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About

About Chris

Chris brings to mediation a perspective shaped by more than 35 years of trying, deciding, and resolving civil cases. He understands how lawyers build and present cases, how judges and juries evaluate evidence, witnesses, and arguments, and how clients, insurers, and other decision makers evaluate litigation risk.

That experience is only useful after the mediator has earned the parties' trust. He listens carefully, works to understand not only the case but what is driving the dispute, and gives parties the opportunity to be heard before asking them to reconsider their positions. When a candid assessment will help, he is comfortable discussing how a judge or jury may view the case and where the significant risks lie.

Judicial Experience

Chris served for 20 years on the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County, including 11 years handling civil and commercial matters. He served on the Arizona Supreme Court committee that studied and recommended creation of the Commercial Court, then spent six years as one of its original judges. As Arizona’s Presiding Tax Judge, he also handled property valuation, taxation, and other complex state and local tax disputes.

Civil & Commercial Litigation

Two decades on the bench gave Chris a close view of how cases develop, how evidence holds up at trial, and how juries determine credibility and resolve disputes. He brings that perspective to his work as a neutral, helping parties assess the strengths of their positions, the uncertainties they face, and the practical consequences of continuing litigation.

Trial Lawyer Background

Before taking the bench, Chris was a civil trial lawyer. He appeared in the Superior Courts in 13 of Arizona’s 15 counties. He was certified by the Arizona Bar as a Specialist in Serious Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation and was admitted to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). His experience as a trial lawyer informs his understanding of the preparation, judgment, and responsibility required of counsel.

Mediation & Settlement Experience

Chris conducted hundreds of settlement conferences and mediations as a judge, involving civil disputes at every stage of litigation. Those matters ranged from straightforward disagreements to complex cases involving multiple parties, substantial damages, and difficult legal and factual issues. His approach centers on careful preparation, candid discussion, and understanding what each party needs to reach an agreement.

Professional Leadership

Chris’s service to the profession includes leadership in judicial education, trial advocacy, and court administration. He served as Chair of the American Bar Association Judicial Division and Chair of the National Judicial College Board of Trustees. He also serves on the NITA Board of Trustees and is a Past President of the Phoenix Chapter of ABOTA.

Teaching & Legal Education

Chris has taught trial advocacy and litigation skills to lawyers and judges throughout the United States and internationally, including programs in Mexico, Ireland, England, Myanmar, Malta, Egypt, Guam, Saipan, and Japan. His teaching focuses on the practical work of litigation, including evidence, depositions, and trial presentation. He received NITA’s Hon. Robert E. Keeton Award for outstanding service and has taught as an adjunct professor at the law schools of Arizona State University, Louisiana State University, the University of San Diego, and Emory University.

Chris Whitten seated at the bench with American and Arizona flags

Approach

Experience. Judgment. Perspective.

  • EXPERIENCE

    Chris brings more than 35 years of civil litigation experience to the mediation room, including 15 years as a trial lawyer and 20 years as a trial judge. That experience helps him quickly understand the issues, the people, and the practical considerations that drive difficult civil disputes.

  • JUDGMENT

    After decades of trying and deciding civil cases, Chris understands how judges and juries evaluate evidence, witnesses, arguments, and damages. When an independent assessment may help, he is comfortable discussing the strengths, weaknesses, and risks that each side may face if the case does not settle.

  • PERSPECTIVE

    Effective mediation requires understanding more than the legal issues. Chris listens carefully to the lawyers, parties, insurers, and other decision makers to understand what is driving the dispute and what may stand in the way of resolution. He stays engaged and looks for practical ways to move the parties toward agreement.

Full Bio

Hon. Christopher T. Whitten (Ret.) brings more than 35 years of experience resolving civil disputes as a trial lawyer, judge, teacher, and mediator. He served twenty years on the Maricopa County Superior Court, including eleven years on civil and commercial assignments.

During his twenty years on the bench, Judge Whitten presided over tens of thousands of civil matters, from routine tort and business disputes to complex commercial litigation, medical malpractice, construction defect, insurance coverage, professional liability, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death cases. He served on the Arizona Supreme Court committee that established Maricopa County’s Commercial Court and then served for six years as one of its original judges. All of that experience gave him an unusually broad view of how judges, juries, lawyers, and clients evaluate difficult civil cases and litigation risk.

Before joining the bench, Judge Whitten spent fifteen years as a civil trial lawyer. He appeared in the Superior Courts of 13 of Arizona’s 15 counties. He was certified by the Arizona State Bar as a Specialist in Serious Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation and was admitted to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) as a trial lawyer. He later served as President of the Phoenix Chapter of ABOTA.

Mediation has been a significant part of Judge Whitten’s judicial work. He has helped resolve more than one hundred mediations during his final three years on the bench. He believes successful mediation begins with thorough preparation, active listening, and earning the confidence of both clients and counsel. He works to understand not only the legal and factual issues, but also the financial, practical, and personal considerations that may be preventing resolution. When useful, he gives the parties a candid assessment of risk and remains engaged in the search for a practical solution.

Judge Whitten has also held significant leadership positions in the legal and judicial communities. He served as Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Judicial Division and Chair of the National Judicial College Board of Trustees, where he served as a Trustee for twelve years. He is a Past President of the Phoenix Chapter of ABOTA and has served in numerous other national and state professional leadership roles.

Teaching trial advocacy has been another important part of his career. Through the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) and the ABA, Judge Whitten has trained lawyers and judges throughout the United States and internationally, including programs in Mexico, Ireland, England, Myanmar, Malta, Egypt, Guam, Saipan, and Japan. He received NITA’s Hon. Robert Keeton Award for outstanding service and currently serves on NITA’s Board of Trustees. He has also taught as an adjunct professor at the law schools of Arizona State University, Louisiana State University, the University of San Diego, and Emory University.

That combination of experience shapes Judge Whitten’s approach to mediation. There are not many Arizonans who have been part of more jury trials. He understands the pressures faced by lawyers preparing a case for trial, the uncertainty clients face when important decisions must be made, and the way a trial judge evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of competing positions. He prepares carefully, listens to both sides, and works patiently to identify the issues that are truly preventing resolution. His goal is not simply to carry offers between rooms, but to help parties make informed decisions about risk and, when possible, find a practical path to resolution.