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Judge David R Lampe

Judge David R. Lampe

Before assuming the bench in 2007, Judge Lampe was an experienced civil trial lawyer for 30 years, with an emphasis on tort and commercial litigation. Judge Lampe litigated complex civil matters, including state antitrust and business tort litigation, professional negligence cases, real estate disputes, probate litigation, contract disputes, banking issues, FEHA claims, oil industry matters, and agricultural problems. His cases were primarily venued in Kern County, although he represented clients in Inyo, Tulare, Kings, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles counties. During his career, he also handled appeals.

On assuming the bench in 2007, Judge Lampe was quickly appointed as a direct calendar judge for Unlimited Civil cases. He served in that capacity for 15 years, including a number of years before retirement as the Presiding Judge of Civil for the Kern County Superior Court. Judge Lampe enjoyed a stellar reputation for his conduct of Mandatory Settlement Conferences, with unique and creative solutions.

Judge Lampe was raised in Bakersfield. He attended local schools, and was student body officer of East Bakersfield High School, graduating in 1969. He obtained his J.D. degree cum laude from Santa Clara University Law School in 1977, and then returned to Bakersfield to practice law. After a number of years of trial practice, Judge Lampe formed his own law firm with two of his friends and law school classmates.

Judge Lampe is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Judge Stephen D. Schuett

Following 13 years of distinguished service to the Kern County Superior Court, Judge Stephen D. Schuett is taking his knowledge and experience to the private sector as a full-time neutral. During his judicial tenure, he served in a variety of assignments, handling criminal, unlimited civil and family law cases. He was a member of the Superior Court Appellate Division for 10 years, including service as the presiding judge. He has extensive experience in family law, serving in the Family Law Department for eight years, with the last two years as Supervising Judge overseeing complex cases on the court’s long cause calendar. As a family law judge, he presided over, and issued rulings on, thousands of cases involving all types of contested and complex family law subject matters, including business valuation, property valuation and characterization, validity of pre-marital agreements, child custody and support, and spousal support. He has handled numerous settlement conferences where he developed the ability to and an appreciation for settling civil and family law cases.

Judge Schuett was born and raised in Bakersfield and attended local schools, graduating from Bakersfield High School in 1971. He attended UCLA and in 1976 received his undergraduate degree with honors in Economics. Judge Schuett graduated from the UCLA School of Law in 1979 and also received a Masters Degree in economics from the UCLA Graduate School of Economics.

Prior to taking the bench in 2010, Judge Schuett had an extensive career in civil law. He practiced civil litigation in Los Angeles before returning to Bakersfield. For twenty five years he was in the Office of the Kern County Counsel, serving as the assistant count counsel.

He brings a wealth of knowledge, professionalism, and experience to serve as a mediator, arbitrator, and private judge.

 

Thomas P. Feher. Esq.

Thomas P. Feher brings over 30 years of litigation experience and a problem-solving mindset to Common Ground Resolutions panel of neutrals. As a seasoned trial attorney and mediator, he has handled cases in diverse areas, including employment, wage and hour, class action, PAGA, personal injury, probate, trust, business, real estate, professional liability, medical and legal malpractice, agriculture, and complex litigation. Feher is recognized for his creative and engaging mediation style, approaching each case with a commitment to finding innovative solutions.

Believing that no two cases are the same, Feher tailors his mediation approach to the unique challenges of each dispute. He takes the time to thoroughly understand every aspect of a case before mediation begins, ensuring that all parties feel heard, and their concerns are meaningfully addressed while working toward resolution.

Before joining Common Ground Resolutions, Feher was a partner at LeBeau Thelen LLP, where he played a key role in expanding the firm from a team of seven attorneys to a full-service litigation practice. As a trial attorney, he regularly developed strategies to help parties reach resolution while simultaneously growing his mediation practice.

Community Involvement:

Beyond his legal practice, Feher serves as an arbitrator for the Kern County Bar Association’s fee disputes and is a member of its Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee. He also serves as a Settlement Officer for the Los Angeles Superior Court and has previously acted as a Judge Pro Tem. After years of advocating for clients, Feher now focuses on facilitating meaningful settlements as a neutral.

Mentorship and Community Engagement:

Feher is a dedicated advocate for mentorship and community involvement. He actively participates in several legal and bar associations, including the Kern County Bar Association, California Lawyers Association, and the San Joaquin Valley Chapter of ABOTA, where he has held leadership roles. Feher frequently speaks and moderates’ discussions on civil litigation, employment law, wage and hour issues, law management, and professional liability. Recognized for his expertise, he is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), holds an AV® rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and has been named a “Super Lawyer.”

Beyond his legal practice, Feher is committed to giving back through mock trial programs, supporting local schools, and working with nonprofits such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). He has also chaired and served on various boards and committees, including the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (ASCDC) and Seven Oaks Country Club, further demonstrating his dedication to both the legal profession and his community.

Educational and Professional Background:

Feher’s passion for advocacy began with his early involvement in speech and debate, where he honed his communication and argumentation skills. He earned his undergraduate degrees in political science and speech communication from San Diego State University, followed by a Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego. Feher has also completed advanced mediation training, including programs on Mediating the Litigated Case and Advanced Mediation.

Now, as a mediator at Common Ground Resolutions, he applies his decades of legal knowledge and insight to help parties navigate disputes. He is passionate about finding solutions, and believes deeply in the saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

 

Professional Experience

  • Partner, Trial Attorney and Mediator, LeBeau Thelen LLP (1990-2025)

 

Practice Areas

  • Agriculture
  • Business & Commercial Contracts
  • Civil Rights
  • Class Action
  • Complex Litigation
  • Construction
  • Corporations and Partnership
  • Discrimination
  • Employment
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Labor
  • Legal Malpractice
  • Medical Malpractice
  • PAGA
  • Personal Injury
  • Probate, Trust & Estates
  • Public Entity
  • Professional Liability
  • Real Estate
  • Retaliation
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Wage & Hour

 

Education

  • Juris Doctorate; University of San Diego School of Law
  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Speech Communication; San Diego State University

 

Professional Achievements & Memberships

  • President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, San Joaquin Valley Chapter of ABOTA (2022-Present)
  • National Representative, San Joaquin Valley Chapter of ABOTA (Present)
  • Member, ABOTA (Present)
  • President, Treasurer and Secretary, Kern County Bar Association (2021-2025)
  • Director, Kern County Bar Association (2019-2020)
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee Member, Kern County Superior Court (Present)
  • Committee Chair, Kern County Bar Association Fee Arbitration Program (Present)
  • Court Liaison Committee, Kern County Bar Association (Present)
  • IDP Oversight Committee, Kern County Bar Association (Present)
  • Member, Kern County Bar Association (Present)
  • Former Judge Pro Tem, Kern County Superior Court
  • Director, Kern County Bar Association Charitable Foundation (2022)
  • Settlement Officer, Los Angeles Superior Court Resolve Program (Present)
  • Former Co-Chair Employment Law Committee, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel
  • Chair, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, Law Management Committee
  • Member and Director, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (2004-2025)
  • Member, Lawyers of Distinction (Present)
  • Member, California Lawyers Association, Business Law Section and Labor & Employment Law Section
  • Supporter, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
  • Director, Seven Oaks Country Club (2020-2021)

Veronica Lancaster

Case Administrator

Veronica Lancaster has a wealth of experience in court and business administration.

Veronica enjoyed a 24-year career as a Superior Court Clerk and Judicial Courtroom Assistant. She is a trained paralegal, and has worked in that capacity for law firms. She has been a business manager for a construction company. She has been an office administrator for an interpreters service.

Veronica serves as the point person for Common Ground Resolutions. She maintains client contacts and ensures our scheduling.

She will keep your matter running smoothly.

Jack Skaggs

Sgt. Jack Skaggs

Security Officer

Jack Skaggs is a retired sergeant with the California Highway Patrol. He serves as security officer for Common Ground Resolutions. Not every matter requires on going security, but it is available when appropriate. Also, by court rule, matters under temporary judgeship must be public in the same manner as in court proceedings. For that reason, Sgt. Skaggs serves as bailiff during those public sessions.

Sgt. Skaggs retired after a 31-year career with the California Highway Patrol. Sgt. Skaggs was was assigned to the Central Los Angeles Area in January of 1974. In 1976, he was selected to become an area auto theft officer and remained in this capacity until 1978 when I transferred to the Westminster office. He was “methods of arrest” officer and area fitness coordinator, and division coordinator. In 1983, he relocated to Border Division in San Diego as the division fitness coordinator. In 1989, he promoted to sergeant and was assigned to the Indio Area. Besides supervising road patrol, he was charged with implementing a new program involving the CHP helicopter in the Coachella Valley. In 1991, he transferred to the Fort Tejon Area Office in Kern County where he remained until his retirement. Having been involved in athletics his entire life, Sgt. Skaggs remains an avid cyclist, a passion that he pursues with vigor.

About the Artist

Our webpage and our office location feature the art of renowned plein air painter, Paul Buxman. Paul’s iconic landscapes of Central California and the San Joaquin Valley reflect our core value to provide for parties to a dispute to reach their own “place of repose” in resolving conflict.

Paul is a native Californian residing in Dinuba. He is also a third generation farmer who is a pioneer in natural farming methods. His paintings are part of many prominent collections worldwide, and his art hangs in the California and U.S. Capitol.

We hope you enjoy the art. If you would like to learn more about the artist, please visit us or give us a call.

Common Ground Resolutions

Address

8500 Stockdale Hwy, Ste. 195
Bakersfield, CA 93311

Phone

661-855-7340 | 888-909-0325

Email

Info@CommonGroundResolutions.com

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