Debra F. Bogaards

Debra Bogaards, of ADR Services, Inc. , is a rockstar mediator (and arbitrator and discovery referee) who will get your case settled!  With 42 years of experience as a trial attorney, and almost 40 successful jury trials, for both plaintiffs and defense, she knows what she is doing.  Ms. Bogaards managed two insurance defense firms as panel counsel for State Farm, Mercury and CSAA (Pave & Bogaards 1994-2010 and Bogaards Davis 2011-2017) and also did solely plaintiff's personal injury, employment, sexual abuse of teenagers, elder abuse, medical malppractice, toxic tort and landlord/tenant cases (Bogaards Law 2017-2024).   She also has two years of insurance coverage  experience at Shield & Smith as well as managing cases in her own firm.  She has volunteered with and still  serves as a Mandatory Settlement Conference officer in Marin County Superior Court (30+ years) and San Francisco Superior Court (6+ years).  She began her private mediation practice in 2019 and then was asked to join ADR Services in 2024. Ms. Bogaards is also an Adjunct Professor at UC Law in Negotiation, which is part of the Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (2023 to present). 

Her testimonials note her warmth and ability to connect with plaintiffs as well as claims reps.  She is empathetic, energetic, knowledgeable, direct and strategic.  Complex cases with multi- unit buildings, multiple defendants or coverage issues are her forte, as she can incisively assist in apportioning liability amongst defendants, organize multiple units or parties, and settle the case globally.  She has grit, determination and perseverance; all of the skills needed to see a case through to the end. A large part of her success is reading all of the exhibits including medical records attached to the parties' mediation briefs and making sometimes extensive pre-mediation phone calls.  She may even give the attorneys homework before the mediation hearing, such as obtaining a video of a tenant's apartment, looking for all of the liens, explaining a complicated liability position, etc.  After the mediation, if the case is one of the few that doesn't settle, she will be tireless and dogged in her follow up until it does settle.  Most importantly, she works her magic.

Ms. Bogaards is admitted to practice in the State Court of California, before the United States Supreme Court and the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. In 1978, she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree with a major in accounting and finance from the University of California at Berkeley.  She then attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, (now UC Law SF), graduating in 1981 with her Juris Doctor.

In 1983, Ms. Bogaards earned a certificate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in International Legal Studies ( while working in London and the Netherlands.)  She also was accepted into and completed Harvard’s Advanced Mediation Training in June of 2019.  Since 2009, she has been on the Board of Trustees for the UC Law SF Foundation, serving as President of the Board (2020-2022).  She is a member of the board of directors of AJC .  She is also former president of the Marin County Women Lawyers and a former member of the board of directors for the Marin County Bar Association as well as Legal Aid of Marin.

Ms. Bogaards lives with her husband of 41 years in Mill Valley.  They have two adult daughters; Jamie (age 35) and Danielle (age 34).  They also are blessed with three adorable grandchildren, ranging in age from 9 months to 4 years old.  Ms. Bogaards likes to cycle in West Marin, row in the bay, and do Pilates.