Richard J. Suarez (Retired Judge, District Court of Appeal) joined JAMS following a distinguished legal career, most recently from Florida's Third District Court of Appeal, where he served as chief judge (2015-2017). Mr. Suarez was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2005 following his service as a judge on the County Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Miami-Dade County. During his 14 years on the appellate bench, Mr. Suarez authored hundreds of opinions in a wide range of areas, including class actions, construction, first party, bad-faith, and insurance coverage actions, breach of contract, property damage, personal injury, professional liability, and matters concerning governmental entities. Before going on the bench, he spent 22 years as a litigator focusing on civil litigation and appeals in both state and federal courts. Judge Suarez is known for his combination of sharp legal acumen and pragmatism when it comes to settling cases. Now with JAMS, Mr. Suarez serves as a mediator, arbitrator, special magistrate, and neutral evaluator.