John Siffert
Senior Mediator
(212) 921-8399
Lankler Siffert & Wohl LLP
1185 Avenue of the Americas, 31st Floor
New York, New York 10036
John Siffert Biography
John S. Siffert is a partner at Lankler Siffert & Wohl LLP, where he has an active ADR practice, in addition to his work in civil commercial litigation and white collar criminal & government regulatory defense. He is an Adjunct Professor at NYU School of Law and co-author of Sand Modern Federal Jury Instructions (Civil and Criminal). Chief Justice Roberts has appointed Mr. Siffert to the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Evidence Rules as of...
John S. Siffert is a partner at Lankler Siffert & Wohl LLP, where he has an active ADR practice, in addition to his work in civil commercial litigation and white collar criminal & government regulatory defense.
He is an Adjunct Professor at NYU School of Law and co-author of Sand Modern Federal Jury Instructions (Civil and Criminal).
Chief Justice Roberts has appointed Mr. Siffert to the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Evidence Rules as of October 1, 2023 and previously had appointed him to the Advisory Committee on Criminal Rules for two successive terms, from 2012-2018. Chief Judge Debra Ann Livingston reappointed Mr. Siffert to the Committee on Admissions and Grievances, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, for a term to expire on March 1, 2026.
Mr. Siffert is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a CIArb accredited mediator. He is on the Roster of Neutrals for the AAA and CPR as well as the Pro Bono Mediation Panels for the Second Circuit and Southern District of New York. He is the court-appointed Special Master and Mediator in Gulino v. Board of Education.
Mr. Siffert is a Fellow and past Regent of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is Chair of the ACTL Mentoring Committee and previously served as Trustee of the ACTL Foundation. He serves on the Emeritus Board of the Practising Law Institute and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. He is on the Executive Committee of the Federal Bar Council Inn of Court and Vice Chair of Projects & Initiatives on the Board of the Historical Society of the New York Courts.
He received the 2024 Norman Ostrow Award from the New York Council of Defense Lawyers and the 2024 Leon Silverman Award from the Downstate New York Committee of the American College of Trial Lawyers. In 2018, he received the George A. Katz Torch of Learning Award from the American Friends of the Hebrew University. In 2017, he was recognized with the Albert Nelson Marquis Who's Who Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014, he received the Healing & Hope Award from the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. He was the recipient of the 2009 Second Circuit American Inns of Court Professionalism Award.
He was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the S.D.N.Y. (1974-79) and was law clerk to Hon. Murray I. Gurfein, U.S.D.J. (1972-74). He graduated from Columbia Law School in 1972 and Amherst College, cum laude, in 1969.
ADR Experience
John S. Siffert is a partner at Lankler Siffert & Wohl LLP, where he has an active ADR practice, in addition to his work in civil commercial litigation and white collar criminal & government regulatory defense. He is an Adjunct Professor at NYU School of Law and co-author of Sand Modern Federal Jury Instructions (Civil and Criminal). Chief Justice Roberts has appointed Mr. Siffert to the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Evidence Rules as of...
John S. Siffert is a partner at Lankler Siffert & Wohl LLP, where he has an active ADR practice, in addition to his work in civil commercial litigation and white collar criminal & government regulatory defense.
He is an Adjunct Professor at NYU School of Law and co-author of Sand Modern Federal Jury Instructions (Civil and Criminal).
Chief Justice Roberts has appointed Mr. Siffert to the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Evidence Rules as of October 1, 2023 and previously had appointed him to the Advisory Committee on Criminal Rules for two successive terms, from 2012-2018. Chief Judge Debra Ann Livingston reappointed Mr. Siffert to the Committee on Admissions and Grievances, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, for a term to expire on March 1, 2026.
Mr. Siffert is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a CIArb accredited mediator. He is on the Roster of Neutrals for the AAA and CPR as well as the Pro Bono Mediation Panels for the Second Circuit and Southern District of New York. He is the court-appointed Special Master and Mediator in Gulino v. Board of Education.
Mr. Siffert is a Fellow and past Regent of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is Chair of the ACTL Mentoring Committee and previously served as Trustee of the ACTL Foundation. He serves on the Emeritus Board of the Practising Law Institute and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. He is on the Executive Committee of the Federal Bar Council Inn of Court and Vice Chair of Projects & Initiatives on the Board of the Historical Society of the New York Courts.
He received the 2024 Norman Ostrow Award from the New York Council of Defense Lawyers and the 2024 Leon Silverman Award from the Downstate New York Committee of the American College of Trial Lawyers. In 2018, he received the George A. Katz Torch of Learning Award from the American Friends of the Hebrew University. In 2017, he was recognized with the Albert Nelson Marquis Who's Who Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014, he received the Healing & Hope Award from the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. He was the recipient of the 2009 Second Circuit American Inns of Court Professionalism Award.
He was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the S.D.N.Y. (1974-79) and was law clerk to Hon. Murray I. Gurfein, U.S.D.J. (1972-74). He graduated from Columbia Law School in 1972 and Amherst College, cum laude, in 1969.
In the past 30 years, appointed by district judges in the Southern District of New York to be Court Appointed Mediator and Special Master. As Court Appointed Mediator, handled an environmental dispute and a Title VII employment class action involving over 5,300 African American and Hispanic teachers who failed a discriminatory teacher certification test. Tasked with mediating and recommending individuals backpay and pension awards for each claimant on an individualized basis. Participate in the Second Circuit Pro Bono Mediation Panel and have served on the Southern District of New York Pro Bono Mediation Panel since its inception and has mediated dozens of cases. Previously served as Special Master in the First Department, Appellate Division of New York Supreme Court to mediate appeals. In addition, have been retained to facilitate numerous private mediations. The mediations have included complex disputes involving a myriad of claims such as securities violations, executive employment, labor and wage, employment discrimination, pensions and backpay damages, intellectual property disputes respecting copyright and trademark infringements, publishing contracts, royalty agreements, disputes involving franchise agreements, contract interpretation, allegations of professional malpractice by lawyers, law firms and accountants, partnership disputes and business dissolution, as well as issues respecting the health care industry, environmental and other complex commercial matters. Mediation of insurance coverage, subrogation and property claims involved more than three parties in three countries. Also, served on New York State First Department Attorney Disciplinary Committee and currently serve on Second Circuit Attorney Grievance Committee and have chaired panels on both.
Approach
Trained and subscribe to facilitative approach to mediate disputes that will achieve a resolution in the parties’ interests. Will assist the parties to formulate and prioritize their respective goals and will help them realize those goals, without bias or favoritism. Unafraid to perform reality checks on their positions and able to coach parties on how to articulate solutions that may be acceptable to the other side. When called upon, comfortable and confident in giving evaluative insights if it will achieve resolution. Am prepared to offer mediator's proposals if the parties are unable to agree upon terms and they are amenable.
Areas of Practice
- Appellate
- Art
- Civil (general)
- Civil Rights (discrimination)
- Commercial
- Construction
- Contracts
- Copyright
- Criminal
- Employment
- Entertainment
- Environmental
- Franchise
- General
- Health Care
- Intellectual Property
- Legal Malpractice
- Native American
- Oil and Gas
- Partnership
- Professional Fees
- Real Estate
- Securities
- Sports
- Trademark
Additional Services
- Arbitrator
- Counselor
- Facilitator
- Fact-Finder
- Mediating Lawyer
- Mediation Consultant
- Mediation Trainer
- Mediator-Arbitrator
- Online Arbitrator
- Representational Lawyer
Languages Spoken
- English
Liability Insurance
Yes