Jeff Stern, J.D. (he/him)
Email: jstern@themediationgroup.org
Arbitration, Case Evaluation, Mediation
Jeff Stern joined The Mediation Group in 2015, following a distinguished career as a trial lawyer with one of Boston’s oldest and finest litigation firms, Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen, P.C. (SRBC). During a career of over forty years, Jeff tried more than fifty jury cases to verdict, including product liability (for both plaintiffs and defendants), medical malpractice (for both plaintiffs and defendants), professional liability, insurance coverage disputes and a wide variety of business disputes and probate matters. He was also a “lawyer’s lawyer” (in both senses) representing attorneys in law firm break-ups and bar disciplinary matters.
For his last twenty years at SRBC, Jeff integrated an active ADR practice into his professional life. He has mediated more than 500 cases and arbitrated more than 50. His ADR practice has featured the same breadth as his litigation work, with a particular emphasis on all types of personal injury cases and business matters, but also including employment, coverage issues (often embedded in tort cases), construction and probate.
Jeff has lectured and written widely on trial practice topics, as well as ADR. He has been a guest lecturer at the law schools of Harvard, Boston College, Boston University and Northeastern.
Over his career, Jeff has been honored with various recognitions and awards:
Jeff was identified as a 2023 Best Lawyers in America® for his work in the field of Mediation and Arbitration. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers since 2006.
He was also awarded the accolade of Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” for Mediation in Boston in 2021 and 2018. He was previously listed as Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" in the area of Arbitration 2020 and 2016. This honor is given to only a single lawyer for each category of a particular metropolitan area.
Jeff has been selected to Massachusetts Super Lawyers from 2004-2022.
In 2012, Jeff was identified as a Distinguished Fellow by the American College of Civil Trial Mediators (ACCTM), after serving for two years on the College's Board of Directors.
He is also a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN) as well as a member of the ADR Committee of the Massachusetts Bar Association.
Currently, Jeff serves as a member of the Corporation of Beacon Academy where he also tutors math. He was a long-time Trustee of the Judge Baker Children’s Center.
Jeff graduated from Amherst College in 1967, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1973, cum laude. He is a Vietnam veteran and served as a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1971.
Jeff and his wife Claire live in Newton and enjoy spending time in Vermont where they ski (reasonably well), play golf (rather poorly), and enjoy theater, biking and hiking. Their favorite role is that of grandparents to Ella and Ian.
