Lucy Chernow Brown, retired Judge 15th Judicial Circuit, joined the JAMS panel of distinguished neutrals after serving 24 years as a judge in Palm Beach County, Florida.  During her tenure on the bench, she presided over thousands of civil matters including insurance coverage, probate/estate, construction, wrongful death, personal injury, health care, and employment disputes, to name a few.

She is known for being thoroughly prepared and for her instinctive capability to swiftly absorb the law and facts of each case.  Ms. Brown is skilled in helping adversarial parties find common ground and has the keen ability to quickly identify ambiguous issues.

Lucy Brown is an acclaimed legal champion in the Palm Beach community whose depth of experience as a trial attorney, trial judge, and now as an ADR practitioner makes her distinctly suited to resolve each dispute brought to her.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• Multimillion dollar complex contract disputes related to the operating agreement of the hotel formerly The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, now operating as the Eau Palm Beach
• Consumer class action lawsuit by foreclosure defendants who were charged improper and excessive reinstatement charges, in violation of the Florida Consumer Protection Practices Act and the Florida Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act
• Real estate complex litigation suit on loan and guarantee, receivership, assignment of rents, replevin, security agreement, forbearance agreement, fixture filing, reformation, and foreclosure of mortgage, resulting in judgment of over $10 million
• Commercial business dispute involving conversion and tortious interference, breach of contracts, corporate dissolution of a family owned business
• Professional responsibility claim of breach of fiduciary duty and legal malpractice resulting from a trust and estate claim from the estate executor

Representative Matters

• Business/Commercial
• Breach of contracts
• Commercial foreclosures
• Civil forfeitures
• Fraud
• Partnership dissolutions
• Hospitality
• Construction Defect
• Residential
• Commercial
• Employment
• Discrimination: age, gender, race, handicap claims
• Non-compete
• Trade secrets
• Sexual harassment
• Whistleblower
• Wrongful termination
• Insurance
• Bad faith
• Coverage
• Property damage
• Subrogation
• Personal Injury/Torts
• Mold
• Auto
• Defamation
• Product Liability
• Slander
• Underinsured Motorist
• Uninsured motorist
• Wrongful Death
• Professional Liability
• Accounting
• Legal
• Medical
• Real Property
• Commercial/residential
• Misrepresentations and non-disclosures
• Lease/purchase disputes

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS
• Certified Mediator, Florida Supreme Court, Circuit Civil
• Judicial Honor for Excellence in Service, Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL), 2014
• North Palm Beach County Bar Association Jurist of the year award, 2014
• Palm Beach Justice Association Jurist of the Year, 2013
• The Justice Pariente Award “for the advancement of women in the legal professional, ”Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL), 2011
• First Annual Judicial Professionalism Award, Palm Beach County Bar Association, 2005
• Judicial Achievement Award for Preservation of Individual Rights and Free Access to Courts, 1999
• Nominated for the Florida Supreme Court, 1994
• Member, Florida Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions (Civil)
• Member, Florida Bar Association Code and Rules of Evidence Committee
• Chair, 15th Circuit Pro Bono Committee

Background and Education

• Circuit Judge, 15th Circuit Court, 1991-2014
• Private Practice, 1985-1990
• Assistant City Attorney, City of West Palm Beach, 1985
• State’s Attorney, 15th Judicial Circuit, 1982-1985
• J.D., Magna Cum Laude, Nova University Law Center, 1982
• M.A., Columbia University, 1969
• B.A., University of Rochester, 1968