Since 1994, Katherine Gallo has acted as a private Discovery Referee or Special Master. She has been appointed by the Court or selected by the parties in over 300 hotly contested, complex litigated civil matters. Most recently, she served as the court appointed Discovery Referee on the Millennium Tower litigation in San Francisco. Other assignments have included litigated matters in the fields of business, insurance, construction, employment, real estate, probate and family law, and personal injury. Assignments have come by stipulation and Court Assignments from the Superior Courts throughout California.

As a Mediator and Pro-Tem Settlement Judge, Katherine handled over 500 cases with a settlement rate in excess of 90% in the areas of real property (including eminent domain, easements and commissions), personal injury, product liability, elder abuse, construction defect (including liens and construction operations losses), employment (including wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and wage and hour claims), business disputes, mortgage and foreclosure matters, and Lemon Law. 

For the last 25 years, Katherine has been giving seminars on Discovery, written Discovery articles, and currently authors a blog on Discovery: resolvingdiscoverydisputes.com. She also provides in-house training on the Discovery process. Katherine has also been approved by the California State Bar to provide MCLE self-study exams in Discovery.

Katherine takes pride in accomplishing the parties’ and the courts’ objectives with care for impartiality, timeliness, and accuracy.

McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific
Juris Doctorate, 1986
University of California, Irvine
Bachelor of Arts, 1981

OVER 100 Hours of Mediation training including

Strauss Institute, Cross-Cultural Dispute Resolution, 2018

Bar Association of San Francisco Attorney/Client Fee Arbitration Training, 2014

San Francisco and Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Pro Tem Training, 2010-2012

ABA Dispute Resolution Conference, 2010

ABA Dispute Resolution Conference, 2008

Strauss Institue, Mediating the Complex Case, 2007

Strauss Institute, Mediating Complex Construction Disputes, 2006

Rosenberg Mediation and Conflict Resolution Training, 1996

 ABA 

• Panel Member of National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
• Panel Member of San Francisco Bar Association attorney/Client Fee Dispute Program
• Pro-Tem Settlement Judge for the Superior Courts of San Francisco and Contra Costa 
• Pro-Tem Discovery Judge and Discovery Facilitator for San Francisco and Contra Costa Superior Courts

Discovery Referee / Special Master $400 per hour )
Fees split between the parties involved in the dispute.

Mediation:
$450 per hour - fee split between the parties