What People are Saying

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.”

“Colleagues, I wanted to share my experience with Phil Watkins, who served as our mediator by agreement in late November. I had a good case involving a negligent driver working for a rideshare company. Defense counsel was very well prepared and competent, but the effort and work that Phil put in to assist in getting the case resolved was nothing short of spectacular. When they ran out of authority, Phil suggested a proposal supported by a summary and report of his view of the case so that higher management could review. The proposal was later accepted and was 50% more than the authority brought to mediation. Phil’s trial experience and knowledge was invaluable. You may want to consider him for your next mediation.”

“Phil is a great asset as a mediator, particularly in major, complex cases. Phil’s experience and intelligence allow him to quickly discern the key factual and legal issues on both sides of a case that are critical to evaluating both liability and damages. Phil has quickly become one of my go-to mediators, particularly in my larger cases. I definitely recommend Phil as a mediator, regardless of which side of the docket you are on.”

“Had a mediation with him in another ugly personal injury action in La Salle County. He moved mountains and was awesome. Thanks for the recommendation.”

“Having worked on both sides of the docket for 27 years, it is refreshing to find a mediator who can bring the same experience to a mediation. Phil has an analytical and practical approach to dispute resolution, filtered through the hard won experience of 40 plus years of courtroom battles. His creativity and tenacity allowed me to resolve two complex cases over the span of three days.”

“A long career in the Personal Injury arena, coupled with extensive Trial and Courtroom experience, makes Phil the “go to” mediator for large loss and catastrophic injury cases. Phil has always maintained the utmost respect from all lawyers on both sides of the docket.”