Gilda Turitz
Independent arbitrator, mediator and discovery referee concentrating in the efficient resolution of business-related disputes of all types between companies and/or individuals.
Gilda brings a wealth of legal and practical experience to her work as a neutral from over 35 years of experience as a business trial lawyer and over 30 years as an arbitrator and mediator of hundreds of disputes.
As an arbitrator she has been appointed and served either as sole arbitrator or, in three arbitrator tribunals, as Panel chair or wing arbitrator.
Virtual Hearing Availability: Gilda presently offers full service to parties in conducting remote arbitration hearings and mediations through the Zoom videoconferencing platform.
Areas of Expertise
- Commercial contracts
- Intra-company business disputes, internal governance, business dissolutions or “business divorces,” including partnerships, LLCs, closely held corporations, HOAs
- Professional negligence and fee disputes (legal, accounting)
- Executive compensation, non-solicitation and non-competition cases
- E-commerce disputes including breaches of user agreements and business service agreements between platforms and vendors
- Business valuation disputes
- Franchise disputes
- Real estate disputes including commercial leases and easements
- Intellectual property
- Trusts and estates
- Insurance (including reinsurance, crop insurance, D&O)
- In addition to California and federal law, experienced with applying the laws of Delaware, Florida, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington
Bar Admissions
- State Bar of California
- All US District Courts in California and Colorado
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. Supreme Court
Recognition
- Best Lawyers in America® for Arbitration and Mediation; named the 2025 San Francisco “Lawyer of the Year” for Mediation and the 2023 and 2019 San Francisco “Lawyer of the Year” in Arbitration
- Fellow, College of Commercial Arbitrators
- Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitration (FCIArb)
- American Arbitration Association Master Mediator
- CEDR Accredited Mediator
- Northern California Super Lawyers® – Business Litigation and ADR
- National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals for Arbitration and Mediation
- AV Rating®, Martindale-Hubbell
- American Bar Association “Golden Hammer” Award for efforts in shattering the glass ceiling
Education
J.D., University of California, Davis, School of Law
- Order of the Coif
- Law Review
- Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award
M.L.S., University of California, Berkeley School of Information (formerly School of Librarianship)
B.A. with Distinction, University of Michigan
- Dual major in Spanish and Russian Languages and Literatures
- NDEA Fellowship for Study of Russian
Experience
Turitz Dispute Resolution
September 2017 to present
Sideman & Bancroft LLP
San Francisco, CA, 1998 – August 2017
Graham & James LLP
San Francisco, CA, 1980 – 1997
Litigation Partner and Practice Group Leader, 1987 – 1997; various management positions
Litigation Associate, 1980 – 1986
ADR Panels
American Arbitration Association’s Mediation Panel and its National Commercial; Large, Complex Case; Mergers and Acquisitions; and Consumer Panels for Arbitration.
CPR’s Panel of Distinguished Neutrals for Arbitration and Mediation, including California ADR; Banking, Accounting, and Financial Services; and Dispute Prevention Panels.
US District Court, Northern District of California, Mediation and Early Neutral Evaluation Panels