Robert
Saint-aubin

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GENERAL OVERVIEW

The continuous theme of Saint-Aubin’s career, irrespective of phase or current focus, has been problem solving.  Saint-Aubin started his career as a technologist manager attorney.  In the first phase of his career, while employed by FMC Corporation in Philadelphia, he focused on all of the aspects of corporate, regulatory, construction, environmental and mining law appropriate to a Fortune fifty company in an expanding chemical, mining and construction machinery (Link-Belt) company. FMC, with 116 facilities across the United States provided Saint-Aubin with a national base for his professional activities.  Saint-Aubin negotiated the agreement for the clean-up of the initial No. One site on the Superfund/CERCLA National Priorities List and, as co-chair of the industry negotiating committee, negotiated the first multi-party Superfund/CERCLA settlement agreement

In his second career phase, after relocating to Reno, Nevada, to permit gold mines, he entered private practice.  As a private attorney he handled many multi-million dollar matters (and one billion dollar lawsuit). He became managing partner and treasurer of Nevada’s second largest law firm. He has represented mining companies in the construction of major facilities, environmental and regulatory compliance and litigation.  He and his firm have represented residential and commercial plaintiffs and defendants in construction defects cases, including the failure of a concrete cooling tower built for a major power company. Saint-Aubin represents American Indian tribes on environmental matters.

In his third career phase, Saint-Aubin has refocused his professional efforts on the ADR aspect of problem solving as a neutral.

Education

            MIT Sloan School of Management – SB – 1964

            The Law School of the University of Pennsylvania – LLB/JD – 1967

150 hours of specialized ADR training, primarily through Pepperdine/Straus, the Nevada Supreme Court and the US District Court

Fall 2006 Saint-Aubin will teach a course on Environmental and Public Policy Conflict Resolution at University of California Irvine.

Saint-Aubin served as pro bono general counsel of the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada.

Dispute Resolution Experience

In 2003, after admission to the California Bar, Saint-Aubin focused on ADR as a mediator and arbitrator.  He has served as a neutral in more than 200 matters, including arbitration, mediation and neutral case evaluation. He is on the panels of neutrals for

            Nevada Supreme Court – Settlement Judge
            Nevada District Courts
            California Court of Appeals, Second District
            Los Angeles Superior Court
            US District Court, Central District California – Attorney Settlement Officer
            US Bankruptcy Court, Central District California
            CDRS
            NASD Mediation Panel
            NASD Arbitration Panel
            NYSE
            Kaiser Permanente panel of Neutrals
            Native Network
            National Arbitration Forum

His assignments have included securities customer disputes, securities firm labor and employment disputes, construction contracts, construction defects, construction contract breach, construction payment  disputes, medical malpractice, hospital billing, condemnation, government construction contracts, extras on construction contracts, minority and preference contractor issues, attorney fees, mechanics’ liens, non-competition clauses, EEO, housing, age, handicapped, sex and race discrimination, products liability, negligence, personal injury, slip and fall, wrongful death, ERISA, labor/union matters, fraud, misrepresentation, and foreclosure disputes.

Construction or Construction Law Background

From the beginning of the twentieth century, Saint-Aubin’s family members have been New England contractors.  Having served in all roles from apprentice carpenter/painter to CEO, Saint-Aubin continues to provide legal counsel to his brother, the current operator of the family construction company with projects from residential remodeling, residential single family and multi-family developments, historical restorations, industrial, power plant, chemical and public works projects.

At FMC Corporation, Saint-Aubin had responsibility for drafting routine construction contracts, and contracts for major engineered construction projects, design-construct-build projects, turn-key factories and warehouses, chemical plants, power plants, above- and below-ground mines, and pipelines, as well as company towns.  In addition, Saint-Aubin had responsibility for contracts for major environmental clean-ups and plant demolition.  Whenever any of the projects incurred catastrophe or failure Saint-Aubin managed the ensuing litigation and negotiated the settlements.  Saint-Aubin also had legal responsibility for corporate environmental, health and safety compliance for the chemical businesses and the Link-Belt Group.

He has dealt extensively with Bechtel and Fluor contracts and projects.

In private practice, Saint-Aubin has continued to write, review, modify and negotiate all types of construction contracts and has litigated major contracts, breaches and project failures.  The cooling tower failure gave him in-depth knowledge of concrete construction. He has represented contractors and construction clients with respect to mechanics’ liens, including multi-million dollar liens and appeals. Issues included construction-related products liability

Professional Affiliations

Saint-Aubin is an attorney admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and in California, Nevada, and Pennsylvania (inactive).

Saint-Aubin is a member of The California Bar Association and serves on the ADR Committee of the Business Law Section.  He is a member of the Orange County Bar Association and a founding member and program chair of its ADR Section.  He is a member of the Nevada Bar Association and its ADR Section and of the Washoe County (Reno) Bar Association.

Saint-Aubin is a former member of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and American Bar Associations.