Hon. John P. DiBlasi
Justice, Supreme Court of the State of New York, Commercial Division, Westchester County (Ret.)
For more than 15 years, the Honorable John P. DiBlasi has served as a NAM Hearing Officer applying the wealth of knowledge gained from his many years on the bench to hearing cases on almost any subject matter that is brought before him. Justice DiBlasi has developed a reputation for settling the most complex matters and is persistent in following up with parties after mediation to assist in finalizing a successful resolution. He has arbitrated and mediated cases across a diverse range of practice
... Read More >For more than 15 years, the Honorable John P. DiBlasi has served as a NAM Hearing Officer applying the wealth of knowledge gained from his many years on the bench to hearing cases on almost any subject matter that is brought before him. Justice DiBlasi has developed a reputation for settling the most complex matters and is persistent in following up with parties after mediation to assist in finalizing a successful resolution. He has arbitrated and mediated cases across a diverse range of practice areas, including complex catastrophic personal injury, class actions, commercial construction, complex land use actions, corporate dissolution and partnerships, debtor/creditor, employment, environmental, forgery, insurance (inclusive of complex insurance coverage issues among multiple defendants), international law, investor fraud (i.e., Ponzi Schemes), the Jones Act, municipal projects, point-of-sale software, professional liability, real property (including slander of title matters), and toxic torts. Specific to employment law, Justice DiBlasi has heard numerous matters involving sexual harassment, wrongful termination, claims under the Employee Retirement Income Securities Act, retaliation cases involving in-house “open door” policies, tortious interference with employment contracts, and prospective business relations. Justice DiBlasi uses his legal proficiency to digest and analyze expert testimony, complex contracts, and documents to render prompt and reasoned decisions.
Justice DiBlasi also has significant experience in construction matters where he has arbitrated and mediated a wide range of complex claims. Representative arbitrations include (a) a range of change order, price modification and time extension claims related to a design-build contract for a large-scale infrastructure project, (b) a claim for costs related to the replacement of a load bearing wall that was allegedly not identified in applicable project drawings/specs and which was demolished during a commercial construction project, (c) a defect claim for flood mitigation and roof replacement in connection with a significant commercial warehouse renovation project, and (d) a broad range of claims including breach of contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment in connection with a $10M+ residential construction project. He has also mediated numerous two and multi-party disputes, including matters involving breach of contract, change order requests, contract interpretation, and insurance coverage.
In 2024, for the eleventh year in a row, Justice DiBlasi was named one of the Top Three Mediators in the United States by The National Law Journal’s “Best Of” survey. Further, Justice DiBlasi was once again voted a Top Ten Mediator in the New York Law Journal’s “Best Of” survey, his fourteenth recognition. He has previously been voted the #1 Mediator in the United States by the Corporate Counsel “Best Of” survey, and he has been named a National Law Journal Alternative Dispute Resolution Champion, as part of a select group of only 46 Hearing Officers nationwide. Justice DiBlasi has consistently been designated a Super Lawyer and holds an AV Preeminent Peer Rating from Martindale-Hubbell in both Alternative Dispute Resolution and Litigation – a distinction given only to those who possess the highest ethical standards and professional ability.
Prior to his career in arbitration and mediation, Justice DiBlasi spent 10 years as Justice of the Supreme Court, Commercial Division, where he resolved hundreds of matters. As the presiding justice of the commercial part in the court in which he sat, Justice DiBlasi developed the rules for discovery practice and for the trial of commercial matters akin to those used in the federal courts. While on the bench, Justice DiBlasi developed extensive experience in the trial and settlement of complex commercial matters as he presided over litigation involving contracts, employment, real property/land use, and environmental litigation matters. Justice DiBlasi is responsible for the creation of the Commercial Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program, which was successfully implemented by the Court. From 1990 to 1998, Justice DiBlasi served proudly as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve in the Justice Advocate General’s Corp (JAG) where he performed legal services during three tours of duty in the Republic of Panama, West Point, NY, and Fort Dix, NJ. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain.
Justice DiBlasi is an active speaker and has devoted significant time to presenting workshops at some of the top law firms throughout the United States. He is also a longtime supporter of the K9 Rescue Mission, a non-profit organization dedicated to the service of retiring and retired Military Working Dogs and Contract Working Dogs. He also serves on the advisory board of the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) of Westchester County, New York.
Justice DiBlasi is available to arbitrate and mediate cases throughout the United States.
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