Hon. Timothy M. Casserly (Ret.)

Hon. Timothy M. Casserly (Ret.) has spent decades resolving disputes, first through hundreds of settlement conferences on the bench and, since 2021, as a full-time mediator known for his patience, candor, and persistence. He is particularly effective in cases where emotions are high, expectations are far apart, or the parties need more than a single session to find common ground. He listens closely, builds trust, and has a particular ability to communicate difficult realities without making parties feel dismissed.

Judge Casserly gives people the opportunity to be heard, but he also knows when it is time to challenge assumptions and bring the conversation back to the practical risks of continued litigation. His style is measured and direct. He can identify weaknesses in a legal theory, damages assessment, or settlement position and communicate them in a way that keeps parties receptive rather than defensive. When negotiations stall, he is willing to change approaches, revisit difficult issues, and stay engaged as long as he sees a meaningful path forward.

As a full-time mediator, Judge Casserly has handled matters ranging from emotionally charged personal injury and wrongful death claims to sophisticated disputes involving businesses, partnerships and shareholders, construction projects, employment, insurance, professional liability, real estate, and emerging technologies. His breadth allows him to quickly understand unfamiliar facts while remaining focused on the people and interests driving the dispute.

His mediation practice is informed by 25 years on the San Diego County bench, including more than a decade in the North County Civil Independent Calendar Department. There, he managed a substantial civil docket and conducted more than 300 judicial settlement conferences. He previously spent six years in the North County Trial Department, presiding over civil trials and conducting settlement conferences every week. That experience gives him a clear understanding of how cases evolve through litigation and how judges and juries may respond to the arguments ultimately presented at trial.

What Judge Casserly enjoyed most on the bench was helping parties resolve cases, and that remains the focus of his work today. He brings the perspective of an experienced trial judge to mediation without making the process about his own judgment. His role is to understand what is keeping the parties apart, give them a candid assessment they can use, and keep working when a difficult case requires patience, creativity, or simply more time.