What People are Saying

I wanted to give a shout out to mediator Phil Watkins. He mediated a case for me twice and while the case did not settle at either mediation, he definitely put the parties where they needed to be to ultimately reach a settlement on the eve of trial at a number that my client was very happy with. Sometimes you need a mediators clarity and willingness to stay involved to put the case in a position to succeed at settlement and bury the risk we all hate to expose our clients to at trial.

Thank you Phil for putting us in a position to be successful on the eve of trial.

J. Robert Davis

November 4, 2024

Just wanted to take a moment to praise the mediator skills of Phil Watkins! We recently mediated a challenging commercial case with Phil where he was able to help us achieve settlement for two clients of upwards of 16 times the medical on each! He handled a difficult client beautifully and navigated the issues creatively. The case includes a client with a paid surgery and one with a surgical recommendation. All were happy with the settlement and the mediation experience.

“I recently had the opportunity to mediate with Phil Watkins. Phil brought a trial lawyer’s mind and attention to detail to the mediation process and was very effective at communicating both the strengths and weaknesses of our case to all parties. Phil did not merely carry numbers back and forth but wanted factual support for the numbers. Phil was prepared from the moment we started and had read briefing I had sent him prior to mediation. However, what most impressed me about Phil is he continued to work after the mediation day (including on a Friday evening) to help resolve our case. Phil is at the top of my list to mediate with again.”

I recently had my first opportunity to mediate with Phil, and I can conclusively say that I look forward to many more opportunities. Having not worked with Phil before, I went into the full-day mediation with doubts that the matter would be resolved given the liability facts and associated damages. However, that doubt was quickly erased as I talked with Phil throughout the day, the numbers dropped, and I observed his skill as a mediator. At the end of the day, he joked, “well I didn’t get you out of here by 4:30, but I did get you out of here at 4:45 with a settlement.”

Not only is Phil an effective and skilled mediator, he is a good listener and counselor. I thoroughly appreciated his approach in listening not only to the strengths of my case as I perceived them to be, but also counseling me on the wrinkles from a different perspective as a seasoned trial-lawyer. This perspective is based upon Phil’s years of trying cases and his intimate knowledge of the law. Phil is NOT a number runner. He epitomizes what a good mediator should be.

I recently had the experience of mediating with Phil Watkins.  We had never had the chance to work together previously.  The case was a high exposure matter with enough factual wrinkles to make it a difficult one to settle:  large damages, tough liability facts on both sides and two settling parties.

Phil worked tirelessly and diligently throughout the day to get the deal done.  Unlike some mediators who shuffle between rooms swapping numbers for the sake of swapping numbers, Phil dug down into the meat of the case and took a trial lawyer’s view of the situation, challenging both sides on merits issues.  His efforts yielded a palatable settlement for all concerned and, while the case did not settle on The Day of mediation, it got wrapped up the following afternoon.

I wholeheartedly recommend Phil as a mediator.  It was refreshing to work with a mediator who understands how the facts of the case affect its settlement value, which is a concept that is lost on far to many mediators in this day and age.  His skill likely stems from his years of actually trying cases and taking verdicts.

In addition to being an effective mediator, he’s a good guy and great to work with.  I wish I had run across Phil years ago and am a little surprised I had not since I am now in my 43^rd year of practicing law.  He would have been on my short list for every case and certainly will be from now on.

Just a short note to express my thanks and a loud shout out to Phil Watkins who acted as our second mediator in a hotly contested case handled by my firm and the Dilley firm.

In fact, the police report placed 100% of the fault on our client who was operating a motorcycle when a CMV operator   made what we contended was an unsafe and improper right-hand turn.

The first mediation less than 60 day ago ended in impasse with no offers despite the efforts of a prior skilled mediator who was handpicked by the defendants lead counsel.  I was asked by that same defense lawyers shortly after the impasse,  to suggest a second mediator and given them another chance, and they asked me to suggest someone who would not be bashful in pushing both parties toward resolution. They wanted someone who had real prior trial experience and someone that could talk straight to all the parties.  They said they didn’t need a water carrier.  I suggested Phil, he was vetted by the defense, and quickly accepted. Phil came in fully prepared to make the parties work toward resolution. We were dealing with multiple layers of coverage – multiple parties – and one of the carriers was insured by Lloyds of London on both the primary and excess levels with the complexities of different “names” for each level. The Lloyds coverage included a British representative in London who fully participated in the mediation and was skilled in the art of negotiation.  Phil kept him late (past 1:00 a.m. London time).  According to the lead defense lawyer and lead appellate lawyer Phil was extremely effective in analyzing the facts and legal issues and creating risk. When both sides separately expressed there was little chance the case was headed to resolution late in the day, despite great progress,  he regrouped. He concluded giving the decision makers in London some additional information, and the night to think about it, would get us to resolution and asked us to keep the mediation open through the following day. . He was spot on as usual.  The case resolved. We are blessed to have many highly qualified local mediators in San Antonio.  To add to what Paula Wyatt has recently expressed Phil is Top Notch and should NOT be overlooked. He never let the prior impasse deter him, and turned what was probable impasse in the second mediation into an  agreed resolution as a highly skilled mediator.

Thank you Phil for sticking with a difficult case to the end.  You went above and beyond.  Your efforts made a difference.

For those of you looking for an excellent mediator in San Antonio, I strongly recommend you try Phil Watkins. I have had several successful mediations with him over the past couple of months.

Just wanted to let the group know that, not surprisingly, Phil Watkins did an EXCELLENT job today in a very difficult mediation that I had with him. It was clear that the adjuster on the other side had not been educated correctly by counsel about the risks on their end but by the end of the session, it was clear that they understood thanks to Phil. Do not hesitate to use Phil especially in the tough cases where the adjuster may need to be set straight.

Phil:  Thank you for serving as mediator in our products case.  You read and studied the briefing and were well informed on the critical issues.  You were candid, even-handed and when needed, persuasive.  Most importantly, you were effective in getting the case resolved.