Biography

Steve Kruis mediates disputes involving real property, employment, personal injury, business/commercial, insurance, and probate matters. He began mediating disputes in 1993, while a partner with Higgs, Fletcher & Mack LLP, San Diego's third oldest and one of its largest law firms. He was with the firm for over 13 years, and served as the Firm's Managing Partner between 1994 and1997. Since 1980, Mr. Kruis has litigated a wide variety of cases, and earned an "a.v." rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Regarding his real property experience, Mr. Kruis handled cases involving boundary disputes, commissions, commercial leaseholds, CC&R's, easements, non-disclosure claims, title issues, and specific performance. His clients included commercial landowners, developers, title insurance companies, and the San Diego Association of REALTORS®. He has authored two Department of Real Estate approved courses for real estate licensees, one of which is still in use today and addresses the RPA-CA, the current residential purchase contract used throughout the State of California. A licensed California real estate broker since 1985, Mr. Kruis is a former co-chair of the REALTOR®/Attorney Committee at the San Diego Association of Realtors. He has served as a speaker and moderator on the Real Estate Broker Practice Panel sponsored by CEB, has been a speaker for the State Bar Real Property Section, and the National Business Institute's California Boundary Law Seminar. He has taught as an adjunct professor of law, lectured and written articles on various real property and real estate broker issues, and has testified in court as an expert witness on real property issues.

His personal injury experience ranged from winning a seven-figure jury verdict on behalf of a plaintiff who suffered an organic brain injury in an automobile accident to defensing a complex, seven-figure claim by plaintiffs who were allegedly exposed to debilitating doses of toxic substances. In addition, he litigated will contests and trust disputes for his firm's estate planning practice group.

Regarding his employment experience, Mr. Kruis handled ERISA and employment-related matters in State and Federal court for a Fortune 500 corporation that he represented for many years. He has mediated all types of employment cases, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour (including class actions), wrongful termination, Labor Code section 970, and unfair competition matters.

Mr. Kruis received formal mediation training in 1992. He served on the San Diego Superior Court Mediation Panel, was a mediator for the American Arbitration Association Mediation Center, and chaired the Mediation Committee at the San Diego Association of REALTORS®. As a full-time neutral since 2001, Mr. Kruis demonstrates a passion for settling disputes, and makes the extra effort to lead the parties to settlement, rather than imposing it upon them. As a result, parties have reached settlements ranging from several million dollars to less than $10,000.

He graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1977 with a degree in government and international studies. Selected as a 1978-1979 Rotary International Scholar, he studied in London, England, and subsequently received his Juris Doctor degree from the Notre Dame Law School in 1980.

Mr. Kruis lives in San Diego with his wife, Katherine, who is also an attorney.