Mediation Reviews

• Donald Philbin is a thought leader among mediators, providing expert commercial mediation services for those facing energy, construction and other business disputes. “He’s very charming, very professional, very understanding and empathetic to what’s going on. That’s his secret sauce.” “He’s proactive and really wants to get to a result that both sides can live with.” Chambers 2023 Band 1 – Mediators – USA – Nationwide
• An anonymous reviewer said he was a “serious and smart mediator. He has the savvy to know when it’s time, on both sides, to find the sweet spot.” 2022 Chambers Mediators – USA – Nationwide
• Based in San Antonio, Donald Philbin provides commercial mediation services for those facing intellectual property, energy and other business disputes. “An extremely effective mediator in a wide variety of situations.” “He has a good bedside manner, even with difficult parties.” 2021 Chambers Mediators – USA – Nationwide
• Donald Philbin is “extremely hard-working: he spends a lot of time preparing in advance and works hard to ensure the parties are aware of the risks,” sources note. Based in San Antonio, he provides commercial mediation services for those facing intellectual property, energy and other business disputes.” 2020 Chambers Mediators – USA – Nationwide
• Lauded as “a real thinker and innovator,” San Antonio-based Donald Philbin is highlighted for his handling of large corporate cases, including mediating for clients in the energy, healthcare and software industries. “Don Philbin is one of the smartest, most talented mediators I know,” comments a source, adding: “He has lots of really innovative and clever ideas he uses for helping people close.” 2019 Chambers Mediators – USA – Nationwide
• Donald Philbin Jr at ADR TOOLBOX in Texas is recommended for his “exceptional” mediation skills and depth of knowledge of the mediation process. One client says of him, “His grasp of the forces that drive a successful mediation is always spot on. There is not a mediator working today that I would trust more in bringing a case to resolution.” 2017 Who’s Who Legal Mediation Thought Leaders
• “Don is a mediator that I can trust to have the knowledge and insight to settle any kind of case from family law to complex commercial matters. His pragmatic approach helps to steer parties into a position to make sensible business decisions.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “I have worked with Donald R. Philbin, Jr. as a mediator at least six times in the last two years. Don’s track record of success in those mediations is beyond compare. He is extremely hardworking, patient, and whip smart. In each case Don assisted the parties to reach a settlement. I highly recommend him as a mediator.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Don Philbin is a very quick study. He boils a case down to the important issues rapidly and he doesn’t get distracted by non-issues.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Don has a thoughtful and deliberate approach to mediation. Far more than a “message carrier,” Don helps parties look for solutions to their disputes that may not have to come to their minds.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Don R. Philbin, Jr. is one of the most practical and effective mediators I know of. He spends his time efficiently with each side and has the intuition to know just where the “give and takes” are in each case.  He has an extensive legal background, but unlike many of his competitors, he also has an extensive business background.  While the lawyers are thinking like lawyers, Don often comes up with creative solutions based on his multidimensional expertise.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “I just completed the most difficult mediation of my career. We literally worked for 22-hours straight. Don Philbin quickly recognized the legal and factual issues involved as well as the unique and challenging personalities that needed to be managed. He did a flawless job keeping the parties focused on the goal of settlement and helped the parties find common ground and a path to resolution. Most importantly, he did not give up and kept the parties working 22-hours. This was my first mediation with Don, but it will not be my last. I highly recommend Don to all who are in need of a dedicated and skillful mediator.” Trial attorney on LinkedIn
• “Don Philbin successfully mediated a complicated and emotionally-charged business divorce matter for me. He built a positive rapport with the participants and introduced creative ideas. Don was determined to resolve the dispute, which he did after 18-hours of mediation.” National firm lawyer on Best Law Firms
• “Don stepped in to mediate a case with interesting legal issues and emotionally charged parties. He did a great job realistically evaluating the potential legal outcomes from both perspectives. In a single session with Don, we were able to reach a settlement agreement that included a novel, non-financial element neither party had previously considered. It was a creative solution that enabled the parties to resolve their differences without further litigation.” National firm lawyer on Martindale
• “Donald R. Philbin, Jr. is a very effective and tenacious mediator. He refused to give up, and even though it took more than one day, he was able to get a very difficult case resolved.  He is great!” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Don Philbin is one of the very best mediators I have seen. He is a top-notch professional.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Mr. Philbin worked hard to get the parties to agreement during the formal meeting and mediation session. Later, after he had already earned his fee, he kept in touch with both parties and continued to work with and encourage settlement; with a final result of a mutually acceptable settlement on the eve of trial.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Don is an incredibly personable attorney. He is extremely intelligent and able to communicate difficult concepts with ease.” Anonymous private practice attorney on Martindale
• “Fantastic mediator with great follow-up. You want Don to mediate your case!” Anonymous private practice attorney on Martindale
• “I am impressed by Don Philbin’s advance preparation, command of the subject matter, and post-mediation follow up. I highly recommend him as a mediator in complex civil matters.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Don Philbin has an advanced approach to dispute resolution that is effective in complex situations.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Donald R. Philbin, Jr. is an extremely effective mediator. He is quick to grasp the issues that will be the biggest problems (leading to a possible impasse), and assist in formulating solutions for these issues.  He is professional, likable and quick to establish rapport with the client.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Don does an exceptional job of building rapport with parties to mediation, keeps them at the table, and works thoughtfully and tirelessly to achieve a settlement.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Don is a wonderful professional to work with. I have worked with him on a number of matters, and I really appreciate his ability to help mediate to resolution complicated and hotly contested matters.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Excellent person, lawyer, mediator.” Anonymous judge on Martindale
• “Don is one of the very best mediators. He is very smart, very talented, and very dedicated to his work.” Anonymous private practice attorney on Martindale
• “Don Philbin is effective and thorough. He is always pleasant to work with and goes the extra mile to assist in resolving your case long after his earned fee has been expended.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Donald R. Philbin, Jr. is an excellent mediator, who has frequently settled highly contentious cases for both myself and colleagues. I recommend him highly.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Stellar intellect & character.” Anonymous judge on Martindale
• “Don is one of the top of the line, go to guys. He is genuinely committed to achieving resolution.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “Donald R. Philbin, Jr. is a great mediator, particularly for complex commercial, family, or estate disputes. He brings his analytical expertise related to litigation and his experience as an attorney and litigator to bear on all parties for successful resolution of cases.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers
• “An outstanding and innovative mediator.” Commenter on Super Lawyers
• “Don is an innovative genius in the area of dispute resolution. Among other things he recently developed a negotiations app for the iPhone. His techniques are cutting edge and he is always looking for a new avenue to assist parties in resolving disputes.” Commenter on Super Lawyers
• “This was my first time to use Don. He came to me highly recommended. He was fair, objective and absolutely knew his stuff. I was impressed with how rapidly he grasped the important points of a complex transaction. I will use him again.” Anonymous private practice attorney on Martindale
• “Using his business skills, legal skills and a lot of common sense, he is able to understand and be extremely effective. Mr. Philbin is very sensitive to the stress mediation places on a client. He is able to put the client at ease to achieve results.” Anonymous private practice attorney on Martindale
• “We call Donald R. Philbin, Jr. for some of our bigger, more difficult, and more important cases, especially commercial, probate, and property disputes. If it can get settled, he finds a way. He’s very quick to understand complex matters. He works hard and stays with it.” Lawyer on Best Lawyers