Patricia Phillips

Biography Patricia Phillips, a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara (B.A. 1956) and the Loyola School of Law, Loyola Marymount University (J.D. 1967), is a native of the City of Los Angeles. Now a partner at Phillips Jessner in Los Angeles, Ms. Phillips specializes in family law and civil litigation. She serves frequently as a mediator and arbitrator for business, employment, and family matters. Ms. Phillips is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. In the practice of family law, Ms. Phillips handles issues relating to the dissolution of marriage, including child custody and support issues, as well as the complex areas of identification and valuation of community property, valuation of business assets and division of property. Ms. Phillips is well known in the legal community for her work in bringing concepts of alternative dispute resolution to litigation. She also handles business, employment, trust, and probate mediation. Ms. Phillips' clients range from owners of sole proprietorships to key people in closely held businesses, as well as employees. She has represented well-known political figures, as well as members of the entertainment community and many judges and lawyers. Patricia Phillips was the first woman to be elected President of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the largest voluntary bar association in the United States. She is the recipient of the Shattuck Price Award, given once each year to the Association's "Outstanding Lawyer." She has been honored by both her undergraduate and law school alma maters as an outstanding alumna and by the Women Lawyers' Association of Los Angeles and California Women Lawyers with the presentation of their Ernestine Stahlhut and Dragon Slayer Awards, respectively. She served for three years on the Judicial Council of the State of California and was a member and former Chair of the Los Angeles County Commission on Judicial Procedures. Ms. Phillips served as a vice president and member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar, where she organized the Statewide Committee on Professionalism and Public Action. In addition, she was chair of the State Bar Committee of Bar Examiners and the Commission on the Future of the Legal Profession and the State Bar. Ms. Phillips recently completed a term as President of the Chancery Club, the first woman to occupy any officer position in that organization. In April 1998, she received the ACLU Pro Bono Advocacy Award and has been honored as being one of Los Angeles' 50 most powerful women lawyers. Ms. Phillips is a member of various Boards including the Board of Visitors at Loyola Law School and the Board of Maternal and Child Health Access. She is a former Chair of the Board of Directors of the City Club at Bunker Hill. Ms. Phillips is a frequent lecturer and writer on family law issues, methods of dispute resolution, and professionalism. The Los Angeles Daily Journal recently profiled Ms. Phillips, describing her as a mentor to the legal profession in Los Angeles.

• Morrison & Foerster LLP, Senior Counsel
• Hufstedler & Kaus (formerly Beardsley, Hufstedler & Kemble), Partner, 1969 - March 17, 1995
• Hon. Robert Feinerman, Los Angeles Superior Court, Law Clerk, 1968

• Lecturer, Continuing Education of the Bar and Rutter Group, 1980 - 1985
• Trial Advocacy Instructor, Attorney General's Advocacy Institute
• Lecturer, Numerous Courses, Department of Justice's Office of Legal Education

• California, 1968
• Specialties and Certifications
• Certified Family Law Specialist, California State Bar
• Mediator, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Expert Witness

• The State Bar of California (Former Vice President, Board of Governors)
• The State Bar of California (Former Member, Board of Governors)
• The State Bar of California (Former Chair, Commission on the Future of the Legal Profession)
• The State Bar of California (Former Chair, State Bar Committee of Bar Examiners)
• The State Bar of California (Former Member, State Bar Committee of Bar Examiners)
• The State Bar of California, Litigation, Family Law Sections
• The State Bar of California (Former Chair, Delay Reduction Consortium)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association (Former President (First Woman President))
• Los Angeles County Bar Association (Precedent Offices)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association (Board of Trustees)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association (Dispute Resolution Development Committee)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1988 - 1989 (Blue Ribbon Committee on the Superior Court)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association (Former Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on Court Unification)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association (Former Co-Chair, Know Your Judge Committee)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association (Former Chair, 100th and 125th Anniversary Committees)
• United States District Court - Central District, CA, 2001 - 2004 (Member, Lawyers Disciplinary Committee)
• Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, 1990 - 1993 (Representative)
• Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, 1998 - 2000 (Senior Lawyer's Advisory Committee)
• Judicial Council, 1990 - 1994 (Member)
• Judicial Council, 1991 - 1994 (Executive Committee)
• Judicial Council, 1991 - 1993 (Ad Hoc Committee on Private Judging)
• Judicial Council, 1990 - 1991 (Committee on Court Profiles)
• Judicial Council, 1990 - 1991 (Family Law Advisory Committee)
• Los Angeles County Commission on Judicial Procedures, 1991 - 1996
• Loyola Law School of Los Angeles, 1988 - 1990 (Chair, Board of Visitors)
• Loyola Law School of Los Angeles (Member)
• Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law (Advisory Committee)
• Maternal and Child Health Access, Inc.
• Children's Law Center - Los Angeles County
• American Bar Association (Committee on Research on the Future of the Legal Profession)
• American Bar Association (Task Force on Outreach to the Public)
• American Bar Association (Committee on Communications)
• American Bar Association, Litigation, General Practice, Family Law, Senior Lawyers Sections
• American Bar Association (National Conference of Bar Presidents)
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Legislative Committee)
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Bench-Bar Committee)
• Women Lawyers of Los Angeles, 1969 - Present
• California Women Lawyers Association, 1974 - Present (Founding Member)
• Chancery Club (First Woman President)
• Association of Business Trial Lawyers, 1975 - Present
• Black Women Lawyers, 1981 - Present
• Downtown Women Partners, 1983 - Present
• Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association, 1982 - Present
• University of California, Santa Barbara, 1990 - 1994 (Foundation Board of Trustees)
• Professional Association of Judicial Mediators & Arbitrators, 1996 - Present
• Senior Matrimonial Network, 1998 - Present
• Dalkon Shield Cases (Arbitrator)
• Los Angeles Daily Journal (Columnist)
• Los Angeles County Superior Court (Mediator - Family Law)
• Center for International Commercial Arbitration (Director)
• Los Angeles County Superior Court (Court Coordination Committee)
• Los Angeles County Superior Court (A.B. 3820 Committee)
• Los Angeles County Superior Court (Member, Ad Hoc Committee to Develop an Informal Complaint Policy)
• The Trusteeship
• Commission on the Future of Loyola Marymount University Task Force
• City Club on Bunker Hill, 1999 - 2001 (Chair, Board of Governors)
• City Club on Bunker Hill (Member of Board)
• Fraternities and Sororities
• Phi Alpha Delta