Testimonials

"Judge Lopez-Giss applied herself 100% to the resolution of our mediation, motivating the parties and counsel to do the same. Anything less would not have succeeded. It was genuinely impressive. Just what I was looking for. I recently had a disappointing experience with a different office involving a retired judge mediator who spent 90% of our session telling stories. SLG was all business and the difference was pronounced, infinitely higher value."

"Knowledgeable, practical, result-oriented."

"It was a very difficult matter to get the parties to come to any agreement and settle. But Judge Lopez-Giss was excellent from the very beginning, cutting through a lot of unnecessary baggage that had been holding us back. It was with great trepidation and concern that we entered the mediation, with heavy clouds blocking the sun over any hopes we had, literally at our wits end. Judge Lopez-Giss guided us over the angry sea through the Scylla and Charybdis to safety, and the judgment has been filed and entered. Many Thanks. Well worth it."

“We spent the day with Judge Lopez-Giss to bridge the final gap to settle the entire case. From the moment we first sat together with her, she gained the parties’ trust and laid the perfect foundation for the parties to begin negotiating. And then she did her magic. She was fabulous. We appreciated her hard work and insight, and our client respected and trusted her. We will be back for sure (on the next case)!”

"Judge Lopez-Giss did a fantastic job! She got the case settled (miracle) and my clients were very complimentary about Judge Lopez-Giss. The mediation started timely, my client felt listened to and understood, Judge Lopez-Giss gave everyone extra time, and ultimately, her determination, careful approach, and extensive family law experience enabled the parties to come to an agreement. We will recommend Judge Lopez-Giss for future mediations."

"My mediation with Judge Lopez-Giss was a very good experience. Her knowledge of the law, and her experience  as a former judge was very helpful. Judge Lopez-Giss spoke with authority as to what a court would order after hearing evidence in a trial. She was very professional and compassionate towards the parties. She was very prepared. She took the time to read all the briefs and joint memorandum and understood the issues that needed to be addressed. In the future, I would highly recommend Judge Lopez-Giss as a mediator and I would utilize her services again for cases in which mediation is appropriate. Judge Lopez-Giss exceeded my expectations. My client believed that we were going to end up in trial and that the case was not going to be resolved; however, Judge Lopez-Giss' skills helped us resolve the case. Thank you so much." 

"Judge Lopez-Giss was excellent. It was a very hard fought and fair result. Judge Lopez-Giss was probably the best mediator I have experienced working with so far (and I have worked with more than a few)." 

"Judge Lopez-Giss was very tenacious. She did an excellent job with the case. I did not think it would settle. But it did. I am very grateful."

"By far, the best mediation experience I have had in a long time. Thanks for being a rock star."

"Thank you your honor. Your wise words and guidance were instrumental in resolving this matter. I very much look forward to working with you again when the opportunity arises."

"Excellent neutral. I will recommend her as much as possible. Will use her again."

"Judge Susan Lopez-Giss recently settled a very contentious case for our client involving high conflict parents, domestic violence allegations and custody issues at a crisis level with three children. Counsel on the opposing side is esteemed in the community, but the potential for settlement seemed non-existent. Nevertheless, Judge Lopez-Giss assisted the parties and counsel so that after three sessions a resolution was reached. The Judge was firm with the parties but allowed them to be heard. She was well prepared and worked diligently including extra phone call conferences to allow counsel to brainstorm. I recommend her for high conflict cases."

“Judge Lopez-Giss is incredibly smart and intuitive. She just understands the dynamics in these really difficult custody cases. With very little information given to her at the beginning of the mediation, she just immediately had a read on where the issues were. I’ve worked with many different neutrals in the past, and it kind of blew me away how quickly she understood.”

“I’ve used Judge Lopez-Giss to successfully resolve cases and she does a terrific job of connecting with clients and making sure they feel understood. She knows when to let them talk and hear them out. And then I think she also knows when to shut them down if they’re going in a direction that is a losing direction. She’s not afraid to tell them that, which is really important, because if you let clients down into a fantasy world of what they can get, then you’re never going to settle. So she hears them out, and she connects with them, but she’s also very willing to call them out when necessary.”

“Judge Lopez-Giss operates frequently with a no-nonsense approach, but she also makes use of a tremendously empathetic manner in her mediations. Family law is a weird place. You start with really good people who are going through a really bad time – a couple that once loved each other enough to get married who now can no longer agree on the time of day. She doesn’t try to make people like each other, just to resolve their differences so they can move on.”

“I appreciate that Judge Lopez-Giss starts the day off with all the parties and attorneys together. She doesn’t make anybody reveal any information. She just makes sure that each party together, and jointly, hears the information she’s sharing. So there’s no confusion as to what her process is and no confusion about what typically will happen, including the emotional and financial strain of litigation if settlement is not reached. It’s helpful that day because the parties clearly know they better give it their all. World War III hasn’t really started yet because that really happens when you’re in litigation and then the emotional and financial strain is huge.”