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AFter graduating at the top of his 1971 class from South Texas College of Law, David T. Lopez has been an active trial lawyer with experience in various areas, including civil rights and constitutional law, labor and employment, commercial, securities, international and intellectual property. His undergraduate degree was in journalism from The University of Texas, where he was managing editor of the daily newspaper and editor of the monthly magazine. Prior to law school, he was a news reporter, principal in a public relations agency, and press and publications director for an international organization based in Mexico City and active throughout the Western Hemisphere. He is fluent in Spanish, and has workign knowledge of French. Since 1990 he has utilized his broad experience in arbitration and mediation.

Lopez established his own private practice immediately upon graduation from law school, and he has been active in professional organizations at the local, state, national and international levels, having chaired committees and sections at all levels, including the Houston Bar Association Section on ADR. In 2002, he was named a "top notch" lawyer by Texas Lawyer Newspaper, based on a statewide opinion survey,and in 2007 he was the single recipient of the Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award of the Texas Bar Foundation. He is a frequent seminar speaker and has published articles on legal topics related to substantive legal issues, trial work, and dispute resolution.

Presently on the arbitration and mediation panels of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution, which administers matters internationally for the the American Arbitration Association (AAA), Lopez also is on the national arbitration and mediation rosters of the AAA, and formerly was an arbitration and mediation panelist for JAMS. He is a member of the advisory board of the Frank Evans Center for Dispute Resolution at South Texas College of Law, and has participated in Center projects in the U.S., Mexico, Panama and Ecuador. He also is on the advisory board of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration, former chair of the Houston Bar Association Section on ADR, and active in state and national professional organizations.

After attending Laredo Junior College, Lopez received a bachelor of journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin, where he was managing editor of the daily newspaper and editor of the monthly magazine. He did postgraduate work in economics at Texas Arts and Industries University and the University of the Americas in Mexico City. He was graduated first in his class, summa cum laude, from South Texas College of Law in 1971, where he was on the staff of the law review while working full time and attending law school in the evenings. He attended the Harvard University Program of Instruction for Lawyers, completed more than 350 hours of advanced training in dispute resolution, including the Fellows Course of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of the London Court of International Arbitration. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of Houston and the Thurgood Marshall Law School of Texas Southern University and was named a William Randolph Hearst Visiting Lecturer at The University of Texas College of Communications.

He believes in detailed pre-conference preparation to identify potential problems and insure that participants have a full opportunity to identify, re-examine and articulate their individual interests. His broad experience is a substantial benefit in assisting participants to properly evaluate their position and alternatives to a negotiated settlement.

Lopez attempts to set fees with consideration for the resources of the parties to the fullest extent. Generally, fees for mediation are $1,000 per party for a two-party half-day mediation; $1,800 per party for full day. Arbitration fees for a single arbitrator hearing are $3,750 per day, $450 an hour study time, and actual costs of travel, meals and boarding, if necessary.

Lopez's office can administer mediations and can handle ad hoc arbitrations, but Lopez prefers that whenever it is convenient that arrangements be handled by ICDR or AAA.

Gloria Portela Mediator Hon. James V. Singleton Chief U.S. Dist. Judge (Retired) Hon. Susan S. Soussan Mediator, Arbitrator, former state judge Hon. Frank Evans Mediator, Arbitrator, former state judge John W. Odam Attorney-Mediator Shirley R. Redwine Attorney-Mediator