Anne Lawlor Goyette

Anne Lawlor Goyette brings more than twenty five years of alternative dispute resolution experience to Signature Resolution as a mediator, special master, referee, and arbitrator.

Goyette graduated from Santa Clara University Law School and joined a large San Francisco law firm in 1988. Her interest in alternative dispute resolution ultimately led her to join the leading special master in California construction defect litigation in Palo Alto and become a fulltime neutral.

A proponent of proactive dispute resolution, Goyette collaborates with all counsel from the outset to establish clear goals, streamline data gathering and simplify problem solving. To drive meaningful settlement negotiations, she conducts individual strategic conferences with each party, clarifying objectives, tackling potential obstacles and identifying key resources before mediation sessions. Even if mediation does not yield an agreement, Goyette remains dedicated to pursuing and advancing additional resolution opportunities. Since 1998, she has expertly employed this approach to successfully manage and resolve thousands of disputes as a full time mediator, special master, referee and arbitrator.

Goyette’s practice primarily addresses complex disputes involving construction, real estate, insurance and related claims, as well as business, employment and personal injury/ wrongful death matters in California. She also mediates hundreds of medical product cases nationwide.

Goyette serves as a court appointed neutral for over two dozen California Superior Courts and acts as special master and arbitrator in national and statewide class actions. Over the years, she also successfully mediated cases as an alternative dispute resolution panelist for numerous federal, state and appellate courts and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Goyette enjoys the highest Top Rated Lawyer-AV® Preeminent Martindale Hubbell rating, Super Lawyers® distinction in Alternative Dispute Resolution and California Charter Membership in the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

Several of Anne Lawlor Goyette’s sample cases be viewed below:

CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN

• Multimillion dollar cases throughout California asserting construction and design defects, indemnity, economic loss, delay, product liability, professional negligence, breach of contract and/or recovery on mechanic’s liens and raising multitude of insurance coverage issues relating to the construction of high schools, senior living centers, synagogue, hotels, resorts, commercial spaces, apartments, condominiums, single family homes and other buildings
• $55 million in damages alleged against dozens of parties for defects and economic loss at public university with repairs performed during litigation
• Consolidated cases resolving millions in damages caused by large landslide at three neighboring Napa properties allegedly due to improper lot preparation
• Cases asserting property damage due to soils movement
• Consolidated cases involving $12 million in alleged damages and personal injuries arising out of renovation work and a fire at a historic hotel
• Consolidated action for +$3 million in damages against construction manager, bankrupt contractor, subcontractors for defects, delay damages at beach resort
• More than $11 million in alleged damages against designer, swing stage manufacturer, construction trades for defects at 270 unit high rise building
• Lawsuit against contractors, engineer for economic damages allegedly caused by improper design/ construction of “Blue Top” for commercial development
• Actions for sums due on construction, design contracts
• Contractor claim for money owed for emergency work performed to repair City sewer line damaged during street work project
• Allocation of nationwide class action settlement funds for defective decking and railing materials, statewide class action funds for defective roofing product

REAL ESTATE

• Damage and economic loss caused by fires that destroyed homes, businesses
• Landslides on undeveloped property that repeatedly blocked common driveway and impeded access to neighboring winery
• Flooding of ranch land due to purported failure to maintain and repair dams
• Mediation and arbitration of disputes involving commercial leases, residential purchase and sales agreements

INSURANCE

• Insurance coverage disputes in complex litigation
• Referee for consolidated actions alleging management’s procurement of inadequate insurance for luxury Napa resort destroyed by the 2020 Glass Fire
• Claims against title insurance companies for slander of title and/or failure to disclose encumbrance
• Request for declaratory relief regarding duty to defend and indemnify solar energy company for third party personal injury claim
• Coverage dispute pertaining to cracked levees and improper soil in Water District construction project

BUSINESS

• Arbitration seeking $720,000 in damages from a public entity for breach of lease to allow fish buying business to install hoist on pier
• Highly emotional and contentious partnership dissolution involving 16 investment properties, eight investment companies, numerous loans
• Cases seeking money owed on contracts, loans, including breach of construction contracts and/or recovery on mechanic’s liens
• Senior care facility alleging $1.4 million in damages for breach of solar energy contract
• Special District Risk Management Authority demand for reimbursement from City for property and personal injury/ wrongful death following flooding
• Appeal involving public entity approval of subdivision development
• Referee for consumer action against large retailer
• Dispute seeking sums due from sale of half a dozen restaurant franchises
• Cannabis business and public entity licensing dispute
• Securities-related arbitrations between stockbrokers and investors

MEDICAL PRODUCT LIABILITY

• Pelvic mesh cases filed in multi-district and state litigation
• Hernia mesh
• Metal on metal hip
• Vena Cava Filter
• Artificial cervical disc
• Pharmaceutical

PERSONAL INJURY/WRONGFUL DEATH

• Referee of voluminous discovery disputes arising from litigation by heirs of pilot killed in plane crash
• Heirs’ demand for millions in damages from City and elevator service company following their father’s death in elevator
• Claims against County, batting machine operator and inspector following batter’s loss of eye from errant baseball
• Disputes involving carbon monoxide poisoning from defective heaters
• Suit against manufacturer for personal injuries suffered in ATV accident
• Demand for damages for personal injury suffered at amusement park
• Cases involving auto accidents, including injured wife’s claim for husband killed in crosswalk, parents lawsuit for 20 year old son killed in auto/ bicycle collision

EMPLOYMENT

• Age
• Sex
• Race
• Pregnancy and other types of discrimination