Hon. Maria Rivera (Ret.)

Oakland

Mediation/Arbitration, Appellate Consultation, Private Judging

Depth and Breadth Across the Law

Justice Rivera brings more than four decades of distinguished legal experience to her work as a neutral. After graduating first in her class from the University of San Francisco Law School, she began her career at Morrison & Foerster, later serving in the Consumer Fraud Unit of the S.F. District Attorney's Office and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Civil Division of the Northern District. She concluded her practice as a partner at McCutchen focusing on land use, environmental, and appellate law.

Elected to the Contra Costa Superior Court in 1996, she presided over criminal, family, and civil matters before her elevation in 2002 to the First District Court of Appeal. During her sixteen years on the appellate bench, she authored hundreds of opinions spanning virtually every area of California law.

Thorough Preparation, Thoughtful Process

Justice Rivera is known for her extensive preparation in every matter she handles. She conducts personalized outreach before mediation, and carefully reviews all submissions to fully understand the legal issues, procedural posture, and real-world dynamics of the dispute. Her disciplined, meticulous approach instills confidence in counsel and parties alike.

Complex Matters and Appellate Insight

Since retiring in 2018, Justice Rivera has mediated and arbitrated a wide range of cases, including personal injury actions, employment disputes, land use conflicts, and dissolution proceedings. Most recently she served as lead arbitrator in a multi-million-dollar public works construction dispute that lasted three years, and involved nine weeks of hearings and a host of complex pre-trial motions. She also regularly serves as an appellate consultant, providing valuable insights and strategic feedback on briefing and oral argument. Her combination of trial court, appellate, and neutral experience allows her to bring both big-picture perspective and careful analytical rigor to every case.

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