Background
Profession
Mediator, Arbitrator, Neutral Case Evaluator, Senior Judge
Work History
- Founding and Managing Member, Mediator and Arbitrator, The Platt Group, Inc., 2007-Present
- Alternate Federal Land Commissioner, U.S. District Court for District of Maryland, 2009-Present
- Judge, Circuit Court for Prince George’s County,Maryland (7th Judicial Circuit) (May 7, 1990-2007); Designated Supervising Judge, 7th Circuit Business/Technology Case Management Program (Jan. 2003 – 2005); Designated Coordinating Judge, Criminal Operations (2001-2003); Designated Coordinating Judge, Family Division (1993-1997).
- Judge, District Court of Maryland for Prince George’s County (5th Judicial District) (1986-1988); Designated Administrative Judge (1988-1990)
- Judge, Orphans’ Court (Probate Court) for Prince George’s County, Maryland (1978-1985);Designated Chief Judge (1985-1986)
- Private Practice of Law as Associate and Partner with Stern, Platt & Risner and Platt & Risner in Prince George’s County, Maryland (1976-1986)
- Law Clerk for the Honorable Ernest A. Loveless, Jr., Chief Judge, Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland (7th Judicial Circuit) (1973-1975)
- Administrative and Legal Assistant for Steny H. Hoyer, then Maryland State Senator, now U.S.Congressman (1972-1973)
Education
- 1969 B.A. in Government & Public Administration, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
- 1973 Juris Doctorate. Washington College of Law, The American University, Washington, D.C.
- 1980 Certificate of Completion, Probate Court Proceedings Specialty Session for Judges. The National Judicial College, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada.
- 1982 Certificate of Completion, Continuing Judicial Education Program. National College of Probate Judges, National Center for State Courts, Williamsburg, Virginia.
- 1988 Certificate of Completion, “Strengthening the Executive Component of the Court.” Institute for Court Management of the National Center for State Courts, Williamsburg, Virginia.
- 1989 Certificate of Completion, “Alcohol and Drugs and the Courts.” National Judicial College, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada.
- 1998 Certificate of Completion, “Mediation Training,” MICPEL, University of Baltimore Law School, Baltimore, Maryland.
Professional
Licenses
- Admitted to the Bar: Maryland, 1975
- Washington, D.C., 1976
- U.S. District Court, Maryland, 1976
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1981
Associations
- Member, National Association of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN)
- American College of Business Court Judges (Immediate Past President)
- American Bar Association (Dispute Resolution Section
- Business Law Section
- Judicial Administration Section)
- Maryland State Bar Association (Dispute Resolution Section)
- Business Law Section
- Judicial Administration Section)
- Prince George’s County, Bar Association (Dispute Resolution Section; Business Law Section
- Maryland State Bar Association
- Judicial Administration Section; Past Chairman)
- Prince George’s County Bar Association (Past President)
- Marlborough Inn of Court (Past President)
- AEI/Brookings Institute Joint Center for Regulatory Studies Judicial Education Program Judicial Education Program Advisory (Past Board Member)
- American Bar Foundation (Lifetime Fellow)
- Maryland Bar Foundation (Lifetime Fellow)
- Prince George’s Bar Foundation (Charter Fellow)
- Member, Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs
- International Mediation Institute (IMI) Certified Mediator
- Association of International Arbitration (AIA)
Experience
Judicial
Served as a judge in the Maryland Courts for over 25 years, with 17 years on the Circuit Court. While serving as a Circuit Court Judge, responsible for management of all “Complex Civil Non-Family Cases” in the Court, which included the supervision of all settlement conferencing, mediating and scheduling of these medical malpractice, legal malpractice, business litigation, and products liability cases. He has also presided over many of these cases. Experience as a judge also includes employment matters involving discrimination, wage and hour disputes and the right to strike under collective bargaining contracts. Acknowledged architect of the Maryland Businesses Technology Case Management Program, which was cited as a model for the nation in articles appearing in The Business Lawyer, a publication of the Section of Business Law of the American Bar Association, in Case In Point, the periodical of the National Judicial College, and in The Maryland Bar Journal.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Judge Steven I. Platt (Ret.) is a Neutral and member of the Maryland Board of Directors of The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN), which after a thorough peer review by the Board of Directors of that “invitation only” organization, selects only the top 10% of Neutrals in the country. He also serves on the Judicial, Commercial, Employment, Large Complex Case, and Construction Panels of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR), The International Mediation Institute (IMI), The Association for International Arbitration (AIA), and Resolute Systems (RS). He has taught the use of mediation and arbitration in resolving Business Disputes to Judges and Lawyers both in Maryland and nationally through both The Judicial Education Program of The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies (served on Judicial Advisory Board), and through The American College of Business Court Judges (Past- President).
Experience as a Neutral includes executive employment agreements and handbook plan disputes as well as wage and hour disputes and discrimination cases. It also includes extensive coaching, mediating and arbitrating, mergers and acquisitions, negotiations in disputes arising out of litigated cases and controversies including the neutral case evaluation of these disputes. Judge Platt’s experience also encompasses extensive service as a Special Magistrate in discovery disputes including those related to electronic discovery (ESI), as well as the administration of Corporate and LLC dissolution procedures and interim management of those enterprises.
Upon “retirement” from the bench in early 2007, Judge Platt established The Platt Group, Inc., and is currently engaged in mediation, arbitration and neutral case evaluation of complex civil litigation including legal malpractice cases, medical malpractice cases, product liability cases, business disputes, real estate matters, and other civil cases.
Judge Platt (Ret.) has served on over 19 (nineteen) 3-Arbitrator cases including multiple business disputes involving complex tax issues, market share disputes between medical marijuana entrepreneurs, accounting, and legal malpractice as well as other professional liability issues totaling millions of dollars.
Judge Platt (Ret.) has also served as Sole Arbitrator in over 300 cases, totaling over $200 million in awards. A few sample cases include:
- Multiple Boards of Education cases, involving personnel and employment issues including discrimination issues and allegations of abuse by teachers and administrators.
- Over 100 motor tort and premises liability cases which resulted in claims for medical expenses, long-term care and pain and suffering both for bodily injury and for long-term cognitive disease and dysfunction that the plaintiffs alleged were suffered as a result of these accidents. These cases involved complex issues of causation of the alleged cognitive disease and dysfunction resulting from alleged negligence.
- Other cases concerned the nature and the extent of plaintiff’s medical treatment; whether such treatment was excessive given the injuries. In most cases, expert witness testimony was provided by both sides.
- Multiple Construction litigation cases involving disputes between owner, general and subcontractors involving contract interpretation, indemnification issues and expert witness standards.
With regard to Mediation, he has served as a mediator in the following types of cases in the past thirteen years:
- A dispute between a County government and a private utility company over property tax assessments and payments in multiple yeas. The case was settled and resolved both current and future issues for a 5-year period after 3 days of mediation.
- Over sixty (60) legal malpractice cases – at issue in these cases was the alleged negligence of the lawyer in conducting real estate transactions, the drafting of documents, the drafting of wills, missing statutes of limitation, and alleged negligent transfer of medical records without permission in violation of HIPAA Compliance as well as collateral professional liability and disciplinary issues
- Over thirty (30) medical malpractice cases
- Fifty (50) business disputes – one of which was a bankruptcy case relating to the value of intellectual property, licenses, distributor’s rights, and market shares. Another case involved a breach of contract claim between a publicly held home-building company and an advertising agency involving claims of fraud, commissions due and owing, and accounting. Another case involved 2 major legal and lobbying firms breaking up amidst allegations of client theft, violations of “Covenants not to compete” and theft of trade secrets. Further cases included cases involving allegations of Banks’ violation of RESPA, Ricco and the Sherman Act.
- Nine class action cases involving credit card issuers, car dealerships, and physicians billing
- Ten construction disputes between owners, builders and subcontractors
- Many personal injury cases involving motor torts in which insurance coverage issues and the interpretation and ability of statutes in different states were at issue and totaling in excess of $50 million dollars over 9 years
- Judge Platt has served as an administrator and adjudicator of “Funds” set up in settlement of numerous Class Action and other “settlements’ of Business and Professional Liabilty in cases in which allocation and defered payment issues had to be resolved. He has also designed dispute resolution systems to resolve these issues
Alternative Dispute Resolution Training
- AAA, “Arbitral Subpoenas: Questions Abound, Answers Can Be Found” (2016)
- AAA, “Arbitration Law: Key Developments” (2016)
- AAA, “E-Discovery – What Every Arbitrator Needs to Know” (2016)
- AAA, “Motions! Sanctions! How to More Effectively Manage the Arbitration Process” (2016)
- Pepperdine University School of Law – Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution “Conflict Resolution Consulting”, 2015
- AAA, Advanced Mediator Training, 2010
- Maryland Program for Mediator Excellence Ethics Class, 2009
- MICPEL, “Effective Use of Mediation, Arbitration, and Alternative Dispute Resolution Techniques in Commercial and Construction Disputes”, 2009
- “AAA Arbitration Fundamentals and Best Practices for New Arbitrators”, 2008
- Pepperdine University School of Law – Stratus Institute for Dispute Resolution, “Specialized Mediation – Business, Medical” Malpractice and Product Liability Disputes, 2007
- MICPEL, Conflict Management – “Making Business Better”, 2007
- MICPEL, “Advanced Mediation of Business Disputes”, 2004
- MICPEL, “Civil Mediation Training”, 1998
Publications
- “The Separation of Powers in Maryland and the Right to Counsel – Checks and Balances or Weights and Measures” Maryland Bar Journal, MSBA, Baltimore, Maryland Vol. XLVIII, No. 1, Jan/Feb 2015.
- “Today’s Business/Technology Case Management Program,” Maryland Bar Journal, Maryland State Bar Association, Baltimore, MD, Vol. XXXVI, No. 6, November/December 2003.
- “Maryland Civil Pattern Jury Instructions (Fourth Edition),” MICPEL, Baltimore, MD 2003.
- “Drug Court Experiment: Policy Choice – Political Decision,” Maryland Bar Journal, Maryland State Bar Association, Baltimore, MD, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1, January/February 2001.
- “The Victim’s Rights Amendment: A Prosecutor’s and Surprisingly a Defense Attorney’s Support in Sentencing,” University of Maryland Law Review, Vol. 59, No. 3, 2000.
- “Managing Maryland’s Judges,” Maryland Bar Journal, Maryland State Bar Association, Baltimore, MD, Vol. XXXII, No. 4, July/August 1999.
- “Reinventing Maryland’s Nisi Prius Courts for the Twenty-First Century,” Maryland Bar Journal, Maryland State Bar Association, Baltimore, MD, Vol. XXX, No. 2, March/April 1997.
- “Commentary – Women Accused of Homicide: The Use of Expert Testimony on the Effect of Battering on Women—A Trial Judge’s Perspective,” University of Baltimore Law Review, Vol. 25, No. 1, Fall 1995.
- “The Role of the Courts in the Crisis of Drugs and Violence/A Judge’s Pers
Speaking Engagements
- “Managing the Complex Commercial Case”, National Judicial College, Reno, Nevada; Miami, Florida; Newark New Jersey – 2014 & 2015; San Antonio, Texas – 2016
- “Making the Most of ADR in the Business Litigation Context: Putting the Counsel Into Counselor”, MSBA Litigation, ADR and Business Law Sections Joint Program at 2014 MSBA Annual Meeting, June 12, 2014. “The Case Settled Years Ago. How Can We All Be Liable? (The Medicare Morosse)”, MSBA Litigation Section Program at 2014 Annual Meeting, June 13, 2014.
- “The Use of ADR in Business Disputes”, National Judicial College, Reno, Nevada, April 2013
- “Effective Advocacy in Mediation Strategy, Issues and Pointers”, Maryland State Bar Association Annual Meeting – June 14, 2012
- “The Role of the Judiciary in Resolving International Commercial Disputes”, the Judicial Development Institute, Iraqi Higher Judicial Council, with the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) – U.S. Department of Commerce & Dubai Courts – Dubai, UAE, April 22-26, 2012
- “Ethics and Professionalism for Maryland Lawyers,” Maryland State Bar Association, August 19.2011
- “Handling of Legal and Medical Malpractice Cases,” Judicial Institute of Maryland, April 2007
- “Health Courts and Administrative Compensation,” Harvard School of Public Health and Common Good Foundation, November 2006
- “Maryland Business and Technology Case Program,” Institute for Legal Reform – US Chamber of Commerce, July 2006
- “Two Opposite Worlds Coalesce – Maryland Business and Technology Case Management Program,” Conference of Circuit Court Judges, December 2001
- “Dispute Resolution in the 20th Century- A Judge’s Perspective,” National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts – Maryland Chapter, June 1997
- “Financial Forensics and Expert Witness” – National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts, November 2016.
- “The Judges Tell All – How Valuation Experts Build and Lose Their Credibility” Keynote Address, National Association of Certified Valuation Analysis, June 2017
Teaching Positions
- Faculty, National Judicial College, Reno, Nevada (2013-Present)
- Instructor, Prince George’s County Police Criminal Justice Training Center (2000–Present)
- Faculty, Legal Studies Program, University of Maryland (1982-1990)
- Faculty, Paralegal/Law Enforcement Program, Prince George’s Community College (1984-1993)
- Member, Board of Trustees, Henson Valley Montessori School (1983-1984), Chairman (1985-1986)
Recognition
Publications
- “Tribute to Judge Glen T. Harrell, Jr.” Maryland Law Review, Volume 767, Number 1, Winter 2016-17
- Co-Author of Chapter 2 – “ADR” of Book entitled “Business Torts: A Practical Guide to Litigation”, ABA Press (Summer 2014)
- “Litigating the Existence, Extent and Scope of the Attorney-Client Relationship,” MARYLAND BAR JOURNAL, Maryland State Bar Association, January/February 2007
- “Today’s Business/Technology Case Management Program,” MARYLAND BAR JOURNAL, Maryland State Bar Association, November/December 2003
- Contributor, “Maryland Civil Pattern Jury Instructions,” MICPEL, 4th ed., 2003
- “Managing Maryland’s Judges,” MARYLAND BAR JOURNAL, Maryland State Bar Association, July/August 1999
- “Reinventing Maryland’s Nisi Prius Courts for the Twenty-First Century,” MARYLAND BAR JOURNAL, Maryland State Bar Association, March/April 1997
Speaking Engagements
- “Managing the Complex Commercial Case”, National Judicial College, Reno, Nevada; Miami, Florida; Newark New Jersey – 2014 & 2015; San Antonio, Texas – 2016
- “Making the Most of ADR in the Business Litigation Context: Putting the Counsel Into Counselor”, MSBA Litigation, ADR and Business Law Sections Joint Program at 2014 MSBA Annual Meeting, June 12, 2014. “The Case Settled Years Ago. How Can We All Be Liable? (The Medicare Morosse)”, MSBA Litigation Section Program at 2014 Annual Meeting, June 13, 2014.
- “The Use of ADR in Business Disputes”, National Judicial College, Reno, Nevada, April 2013
- “Effective Advocacy in Mediation Strategy, Issues and Pointers”, Maryland State Bar Association Annual Meeting – June 14, 2012
- “The Role of the Judiciary in Resolving International Commercial Disputes”, the Judicial Development Institute, Iraqi Higher Judicial Council, with the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) – U.S. Department of Commerce & Dubai Courts – Dubai, UAE, April 22-26, 2012
- “Ethics and Professionalism for Maryland Lawyers,” Maryland State Bar Association, August 19.2011
- “Handling of Legal and Medical Malpractice Cases,” Judicial Institute of Maryland, April 2007
- “Health Courts and Administrative Compensation,” Harvard School of Public Health and Common Good Foundation, November 2006
- “Maryland Business and Technology Case Program,” Institute for Legal Reform – US Chamber of Commerce, July 2006
- “Two Opposite Worlds Coalesce – Maryland Business and Technology Case Management Program,” Conference of Circuit Court Judges, December 2001
- “Dispute Resolution in the 20th Century- A Judge’s Perspective,” National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts – Maryland Chapter, June 1997
- “Financial Forensics and Expert Witness” – National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts, November 2016.
- “The Judges Tell All – How Valuation Experts Build and Lose Their Credibility” Keynote Address, National Association of Certified Valuation Analysis, June 2017
Judicial Activities
- Member, Judicial Advisory Board, American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies Judicial Education Program (2004-2007).
- Past President, American College of Business Court Judges (2005-2006).
- Consultant, Court of Appeals of Maryland Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure, Special Subcommittees on Alternative Dispute Resolution and General Administration (1997-Date).
- Consultant to Russian Judiciary (St. Petersburg / Leningrad Region) on Law School Development,Jury Trials, Arbitrazh Court Administration through Vermont Karelia Rule of Law Project, Inc. and Russian American Rule of Law Consortium (RAROLC). Traveled to Russia and there conducted Briefings, Presented Papers, and verbally consulted on these matters (2003 – Date).
- Consultant to Iraqi Judiciary on the Role of the Judiciary in Resolving Commercial Disputes sponsored by the Judicial Development Institute Iraqi Higher Judicial Council & U.S. Department of Commerce & Dubai, U.A.E. Courts.
- Consultant to Women Judges’ Fund for Justice on “Family Violence and the Courts: Exploring Expert Testimony on Battered Women.” Participated in Roundtable Discussion of Nationally Recognized Experts sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Justice in Washington, D.C. and Submitted Paper (May 1995).
- Chairman, Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland Strategic Planning Committee (1995-2007) Faculty, Maryland Judicial Institute (1995-Date).
- Member, Maryland Judicial Conference & Committees:
Judicial Administration (1987-1990), Chairman (1989-1990)
Special Committee on Collection of Child Support, Chairman (1991-1992)
Long-range Planning (1990-1991)
Criminal Law Committee (1993-1995)
Mental Health, Alcoholism and Addiction (1990-1991)
Public Awareness (1995-97)
Drug Treatment Court Commission (2001-2003) - Member, Administrative Judges’ Committee of District Court of Maryland (1988-1990).
- Member, American Judicature Society (1975-Date).
- Member, Judicial Advisory Board AEI-Brookings Judicial Education Program (2004-2007).
Bar Association Activities
- Member, Litigation Forensics Advisory Board (LFB) of National Association of Certified Financial Analysts (NACVA)
- Member, Maryland Executive Committee of National Association of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN), 2015-Present
- Life Fellow, The American Bar Foundation
- Life Fellow, The Maryland Bar Foundation
- Charter Fellow, The Law Foundation of Prince George’s County (1991-present), Member, Board of Directors (1995-97).
- Faculty, Maryland State Bar Association Mandatory Course on “Professionalism”
- Member, Maryland State Bar Association (1976-Date) Board of Governors (1988-1990) Section Council, Section of Judicial Administration (1989-1996); Chair (1996-98) Co-Chair, Special Committee on Judicial Personnel Management Issues (1995-97; Report issued 1998. Special Committee on Governance (1990) Committee on Laws (1986-Date) Litigation Section (1986-Date) Chair, Special Committee to Study Methods of Initiating Criminal Process in Maryland (1998-2000)
- Member and Past President, Prince George’s County Bar Association (1976-Date).
- Member, American Bar Association (1976-Date).
- Master of the Bench, Marlborough Inns of Court (1988- Date), Administrator (1990-1991), Treasurer/ Counselor (1991-1992), President (1992-1994). Member, Southern Maryland Inn of Court (2013 – Present), Member, James C. Cawood Inn of Court (2015-Present)
- Member, Board of Directors, Prince George’s Law Library Educational Fund, Inc. (1988-1990).
- Member, Board of Trustees, Montgomery-Prince George’s Continuing Legal Education Institute (1988-1989).
- Member, National Conference of Bar Presidents (1987-1989).
- Member, Association of Trial Lawyers of America (1975-1986).
- Member, Delta Theta Phi National Legal Fraternity (1974-Date).
Governmental Activities
- Member, Governor’s Commission to Reform Maryland Pre-Trial System (2014)
- Chairman, Conference of Circuit Judges Business Technology Case Management Program Designated Judge and Implementation Committee – (2001 – 2007).
- Vice-Chairman, Business and Technology Division Task Force created by the Maryland General Assembly (Report issued December 1, 2000).
- Member, Prince George’s County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (1997- 2001).
- Member, Attorney General’s Advisory Council on the Family Law Legal Needs of Low-Income Persons (1991).
- Chairman and Initial Convener, Prince George’s County Domestic Violence Coordinating Group (1987-1989).
- Chairman, Prince George’s County Council Labor Law Revision Task Force (1981).
- Chairman, Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission (1977-1978).
- Mentor, Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission Leadership Development Forum (1986-Date).
- Member, Adoption Advisory Committee, Prince George’s County Department of Social Services (1977-1979).
Civic Recognition
- “INNOVATOR OF YEAR AWARD,” Daily Record Legal and Business Newspaper (2003).
- “LEADERSHIP IN LAW AWARD,” Daily Record Legal and Business Newspaper (2001).
- “DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AWARD,” Washington College of Law, American University (1999);
- “BEST OF THE BENCH, Listed as one of the Best Judges in Washington, D. C. Metropolitan area in an” Article in Washingtonian Magazine, Volume 31, Number 12, September 1996 edition;
- “CONFLICT RESOLUTION AWARD” of Prince George’s County Chapter National Conference (of Christians and Jews) (1995);
- “DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO JUDICIARY AWARD,” Philippine Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington (1991);
- “CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION,” Prince George’s County Chapter Business & Professional Women (1984);
- “CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION,” Lions Club (1983);
- “CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION,” Kiwanis Club (1983);
Selected to appear in WHO’S WHO IN WASHINGTON (1982-Date);
Selected to appear in WHO’S WHO IN LAW (1987-Date);
Regional Board of Directors Prince George’s United Way (1979-1980)

