Kathleen M. Paustian

Kathleen Paustian is an experienced arbitrator, mediator and litigator with a focus on complex cases.  She brings to the table almost 30 years of employment and commercial law litigation experience in state and federal courts and before the EEOC, Nevada Equal Rights Commission, U.S. Depart­ment of Housing and Urban Development. National Labor Relations Board, the state and federal Occupational Safety and Health Administrations, the state and federal Departments of Labor, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Civil Ser­vice Board and various other state and federal administrative agencies.

Her representation covers multiple industries and profess­ions, including hotels, resorts,  casinos, financial institutions, non-profit organizations, trade associations, health care providers, temporary staffing agen­cies, construction companies, educational institutions and manufacturers. She has litigated matters ranging from commercial and contract issues to Title VII discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as claims for wrongful termination, defamation, civil rights violations and privacy, and lawsuits brought under ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA.

Kathleen is a proponent of early dispute resolution and  counsels her clients in lawsuit avoidance. Given her long-term commitment to alternative dispute resolution, she is highly sought after as a private me­diator and arbitrator  for employment, civil rights and complex commercial cases.

Since 1997, she has served at the behest of the Nevada Supreme Court as a Settlement Judge. The Court trains these Judges as mediators to resolve pending appellate cases.  Kathleen has settled pending Supreme Court cases dealing with multi-million dollar developments, employment contracts, union issues, premises liability and many other disputes.

• J.D., University of Florida (1987)
• BA, University of South Dakota (1971)

ADR TRAINING:

• Annual Advanced Appellate Mediation Training, Nevada Supreme Court Settlement Program (1997-present).
• Annual Arbitration & Mediation Training, American Arbitration Association (2010-present).
• Foreclosure Mediation Training, Nevada Supreme Court (2009).
• 40-hour Mediation Training, Clark County NV Justice Center (1996).

• Member, State Bar of Nevada  since 1989.
• Member, State Bar of Florida (inactive) since 1988.
• Admitted NV U.S. District Court, Sept. 1991.
• Settlement Judge, (appellate mediator) Nevada Supreme Court Settlement Program, selected to Charter Class by the Court in 1997.
• Member, Clark County NV Bar Association.
• President, Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys (2014--2016). Member since 1989.
• Served on Nevada Committee on Judicial Ethics and Election Practices (2003-2009), Chair in 2009.
• Special Prosecuting Officer, Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline (2009-present).
• Martindale-Hubbell  AV rated since 1998, Preeminent rated since 2010.
• Since 2014, Tier 1 Ranking, U.S. News and World Report-Best Law Firms.
• Since 2007, Mountain States Super Lawyer-Employment & Labor Law/Alternative Dispute Resolution.

$300.00 per hour hearing rate $300.00 per hour study rate $150.00 per hour travel rate Required: 7 days notice of cancellation or $300.00 per hour cancellation rate.