Hon. Evelio Grillo (Ret.)

Hon. Evelio Grillo (Ret.) is a Mediator, Arbitrator, and Referee at ADR Services, Inc., bringing decades of experience in mediation, settlement, and arbitration. Before joining ADR Services, Inc., Judge Grillo served as the Alameda County Superior Court’s primary settlement judge from 2012 to 2017 and later as the Supervising Settlement Judge from 2017 to 2019. As the first to hold this role, he played a pivotal part in establishing the court’s Settlement Department, pioneering innovative resolution techniques such as double-blind mediators’ proposals and actuarial case evaluations. His leadership helped transform the court’s approach to alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including replacing judicial arbitration with court mediation—a change widely embraced by the legal community. Throughout his judicial tenure, Judge Grillo presided over complex civil, criminal, and family law matters, earning a reputation for his keen legal insight, fairness, and ability to navigate multifaceted disputes.

Beyond his judicial and mediation work, Judge Grillo has significantly shaped arbitration law in California, with multiple trial decisions published by the California Supreme Court and the First District Court of Appeal. His expertise spans a broad range of case types, including business disputes, employment law, real estate conflicts, elder abuse, and catastrophic injury claims. Having successfully settled over 1,000 cases during his judicial career, he is widely respected for his problem-solving approach, patience, and deep commitment to fair outcomes. Judge Grillo has also been an influential educator, lecturing at Berkeley Law and Stanford Law School while contributing to leading legal publications on civil discovery and pretrial proceedings. A graduate of Harvard Law School and UC Berkeley, Judge Grillo’s distinguished career underscores his dedication to advancing ADR and fostering equitable dispute resolution processes.