Joe Paulk's legal career has encompassed over 100 jury trials as lead counsel, and over 3,700 mediations throughout the United States, including serving as a Class Action/MDL Settlement Claims Administrator in various complex insurance and medical device matters. He has been honored by his peers with a Martindale-Hubbell "AV" Preeminent Rating, selected as a SuperLawyer every year since its inception in 2006, inducted into the International Academy of Mediators in 2015, listed in the International Who's Who Legal in 2013 & 2014, and listed as Band 1 in Chambers & Partners US Law 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015 editions.
Paulk holds specialized mediation training through Harvard University, Pepperdine University and the American Law Institute. He is a founding member of the dispute resolution section of the Oklahoma Bar Association. He has also been a national speaker, an adjunct professor of law, and the author of numerous published articles on negotiation and mediation. At the urging of clients in 2002, Joe also began offering advocacy services through Litigation Consultants, LLC.
Martindale Rating
AV® Preeminent™
Education
- University of Arkansas School of Law, Fayetteville, AR - Juris Doctor, 1982
- Washington & Lee University School of Law, Lexington, VA - Juris Doctorate Program, 1981
- University of Arkansas College of Business, Fayetteville, AR - Bachelor of Science in Banking & Finance, 1978
Bar Admissions
- Admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court
- Admitted to practice before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Admitted to practice before the Eastern, Northern & Western Federal District Courts of Oklahoma
- Adjunct Federal Settlement Judge, Northern District Federal Court of Oklahoma
- Approved Panel Member of Mediators, Western District Federal Court of Oklahoma
Personal/Civil Memberships
- Martindale-Hubbel “AV” Preeminent Rating
- SuperLawyers, Alternative Dispute Resolution
- International Academy of Mediators (IAM)
- National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN)
- The International Who’s Who of Commercial Mediation
- Chambers & Partners, US Law - Best Attorneys, Band 1
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
- American College of Civil Trial Mediators
- American Inns of Court - W. Lee Johnson Chapter
- American Society of Trial Consultants (ASTC)
- Association of Attorney-Mediators (AAM)
- Chickasaw Nation Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute - Exceptional Performance Citation, 1995
- Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel - President, 1994
- Oklahoma Bar Association
- Oklahoma County Bar Association
- Oklahoma Bar Foundation - Fellow
- Tulsa County Bar Association
Industries
- Appellate
- Auto Negligence
- Bankruptcy
- Business
- Civil Rights
- Class Action
- Commercial
- Construction
- Eminent Domain
- Employment
- Environmental
- Food Borne Illness
- Insurance & Bad Faith
- Medical Device
- Medical Malpractice
- Nursing Home
- Personal Injury
- Probate
- Product Liability
- Professional Negligence
- Real Estate
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Presentations And Publications
- •IAM 2016 Fall Conference - International Academy of Mediators, Vancouver, BC - September 2016
- •IAM 2015 Spring Conference - International Academy of Mediators, San Francisco, CA - May 2015
- •"What Do Our Clients Value?" - Speaker for Association of Attorney Mediators Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, May 2015
- •“Have We Become An Advocate System Without Advocates?” - Speaker for Oklahoma Bar Association, Tulsa & Oklahoma City, OK, May 2011
- •“The Advocate’s Role in Mediation” - Speaker for Oklahoma Attorney General Meeting, Oklahoma City, OK, April 2008
- • Advanced Mediation Training - American College of Civil Trial Mediators, Colorado Springs, CO, July 2007
- •“Mediation Advocacy Skills - Speaker for Oklahoma Bar Association, Tulsa, OK, May 2006
- •“Building A Case For Settlement” - Speaker for Trial Arbitration Mediation Services, Seattle, WA, April 2006; Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association, Las Vegas, NV, June 2004
- • "Preparing For The Next Frontier: How To Use Structured Settlement” – Speaker for The Texas Association of Mediators, Dallas, TX, February 2005
- • “Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is” - Speaker for Tulsa County Bar Association, Tulsa, OK, November 2004
- • “Insider Tips To Resolving Cases” - Speaker for NCMIC Defense Counsel Seminar, Las Vegas, NV, October 2004
- • “Observations On Successful Business and Commercial Mediations” - Speaker for Oklahoma Bar Association, Tulsa, OK, March 2004
- •“Honey We Shrunk The Judge: Expectations Of All Parties To The ADR Process” - Speaker for American Inns of Court, Tulsa, OK, April 2003
- •“Persuasion & Mediation” - Speaker for Oklahoma Bar Association, Tulsa, OK, 2000; Oklahoma Claims Association, Tulsa, OK, 2000
- •“The Business Of A Mediation Practice: Making A Living as an ADR Neutral” - Speaker for Oklahoma Bar Association, Oklahoma City, OK, 2000
- •Advanced Mediation Training - The Masters Forum, Straus Institute For Dispute Resolution - Pepperdine University, 2002
- •“What Is Mediation?” - Speaker for Tulsa Association of Petroleum Landmen, Tulsa, OK, April 2003; Brookside Lions Club, Tulsa, OK, November 2002
- • “Learning How To Hammer: Negotiating To Win” - Facilitated CLE Seminar - Muskogee, OK, January 2003; Broken Arrow, OK, June & September 2002
- • “Civil and Commercial Mediation Training” - Facilitated CLE Seminar -Tulsa County Bar Association, Tulsa, OK, April 2002
- •Advanced Mediation Training - American College of Civil Trail Mediators, Ashville, NC, October 2002
- •Family and Divorce Mediation Training - The Mediation Institute, Oklahoma City, OK, June 2001
- • “Mediation & Worker’s Compensation Disputes” - Speaker for McGivern, Gilliard & Curthoys Annual Meeting, Tulsa & Oklahoma City, OK, 2001
- •“Making It As A Mediator” - Speaker for Oklahoma Bar Association, Oklahoma City, OK, 2000
- •Dispute Resolution Training- Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, 2000
- •“The Business Of Mediation” - American Bar Association, San Francisco, CA, 2000; American Bar Association, Boston, MA, 1999
- • “Ethics And The Role Of The Mediator” -Tulsa County Bar Association, Tulsa, OK, 1998
- • “Litigating In Binding Arbitration” - Tulsa County Bar Association, Tulsa, OK, 1998
- •Program of Instruction for Lawyers - Advanced Negotiations - Harvard University, Cambridge, MA – 1998 & 1996
- •Advanced Mediation Training - Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA – 1997
- •Adjunct Settlement Judge Training - United States District Court Northern District of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK, 1995
- •Advanced Mediation / Arbitration Training - American Law Institute, New York, NY, 1994
- •Basic Mediation Training - Mediation Institute, Oklahoma City, OK, 1993
- •Tulsa Lawyer - December 2016 - "Negotiating in Shifting Sand"
- •OCBA Briefcase - July 2014 - "Effective Mediation Statements -- A Lost Opportunity for Advocacy"
- •Tulsa Lawyer - April 2009 - "Good Faith Participation In Mediation: I Know It When I See It"
- •Tulsa Lawyer - December 2007 - "The Power Of First Impressions"
- •Tulsa Lawyer - February 2007- "Stand Up Straight – Your Mother Was Right"
- •Tulsa Lawyer - January 2007 - "Four Legged Stress Reliever"
- •Tulsa Lawyer - November 2004 - "Witness Preparation & How It Can Help You!"
- •The Journal Record (Featured) - October 2003 - "Paulk Marks Decade of Dispute Resolution"
- •Tulsa Lawyer - October 2003 - "Putting It All Together"
- •Tulsa Lawyer - February 2003 - "Focus Groups/Mock Trials - Dressed For Success"
- •Tulsa Lawyer - December 2002 - "Lawyering And Leadership"
- •Tulsa Lawyer - October 2002 - "Negotiating With Ethics"
- •Tulsa Lawyer - September 2002 - "I Knew Better! Attorney/Client Negotiations"
- •Tulsa Lawyer - August 2001 - "Persuasive Communication in Negotiation"
- •Tulsa Law Journal – Summer 2001 - "Essay / Why Mediation Works"
- •Tulsa Law Journal – Winter 2000 - "Practitioner’s Guide / So You Want To Be a Mediator?"
- •Tulsa Lawyer - April 2000 - "Avoid These Common Mediation Pitfalls"
- •Oklahoma Family Magazine - February 2000 - "Mediation: A Better Mouse Trap"
- •Tulsa Lawyer - December 1999 - "The Best And Worst Negotiation Techniques"
- •Tulsa Lawyer – March 1998 - "Mediation: Tool Or Threat"