HO

Hon. Frank Ochoa

Mediator / Retired Judge

“Complex Commercial Mediator”

Santa Barbara, California
51+Years Exp

Core Practice Areas

15 Verticals
✓Elder Law & Care Disputes
✓Commercial Contracts
✓Partnership Dissolution
✓Employment Discrimination
✓Workplace Harassment
✓Personal Injury Claims
✓Premises Liability
✓Medical Malpractice Claims
✓Legal Malpractice
✓Product Liability
✓Real Estate Transactions
✓Trust Administration Disputes
✓Guardianship Disputes
✓Inheritance Disputes
✓Education & School Disputes
✓Certified Neutral
✓Court-Approved ADR

About & Mediation Philosophy

Neutral Profile

Hon. Frank Ochoa has served as a private mediator, arbitrator, referee, special master and hearing officer since he retired in 2015 after more than three decades of service on the superior and municipal courts. He heard the full range of civil, family and probate cases, including complex, high-profile matters, on the Santa Barbara Superior Court (1997-2015). Impelled by his Legal Aid experience and a realization that the traditional litigation forum was not the best way to resolve some of the cases in court, Judge Ochoa implemented the CADRe (Court Administered Appropriate Dispute Resolution) “ADR” Program. Judge Ochoa developed a reputation as one of the primary settlement judges on the Santa Barbara County Superior Court. Judicial colleagues would often send difficult cases to him for a “final” settlement conference. In a Los Angeles Daily Journal “Judicial Profile” published on July 17, 2008, it was said of Ochoa, He is “a patient, compassionate, intelligent judge….a leader in Santa Barbara’s legal community…Ochoa excels in settlement negotiations…”

Credentials & Institutional Standing

Primary Verifications

License

Bar Admission: California

Education

University of California, Davis – School of Law

Juris Doctor · Law

Class of 1975

University of California Santa Barbara

Bachelor’s degree · English and History

Class of 1972

Long Beach City College

Associate of Arts · English

Work History

2 Positions

Mediator

Destination Dispute Resolution, LLC

2015 – Present

Private mediator, arbitrator, referee, special master and hearing officer.

Judge (Superior Court)

Santa Barbara Superior Court

1997 – 2015

Heard the full range of civil, family and probate cases, including complex, high-profile matters.

Honors & Recognition

No honors on file.

Fees & Availability

Rate Schedule

Standard rates. Contact for custom arrangements.

No rate information on file.

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Hourly rate

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Minimum fee

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Elder Law & Care DisputesPersonal Injury ClaimsMedical Malpractice Claims