Specialization (1996 to 2016)

Teaching Experience

Stanford Law School; Stanford Advocacy Skills Workshop

-          Instructor;  (1994 -present)

University of San Francisco Law School; Intensive Trial Advocacy Program

-          Instructor (1995 -present)

Santa Clara University; 1975-1977;

-          Instructor; "Law, Youth and Education"

University of California, Hastings College of the Law; 1982-1985

-          Adjunct Assistant Professor of Law, “Evidence Advocacy”

Hastings College of the Law, Faculty Member; 1983 – 1991

-          College of Trial and Appellate Advocacy; and Advanced Advocacy Program

California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1984

-          Panelist: "Coping with Workers' Compensation Issues in Third Party Cases"

California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1989,

-          Panelist:  "Liens on Personal Injury Recoveries"

California Continuing Education of the Bar; 1990; 1992; 1994

-          Instructor, "Developing Basic Trial Evidence Skills"

-          Instructor, "Laying Evidentiary Foundations Workshop"

California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1993

-         Panelist, author and coordinating attorney:  "Coping with Liens in Personal Injury Cases"

California Cter for Judicial Education and Research, Instructor (1998)

Guest Speaker

-          California State Bar Convention

-          Council of Self-Insured Public Agencies


-          Northern California Personnel Directors Association

-          California Public Employer Labor Relations Association

-          Public Agency Risk Managers Association

-          Consumer Attorneys of California

-          San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association

-          Sonoma County Trial Lawyers Association

-          Oakland Public Schools

-          East Bay Adjusters Association


-          Industrial Claims Association, Bay Area

-          Claims Managers Association

-          Casualty Club

-          California Compensation Defense Attorneys Association

-          Compensation Attorneys of the Bay Area

-          Alameda County Bar Association

-          Association of Bay Area Governments

-          Alameda County Schools Insurance Group

-          Diablo Valley Industrial Claims Association

-          Central San Joaquin Valley Risk Management Authority

-          California Association of Joint Powers Authorities

-          California State University


-          Sonoma County Bar Association

-          California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

-          American Bar Association

Tort Trial and Insurance Practice section

Labor and Employment Law section

Workers’ Compensation section seminar

Publications

Author: “Have You Mediated a Workers’ Compensation Case? What Are You Waiting For?”; Workers’ Compensation Quarterly (2014) Vol. 27, No. 3; Workers’ Compensation Section of the State Bar of California

Author [with Steve Siemers]: “The Case for Mediation. How to Resolve Complex or ‘Impossible’ Workers’ Compensation Cases.” Lexis/Nexis Workers’ Compensation eNewsletter; Vol. 2, Issue 10; March 7, 2011

Author [with Steven Siemers and George Mason]: “Advocacy in Mediation: How Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Can Get the Most for Their Clients Through Mediation”; Workers’ Compensation Quarterly (2007) Vol. 20, No.2; Workers’ Compensation Section of the State Bar of California

Author: “Resolution of Workers’ Compensation Cases through Mediation”; Workers’Compensation Quarterly (2004) Vol. 17, No. 2; Workers’ Compensation Section of the State Bar of California.

Author and Editor:  Coping with Liens in Personal Injury Cases California Continuing Education of the Bar; May, 1993.

Editorial Advisor:  California Workers' Damages Practice, California Continuing Education of the Bar (1989 -present )

Contributing Editor: California Liability Insurance Practice:  Claims and Litigation, (Two Volume Set), California Continuing Education of the Bar (1991)

Article:  "Recent Developments in Public Employee Disability Retirement Law";    Reports; Los Angeles Daily Journal; August, 1984

Book:  Coping with Workers' Compensation Issues in Third Party Cases;  California Continuing Education of the Bar; February, 1984 (written with William Smith; Abramson & Smith, San Francisco)

Article:  "Comparative Negligence and Employers' Liability"; Reports; Los Angeles Daily Journal; May, 1979

Article:  "California Claim and Delivery"; 14 Santa Clara Law Review 678 (1974)

Miscellaneous

Member: Lexis/Nexis Board of Editorial Consultants, California Compensation Cases and related Lexis/Nexis workers' compensation publications (1995 -present)

Member, Workers’ Compensation Law Advisory Commission; State Bar of California; California Board of Legal Specialization (2007-2011)

Northern California “Super Lawyer”; San Francisco magazine

Grader: Workers’ Compensation Legal Specialization Examination; State Bar of California

A.V. rated (Martindale-Hubbell)

Alameda County Legal Aid Society, Board of Directors, (1978-85)

Oakland East Bay Symphony: Governing Board Member (1989 to 1994); President,   (1991-93); Emeritus Council (2004-present)

Cazadero Performing Arts Camp, co-founder and member of Board of Directors, (1994 -2005); Advisory Board member (2005-present);

Judge: ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, Representation in Mediation Competition (2013)