Anne Jordan

Ms. Jordan is an experienced arbitrator and mediator, handling complex commercial and employment disputes as a member of the American Arbitration Association’s ICDR, Commercial, Large Complex Case and Employment Panels, and the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution’s (CPR) Panel of Distinguished Neutrals. She is also on the AAA’s EDR Mediation Panel.  She is a member of the AAA-ICDR Governing Council.

 She has arbitrated numerous complex, multi-million dollar disputes, as the sole arbitrator and as the panel chair or a member. These have included breaches of contract and technology licenses, IP infringements, failed software development deals and wrongful terminations, many with complicated jurisdictional and procedural issues and extensive motion practice. She has handled both administered and  nonadministered arbitrations.

As an arbitrator, Ms. Jordan works to ensure that the arbitration process is fair and efficient and commensurate with the size and complexity of the dispute, is conducted according to the parties' agreement, and is determined consistent with the evidence and applicable law. 

She has resolved numerous disputes as a mediator, many in the hundreds of millions of dollars. She structures the mediation process to maximize the potential for settlement, helping parties objectively value the dispute, understand the relative strengths and weaknesses of their cases, and from that, the risks and costs of going forward. 

Ms. Jordan’s legal and business experience, including at the executive level, give her the ability to thoroughly understand all facets of complex business and employment disputes. This facilitates assisting parties in reaching mediated solutions and in rendering more reasoned awards in arbitrations. 

She has received training as a neutral through the AAA, CPR and other organizations. 

Legal Experience

 In addition to her ADR practice, Ms. Jordan represents multinational corporations as well as start-ups on a variety of transactional matters as Of Counsel to the Chicago firm Mandell PC.

Throughout her 30+ year legal career, she has focused on corporate, commercial, technology, intellectual property and employment law, working for years as general counsel to three technology corporations - PeopleSoft, Inc., Sega of America, Inc., and Worlds of Wonder, Inc. - and as outside counsel with the Silicon Valley firm Carr & Ferrell LLP and Mandell Menkes LLC in Chicago. As general counsel, she has advised Boards of Directors, Board Committees and management on all legal matters affecting their businesses, including corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, litigation and risk management, compliance issues, and intellectual property strategy, protection and enforcement. She has managed the corporations’ legal departments with professionals in offices throughout the world. She has also had responsibility for corporations’ Human Resources, Real Estate/Facilities and Corporate Security Departments.

 Ms. Jordan has substantial experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial transactions, including M&A, joint ventures, technology licenses, supply agreements, hosting, outsourcing, managed services, software development, implementation and consulting agreements, distribution deals and employment agreements. She has also been involved in litigating numerous commercial disputes, including disputes related to failed software development and failed implementations, breaches of contract and technology licenses, agent and distributor terminations, and intellectual property infringements. In addition, she has advised clients on employment issues generally and has been involved in state labor department audits of employee classification issues.

 Professional Associations/Publications

 Ms. Jordan is a frequent speaker and writer on technology, intellectual property, commercial and dispute resolution topics. She has been published in the Licensing Journal and the National Law Journal and is a contributor to “Winning Legal Strategies for Software Companies: Leading Lawyers on Protecting IP, Negotiating Contracts, and Creating Legal Game Plans.” She is a member of the AAA-ICDR Governing

Council. She co-chaired the ABA Dispute Resolution Section’s Committee on Early Dispute Resolution and serves as a trustee of the nonprofit Early Dispute Resolution Institute.

 Education

 Northwestern University, B.A. and DePaul University College of Law, J.D.

 Licensed to Practice

 Illinois, California