ADR Systems is excited to welcome Hon. Robert G. Kleeman, (Ret.) to its panel of senior mediators and arbitrators. For the past 14 years, Judge Kleeman sat on the bench in DuPage County, most recently as Presiding Judge in the Law Division. A seasoned trial attorney before that, he began his career with the Office of the DuPage County State’s Attorney and later served as a Division Chief in the Attorney General’s office. In private practice, he concentrated on personal injury litigation and criminal defense work.

Like the three neutrals who recently joined our panel before him, Judge Kleeman cultivated popularity as a proficient pretrial judge, resolving disputes before but especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In that role, he helped parties navigate highly emotional multi-party personal injury cases – one, most notably, that involved the wrongful death of an elderly woman left unattended overnight in an ambulance – and commercial cases with dozens of complex issues that pitted acrimonious disputants against one another.

His commitment to serving parties in these various disputes within a pretrial setting impressed upon him the benefits offered by private dispute resolution services.

“Sitting judges cannot always devote as much time as is truly needed to resolve a complex, multi-party case before trial. Our schedules and dockets don’t allow for it at times,” said Judge Kleeman. “In private mediation or arbitration, parties have the devoted attention of a neutral prepared to remain with the case from start to finish, however long that process takes. I am excited to take on that role for all litigants who select me as their mediator or arbitrator.”

The opportunity to select the neutral who will help resolve their dispute, Judge Kleeman explained, is an often-underappreciated boon for litigants.

“Confidentiality, flexibility and cost-saving are the obvious attractions of mediation and arbitration. But when parties choose a mediator or arbitrator, they signify their trust in that neutral, and there’s nothing more important to the integrity and efficacy of the dispute resolution process than trust in your neutral,” Judge Kleeman explained. “From there, parties will be more inclined to acknowledge the weaknesses in their case, convey what they truly need to settle and listen to their neutral’s suggestions.”

Known for his persistence, attentiveness, and preparedness, Judge Kleeman is further distinguished by his vast jury trial experience as a litigator and jurist – experience that brought him before numerous juries and myriad litigants unfamiliar with the legal system. In that work, he cultivated deep understanding of the ways juries respond to arguments and the ways litigants experience the imposing world of the legal system – many for the first time.

“Judge Kleeman knows how to relate to parties, and therefore how to guide them through processes they’ve never seen before,” said Marc Becker, president of ADR Systems. “He exudes patience and listens carefully. We are excited to see him put these skills to work on the numerous cases ahead of him.”

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Hon. Robert G. Kleeman, (Ret.) brings his experience as a seasoned trial attorney and jurist to ADR Systems as a senior mediator and arbitrator. He served 14 years on the bench in DuPage County, most recently as Presiding Judge in the Law Division, where he cultivated experience resolving complex personal injury and commercial disputes in pretrial settings. Those who have appeared before Judge Kleeman have praised him for his personable and communicative nature and for his attention to detail on each case before him.

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