Bob Fairbank (R) and Kimberly West (L)

 

Welcome to Fairbank ADR

Specializing in 7, 8 and 9 Figure Settlements
We Have Facilitated Settlements of Over $2.6 Billion To Date
Selected as a "Star Individual" Nationwide Mediator by Chambers USA (2025)
2023 & 2024: Band 1
2022 & 2021: Band 2
2020: Band 3
2019: Recognized Practitioner
One of Few Mediators to Employ a Full-Time Assistant Mediator

After 37 years as a successful litigator and trial lawyer, Robert Fairbank established Fairbank ADR in 2014 as an Alternative Dispute Resolution entity that specializes in the mediation of multi-million dollar, complex civil matters, resulting in settlements of 7, 8 and 9 figure amounts.  Bob is considered “a go-to for cases that require grit and fortitude because he has that in spades.” In interviews with Chambers USA 2022, past mediation participants also note: “He has settled cases that appeared un-settleable.” “He is on my shortlist of go-to mediators for complex litigation.” “His diligence, the depth of his understanding of various complicated issues and his resolve set him apart from many others."

Fairbank ADR is the successor to Fairbank & Vincent, which Bob co-founded in 1996 after beginning his career as an associate and partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (1977-96). Bob is one of the few mediators in the US who employs a full-time attorney, Kimberly West, an O'Melveny & Myers alumna, to assist him in mediation and undertake an in-depth analysis of the merits and unique factors that drive each case.

Bob obtained extensive and diverse experience in major civil litigation over the past 40 years. From 2002 to 2009, Bob served as an independent consultant for the Regents of the University of California in the Enron, Worldcom, AOL Time Warner, and Dynegy federal securities cases, as part of a team co-headed by the Hon. J. Lawrence Irving. In addition to this independent role, Bob successfully represented prominent corporate and individual (Director and Officer) defendants in a variety of civil disputes, and served as co-counsel for plaintiffs in major class actions.

In June 2025, Bob was recognized as a “Star Individual” Nationwide Mediator in the USA by Chambers and Partners (Band 1 in 2023 & 2024; Band 2 in 2021 & 2022; Band 3 in 2020; Recognized Practitioner in 2019). Bob also is a member of the California Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

Fairbank Mediations In The News

  • Santa Barbara Independent, September 17, 2024

    "After more than eight years of hashing it out in federal and county courtrooms, Venoco Inc. — which sued Plains All American Pipeline in 2016 for its role in Venoco’s bankruptcy— agreed to settle with Plains on September 17. While the settlement amount remains confidential, Venoco sought compensation for financial losses and creditor payments that would have amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars." Read More

  • Reuters, June 13, 2024

    "Lawyers for a class of more than 300,000 home loan borrowers asked a California federal judge on Wednesday to approve a settlement to resolve "hidden junk fee" claims against lending giant Ocwen." Read More

  • California Public Utilities Commission, August 10, 2023

    "The Settling Parties estimate the total value of the Settlement Agreement to be approximately $600 million in penalties, rebates, and amounts that SoCalGas agrees it will not try to recover in this or future proceedings … The Settlement Agreement includes a net fine of $71 million.” (pp. 13, 44)." Read More

  • KCET, August 11, 2023

    "According to the CPUC, the settlement agreement announced Thursday requires SoCalGas to pay $71 million in to the Aliso Canyon Recovery Account … [A]ny request by SoCalGas for rate increases over the next five years must include an attestation from the company that the hikes will not be used to offset the costs of any of the specified Aliso Canyon-related expenses listed in the settlement.

    Those expenses include roughly $126 million in government agency settlements, $462 million in costs of housing displaced residents during the leak, $108 million for a study of the leak's causes and $376 million for attorneys, litigation and other regulatory costs." Read More

  • Silicon Valley Voice, April 14, 2023

    “In 2019, Bloom Energy sued Santa Clara challenging the City’s authority to require use permits and CEQA reviews for fuel cell projects. Instead of going to court over the issue, the two sides have worked out a tentative agreement [mediated by Fairbank ADR]. While the exact details are not available to the public, the City says as part of the deal, Santa Clara would agree to introduce an ordinance removing conditional use permit requirements for fuel cells.“ Read More

  • Law 360, June 18, 2020

    "MedMen said Wednesday that it reached a 24 million-share settlement with investors who alleged the founders of the onetime industry darling lined their pockets through 'brazen self-dealing.' Cofounder Andrew Modlin also stepped down as an observing member of the board, the company said." - Jack Queen Read More

  • Business Wire, June 17, 2020

    “MedMen also announced today that a settlement has been reached to resolve the litigation between MMMG-MC Inc. (BVI), Brent Cox, Omar Mangalji, et al. (“Claimants”) and various parties, including MedMen.” Read More

  • Los Angeles Daily Journal, February 14, 2018

    "A longstanding dispute stemming from the failure of the San Onofre nuclear plant ended last month when plant owners and consumer attorneys agreed to a settlement that will save ratepayers $775 million in costs related to the 2012 shutdown." - Mark Armao Read More

  • Los Angeles Times, June 26, 2018

    "Five months after owners of the failed San Onofre nuclear plant agreed to slice hundreds of millions of dollars from the cost to ratepayers of the 2012 breakdown, a California Public Utilities Commission judge has endorsed the proposed settlement." - Jeff McDonald Read More

  • Los Angeles Times, January 31, 2018

    "Plant owners and consumer attorneys have struck a bargain in the long-running dispute over who pays for the failure of the San Onofre nuclear plant. Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric agreed to shave $775 million from the multibillion-dollar pact that allowed them to charge millions of ratepayers for the plant in northern San Diego County, which shut down in January 2012 amid a radiation leak." - Jeff McDonald Read More

  • San Diego Tribune, January 10, 2018

    "Three-plus years after state regulators permitted Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric to start charging consumers billions of dollars for the failure of the San Onofre nuclear plant, utility executives and consumer advocates appear to have settled a long-running dispute over premature closure costs." - Jeff McDonald Read Mor

  • San Diego Tribune, July 26, 2018

    "Four years after approving a plan that charged ratepayers billions of dollars for the premature closing of the San Onofre nuclear plant, state utility regulators adopted a new deal Thursday that trims about $750 million from consumers’ electricity bills." - Jeff McDonald and Rob Nikolewski Read More

  • Commercial Carrier Journal, May 8, 2019

    "C.R. England has entered into a $37.8 million class action settlement agreement with 17,519 drivers to end a 2011 lawsuit over its independent contractor and truck lease program." - Jill Dunn Read More

  • Transport Topics, April 29, 2019

    "The settlement, which was achieved with help from a mediator, comes seven years after drivers Kenneth McKay and Charles Roberts filed a lawsuit in May 2011 on behalf of a class of independent contractors..." - Daniel P. Bearth Read More

  • The Hollywood Reporter, July 17, 2018

    "The settlement comes in a lawsuit over customers who bought a box set advertising "all" Bond films who didn't get 'Casino Royale' and 'Never Say Never Again.'" - Eriq Gardner Read More

  • Law 360, May 8, 2017

    "THQ Inc. and two executives have agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle class allegations that they misled investors before a failed plan to expand a Nintendo Wii accessory to other gaming platforms." - Cara Salvatore Read More

  • SB Wire, April 25, 2017

    "A settlement was reached with the defendants in the lawsuit filed on behalf of certain investors of Quiksilver Inc over alleged securities laws violations and a deadline to submit the settlement claim is upcoming." Read More