Mediation & Arbitration · Orange County, CA

Resolve your dispute — without the cost and burden of litigation.

Trial-tested alternative dispute resolution across Southern California. Whether you want to negotiate your own settlement through mediation, or have a neutral hear the evidence and decide through binding or non-binding arbitration, Chris Waters helps you resolve disputes faster, more privately, and at a fraction of the cost of trial.

Book a Free 30-Minute Consultation →
01 / What We Offer

Two paths to resolution.

Mediation puts the outcome in your hands. Arbitration puts it in the hands of a neutral who decides. Chris offers both — and helps you choose the right one for your dispute.

Service 01

Mediation

A confidential, voluntary process where Chris serves as a neutral facilitator, helping the parties negotiate their own resolution. You stay in control of the outcome — nothing is decided for you, and it is non-binding until you sign a settlement agreement.

  • You decide. The parties craft an agreement a court could never order.
  • Preserves relationships. Ideal for partners, family, and ongoing business.
  • Confidential & flexible. Private, creative, and faster than litigation.
Service 02

Arbitration

Chris serves as a neutral arbitrator — a private judge — under the parties' agreement or the arbitration clause in their contract. He hears each side's evidence and issues a decision, which can be binding or non-binding depending on what the contract or agreement provides.

  • Binding arbitration. A final, enforceable award — conclusive, like a court judgment, but private and faster.
  • Non-binding arbitration. An advisory decision that shows both sides the likely outcome and often drives settlement.
  • Clause-based. Many commercial and construction contracts already name arbitration — Chris can serve as your agreed neutral.
02 / The Advantage

A neutral who knows how it plays out at trial.

Chris Waters, Mediator and Arbitrator at Trials & Tech, Orange County
Chris Waters — Mediator & Arbitrator

For more than 25 years, Chris Waters has worked inside the legal industry — and he built that experience into a mediation and arbitration practice designed to help people resolve disputes without the cost, delay, and burden of litigation.

Chris brings something most neutrals can't: real trial experience. Having seen how cases actually unfold in front of a judge and jury, he can quickly read each party's position, pressure-test it against how it would likely play out at trial, and help everyone understand the real risks they face.

Whether he is facilitating a settlement as a mediator or weighing the evidence as an arbitrator, that courtroom insight moves matters toward practical, durable resolutions instead of years of expensive conflict.

And because Chris works in the courtroom every week through Trials & Tech, his read on how a case will actually play out isn't a memory from years on the bench — it's current.

01
Transparent Pricing
$250/hour and $2,000/day, published up front — no “call for rates.”
02
Direct Access
You work with Chris himself — not a panel or a case manager.
03
Trial-Tested & Current
An active trial technologist who sees how cases land with juries today.
04
Book in Minutes
Schedule online, synced to our calendar — no phone tag.
05
Free 30-Min Consult
Find out whether ADR fits before you spend a dollar.
03 / Practice Areas

Disputes Chris resolves.

Mediation and arbitration across the conflicts that most often pull individuals and businesses toward costly litigation.

01

Small Business Disputes

Partner and ownership conflicts, buy-out disagreements, and vendor or customer disputes — resolved privately so you can get back to business.

02

Startup & Business Disputes

Co-founder disagreements, equity and vesting disputes, and investor or operating-agreement conflicts — handled with discretion.

03

Family Disputes

Sensitive, confidential resolution of family, inheritance, and family-business conflicts — preserving relationships wherever possible.

04

Contract Disputes

Breach-of-contract and business-agreement disputes across industries — including matters governed by an arbitration clause.

05

Residential Construction Disputes

Homeowner and contractor disputes — defects, delays, change orders, payment, and scope — resolved efficiently and fairly.

06

Not sure if it fits?

If your dispute could end up in court — or your contract requires arbitration — a free 30-minute consultation will tell you straight.

04 / Why ADR

Faster, cheaper, private, and final.

Lower Cost

A fraction of the price of litigation and trial.

Faster

Resolve in weeks, not the years a lawsuit can take.

Confidential

A private process — no public record.

You Decide

In mediation, the parties craft the outcome.

Finality

Binding arbitration ends the dispute with an enforceable award.

Relationships

Resolve the conflict while preserving the relationship.

05 / How It Works

A clear path to resolution.

01

Free Consultation

A complimentary 30-minute call to understand your dispute and the best process.

02

Choose the Process

Mediation, or binding/non-binding arbitration — including under your contract's clause.

03

Session or Hearing

Chris guides a focused, confidential mediation or conducts the arbitration hearing.

04

Resolve

Reach a signed settlement, or receive a reasoned arbitration decision or award.

Get Started

Book your free 30-minute consultation.

$250/hour after the complimentary first 30 minutes. Tell Chris about your dispute — and whether your contract requires arbitration — and find the fastest path to resolution.

Open Scheduler in New Tab →Or request by email

Mediation and private arbitration are confidential. Please don't send confidential details prior to a conflicts check being cleared. As a neutral, Chris does not represent either party as an attorney.

06 / FAQ

Mediation & arbitration questions.

What's the difference between mediation and arbitration?

In mediation, a neutral helps the parties negotiate their own voluntary settlement — nothing is decided for them, and it's non-binding until they sign an agreement. In arbitration, the neutral acts like a private judge, hears the evidence, and issues a decision that can be binding or non-binding depending on the parties' agreement.

What's the difference between binding and non-binding arbitration?

In binding arbitration, the arbitrator's award is final and enforceable, much like a court judgment. In non-binding arbitration, the decision is advisory — it shows both sides the likely outcome and often leads to settlement, but the parties aren't required to accept it.

Can you arbitrate under our contract's arbitration clause?

Yes. Many commercial and construction contracts contain an arbitration clause. Chris can serve as the agreed neutral arbitrator under those clauses and conduct binding or non-binding arbitration as the contract provides.

What types of disputes do you handle?

Small business, startup and co-founder, family, contract, and residential construction disputes between homeowners and contractors. If your matter could end up in court — or your contract requires arbitration — reach out for a free consultation.

How much does it cost?

Mediation and billable arbitration work are $250 per hour. Arbitration hearing days are billed at $2,000 per day. The first 30-minute consultation is free.

Is the process confidential, and where does it take place?

Yes — both mediation and private arbitration are confidential. Sessions can be held in person in Orange County or remotely by video for parties anywhere in Southern California.