What People are Saying

Phil Watkins strikes again! I highly recommend you book him for your next mediation. Phil mediated a pre-suit commercial case in Bell Co. with a surgical rec only and did a fantastic job. Phil was able to get the case settled on a mediator’s proposal the same day for a significant amount. I would definitely use him again.

Phil was recommended as a mediator by several San Antonio defense lawyers I trust. He proved to be extremely capable. We presented him with a complex, multiparty lawsuit with different defenses and counterclaims among the defense side of a wrongful death case. He kept negotiations moving along and we were able to get the case settled fairly. Now I know why he was so highly recommended.

As a defense lawyer I want a mediator to be fair to my side and experienced enough that the other side will listen to him. In a difficult, multiparty case I found that Phi did just exactly that. He understood my client’s legal and factual defenses and was able to convey those matters to the plaintiff side of the mediation because we were able to settle the case by defendants paying more than we first expected and plaintiff taking less than initially demanded. I’ll use Phil again if and when the occasion arises.

Finished a mediation with Phil Watkins recently and he got the carrier to pay significant money on a very, very difficult case.
I cannot recommend him enough.

We have some fine mediators on this list but I wanted to put in a good word for Phil. He worked a case really hard this afternoon where carrier had made a puny offer before I inherited the case. He got it settled for very good money. It is always good when an adjuster has to call more than once for more money or so it appears to me. I suggest Phil Watkins as a mediator every time. He is excellent and stays after it until the case settles.  Check him out.

On the recommendation of one of the top trial lawyers in Texas, we engaged Mr. Watkins as the mediator for a large personal injury case. The case was exceedingly complex, involving multiple potentially liable parties and four insurance policies, each with their own representation. The stakes were high for all parties involved. Our client had incurred seven figures in medical care and demands were in excess of available limits. The policies involved – totaling $3 million in available coverage – all had carriers who were participating in the mediation under reservation of rights letters. At least one defendant had personal counsel as a result. To be candid, I was not expecting the case could settle at mediation despite the enormous risk of exposure to the defendants and their carriers. The first offers from the various defendants only confirmed my belief, but Mr. Watkins did not waiver.

Mr. Watkins spent the next 8+ hours working all the parties with hard facts, defenses, and theories of liability. It was clear he had diligently prepared and studied all mediation statements. He further proved to be one of the most knowledgeable, creative, and intelligent mediators I have ever used. He clearly understood the likely merits of the coverage defenses, was candid about them, and further was creative in working with numerous parties to facilitate movement towards a fair and final resolution.

What I believed would be a wasted day turned into a terrific outcome for all parties involved. Only twice in my 16 years of practicing law have I entered a mediation believing resolution was not possible and been wrong about that belief – my mediation with Mr. Watkins was one of them. I credit the unrelenting and creative efforts of Mr. Watkins for turning a seemingly impossible task into a reality. My client was thrilled with the outcome and I am convinced Mr. Watkins is one of the very best mediators in the State of Texas.

“Phil took a case with both trial teams entrenched and used his extensive trial experience to break the logjam and get the case resolved.”

“Phil Watkins was the best trial lawyer in San Antonio for decades; he is now its best mediator.”

“I have practiced law in San Antonio for the past 25 years, primarily representing Plaintiffs. In that time I have not found a more effective mediator than Phil Watkins. His approach to my clients is always respectful and compassionate. With his skill he reduces the tension felt and allows the parties to honestly and realistically address the claims being made and the reasonable value of those claims. Even in the cases where the mediation itself was unsuccessful, there have been numerous times when Mr. Watkins continued to work informally with both sides and, as a result, cases were resolved by agreement days or even weeks after the mediation. Very few mediators make such efforts after a mediation. I highly recommend Phil Watkins as a mediator.”

“I have mediated a myriad of cases with Phil, from the straight-forward fender bender to the complex and contentious multi-party case. In each scenario, Phil knew the facts, the players, the issues and efficiently cut through any extraneous matters to achieve a prompt and amicable resolution. When we couldn’t get everyone together, he extended himself throughout ongoing settlement efforts without question – truly an admirable commitment to the process which cannot be directly measured.”