What People are Saying

Phil is amazing.  He got one of my cases settled for limits in 30 minutes.  Carrier went from zero offer before I got the file to limits.  It was my first mediation with him and I thought he was joking.

Phil mediated a CPS electric shock case for me yesterday with fantastic results.

While the little boy was not physically disfigured from the burns (minimal scarring remained), he was emotionally traumatized. Meds were small and counseling was sporadic. CPS sought to capitalize on these facts and discount the nature of the harm, and his corresponding recovery.

Phil advocated for that little boy with what I can only describe as the fervor of a father who sees their child suffering. He was able to dismantle their defenses with logical and irrefutable arguments of what a Bexar County jury would think about their position and how foolish they were evaluating the subject damages. CPS got it and did a 180 during the mediation.

Even Allstate’s counsel, who was subrogation counsel on the home owner’s policy for the property damage, was blown away by Phil’s efforts in getting the case resolved for everyone. When I spoke to Allstate’s counsel last night after the mediation, he couldn’t wait to get more cases back to Phil.

A+ work by Mr. Watkins – a real credit to the Bexar County bar.

As a defense lawyer I have seen the good, bad and ugly in mediators.  I recently had a multiparty wrongful death lawsuit mediation with Phil Watkins.  I had never mediated with him  so I checked him out with fellow defense counsel from Texas.  All gave Phil high marks.  I am so glad that we used him.  After a full day of back and forth the case settled.  From my perspective the case settled because Phil brought some serious reality to the plaintiffs side of the case and he moved my side to give more consideration to certain aspects of the case that we had not focused on. He’s not a numbers carrier and insists that each new offer be accompanied by a bullet point about the case.  He was firm but cordial, persistent but not pushy. I recommend him highly.

I’ve had the honor to represent injury victims and their families for over 31 years.  Many of my battles have been against product manufacturers.  These cases present unique hurdles to resolution.  Every single case Phil Watkins has mediated for my clients and me has resolved through his dogged determination and fierce discussions about the upsides and downsides of the case.  Don’t go to Phil if you don’t want to settle the case

I am strong on Phil Watkins.  He works very hard.  Client rapport is exceptional on both sides. Experienced trial lawyer.  I’ll definitely use him again.

I have known Phil to be a very competent litigator for several decades and now know him as a very competent mediator. In a recent mediation the parties started very far apart and the negotiations moved slowly but Phil kept nudging and pushing us along toward the middle until we were able to settle one of those cases where you’re not sure it will ever settle. I will use Phil again and recommend his decades of experience as a trial attorney and mediator.

Phil did a phenomenal job for my client. She was driving down Fredericksberg Rd. when a little old lady pulled out in front of her. Both USAA insureds. My client was an adjuster at USAA for 20 years. She called them for help and they treated her like dirt so she got a lawyer. Total loss. Conservative treatment chiro/esi. $33k in medical. Earle surgical rec for lumbar and cervical discectomies.
USAA lawyers discounted Earle’s surgical rec. Phil worked on them until they just gave up and requested a mediator’s proposal. The proposal was accepted for a sum well in excess of what they brought to the mediation. Thank You Phil! See you soon.

I want to thank you for the great job you did for us as a mediator. You moved heaven and earth to obtain and offer for the defendant. Your getting one party and its board to participate was key to our being able to settle the case. Thanks for your tenacity and skill. I look forward to working with you again in the future.

I want to add to the previous comments about Phil as a mediator. He recently mediated a case for me that reached an impasse when the parties were $400,000.00 dollars apart. Phil managed to convince a reluctant client and a reluctant defendant to accept a mediators proposal that resolved the case. He also kept my impatience in check long enough for the case to settle. I highly recommend that you add him to your list of the many fine mediators we have here in Bexar County.

Thank you very much for your hard work in our mediation today.
Your many years of experience definitely made the difference in settling this difficult case.