Susan Hernandez, Esq.

Susan Hernandez, Esq. has consistently been recognized as a Top Three Neutral by the New York legal community. In 2022, she was voted a Top Three Mediator by the New York Law Best of Survey and in the prior year she was ranked the #1 Mediator in the state (also voted the #1 Mediator in 2017 and 2018). In 2020, she was voted both a Top Three Mediator and Top Three Arbitrator. Ms. Hernandez is a strong proponent of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and brings her experience as the former Mediation Coordinator in the Supreme Court, Bronx County, to NAM’s New York Metro panel of neutrals.

Her mediation experience includes all types of cases ranging from smaller value cases to multi-million-dollar disputes. In addition to personal injury cases, she has experience mediating cases involving real property/partition, contracts, employment, discrimination, and sexual harassment matters. Ms. Hernandez approaches each case with a view towards resolution. In addition to mediating and conferencing cases, she was responsible for training and assisting the Court Attorneys in the conferencing and settlement of Supreme Court cases.

In 2012, Ms. Hernandez was appointed to spearhead the Mediation Pilot Program in the Bronx Supreme Court, administered by the Appellate Division, First Department and the Bronx County Supreme Court. As the Mediation Coordinator, she conferenced and mediated multiple cases each day and has resolved and/or disposed of well over 1,000 cases.

Prior to her appointment to the Mediation Pilot Program, Ms. Hernandez served as the Chief of Staff to the Presiding Justice of the Supreme Court, Bronx County. As the assistant to the presiding justice, she assisted with all administrative issues that were before the judge and coordinated all office and judicial activities. She also supervised the staff of the presiding justice and assisted in the coordination and staffing of the Court. As a litigator in private practice prior to her Court appointments, Ms. Hernandez handled personal injury matters from inception to trial. She was the managing attorney and/or partner of several law firms and handled all phases of litigation, including the negotiation and resolution of the matters on behalf of the respective firm’s clients.

Her other accolades include being named a National Law Journal 2017 Alternative Dispute Resolution Champion, as part of a select group of only 37 nationwide, for the second straight year. She was also ranked a Top Ten Mediator in the 2015 and 2016 New York Law Journal Surveys and a Top Ten Arbitrator in the 2016 Survey. Further, Ms. Hernandez was the recipient of the 2015 “Mediator of the Year Award” by the Institute of Jewish Humanities.

Renowned for her advocacy, legal acumen and insight, Ms. Hernandez is a staunch supporter of women’s rights and diversity in the workplace and frequently lectures on ways to establish procedures and policies to increase the appointment of women and minorities in the courtroom and as arbitrators and mediators in ADR.

Ms. Hernandez is available to arbitrate and mediate cases throughout the New York Metro area.

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