Paul Van Osselaer

Practice Areas

Insurance Coverage Mediation

Insurance Coverage Arbitration

Insurance Law

Commercial Mediation

Commercial Arbitration

Career

Paul is a 1975 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and, after appointment as a judicial law clerk to a United States District Judge, served as a attorney and partner in major law firms--practicing initially in business litigation but then full time as an insurance coverage lawyer, heading his firms' practice area. He began mediating and arbitrating coverage cases while at his last law firm, but then in 2014 he formed Van Osselaer Dispute Resolution and continues mediate across the country as as self-employed principal of his firm.

Professional Memberships

Distinguished Fellow and Past President of International Academy of Mediators

Publications

The Art of Mediating Coverage Disputes, published by the American Bar Association Tort and Insurance Law Section.

Personal

Paul is a graduate of the University of Texas School Of Law, a Past-President of its Alumni Association and recipient of its Faculty Service Award. He lives in Austin, TX and is married to Jewel Arrington, a lawyer and certified financial planner. They have two grown children: Andrew, an attorney in the Austin and Denver offices of Haynes and Boone LLP, and Leigh, a Physician Assistant in San Antonio.

Industry Sector Expertise

Paul is a nationally-recognized mediator and arbitrator specializing insurance coverage and risk transfer disputes. He serves a neutral throughout the United States and has mediated numerous high-profile matters. He has mediated in over 15 US states and dealt with the laws of many more. His a Distinguished Fellow and Immediate Past President of the International Academy of Mediators, an invitation-only organization of approximately 250 commercial mediators from around the world. He has been inducted into the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and is one of only 112 US mediators listed in Who's Who Legal: Mediation.

In addition to a Chambers top ranking in Insurance ADR, he is repeatedly listed in Best Lawyers in American in both Insurance Law and in Mediation and by Super Lawyers in both Insurance and in Alternative Dispute Resolution. Paul is published author on mediating insurance coverage cases and is a regular speaker/trainer at legal, ADR and risk management seminars throughout the US. Before his national practice mediating coverage cases, he served as Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association Litigation Section Insurance Coverage Committee.

Education

Clients

As a neutral, my clients are confidential. However, I refer people to my references. In addition, as a public matter, I have served as a court-appointed mediator in several bankruptcy proceedings involving Roman Catholic Dioceses around the country, involving sexual abuse claims (which involve very complex insurance coverage issues). Among those appointments are the following Dioceses: St Paul/Minneapolis, Santa Fe NM, Syracuse NY, Rochester NY, Albany NY and Rockville Centre NY.