WILLIAM JEFF BARNES
Jeff is the founder of Civil Dispute Consultants LLC (CDC), which provides information as to how court systems work, the various phases of a civil dispute, and means for resolving the dispute without litigation. The company’s focus is on educating and providing information to those involved in a civil dispute so that they have an understanding of how the process works and how to manage their particular dispute with the goal of resolving the dispute as quickly and efficiently as possible
CDC does not provide legal advice and does not prepare or file legal papers. Jeff no longer practices law, instead focusing on his professional life on educating and providing explanations as to the mechanics of the dispute resolution process.
After graduating from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with a degree in Experimental Psychology, Jeff obtained a Master of Science degree in Education and his Juris Doctor (law) degree from the University of Miami (Florida). Between graduation from college and prior to law school, Jeff was a public and private school teacher in Miami, Florida, having taught elementary, junior, and senior high level students. He also served as an assistant (adjunct) at Florida International University in the areas of Behavioral Science Statistics and Preventive Law for teachers to Master’s and Doctoral candidates focused on education degrees, and taught English grammar and composition at the Lewis Merwitzer High School in Miami Beach, Florida.
While in law school, Jeff served as a prosecutor in the Office of the State Attorney in Miami, Florida through University of Miami’s CLI (Certified Legal Intern) program, and was in charge of a division where he personally handled arraignments and numerous trials on a daily basis. After graduating from law school, Jeff was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1988 and the Colorado Bar in 1990
After being employed as an Associate Litigation Attorney at law Firms in Miami and Boca Raton, Florida, Jeff opened his own practice in 1993. Jeff’s prior law practice involved various areas of the law, including foreclosure defense beginning in 2008 after the “crash” of the mortgage-backed securities market.. He represented victims of foreclosure and predatory lending practices with local counsel where required in the states of Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Before concentrating full-time on foreclosure defense, he had been previously admitted to practice in several state courts, including the Superior Court for the State of New Jersey (Atlantic City); the Hennepin County Circuit Court (Minnesota); the Norfolk Superior Court (Commonwealth of Massachusetts); the Circuit Civil Court of Walker County, Alabama; and the Superior Court for the State of California (Orange County).
He was also previously admitted to several Federal Courts, including the United States District Court for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Sixth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits. Jeff was previously admitted to practice pro hac vice in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota (Duluth); the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (Newark); the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming; the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California (San Jose Division); the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (Eastern Division); the United States District Court for the District of Oregon (Portland Division); the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (Nashville Division); the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington; the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii; and the Federal Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel.
Jeff was also previously admitted pro hac vice to numerous state courts, including the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division (Atlantic, Ocean, Monmouth, Morris, Gloucester, Burlington, and Passaic counties); the Superior Court for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Plymouth); the Superior Court for Flathead County (Montana); the Superior Court of Coweta County (Georgia); the Superior Court of Washington (Ferry County); the District Court for Kootenai and Bonner Counties (Idaho); Hancock County Superior Court (Indiana); the Circuit Court for Cook County, Illinois; Iowa District Court (Greene County); Kern County Superior Court (California); San Bernadino County Superior Court (California); Washtenaw County (Michigan); Mahoning County (Ohio); Maricopa County Superior Court (Arizona); Pima County Superior Court (Arizona); the Hawaii First District Court (Honolulu); the Hawaii Second District Court (Maui); the Kenosha County Court (Wisconsin); the Superior Court for Washington County, Vermont; the Superior Court for Stamford/Norwalk, Connecticut; Circuit Courts of Oregon (Clackamas, Multnomah, and Crook Counties); Oklahoma County District Court; and the Circuit Court of the 17th Judicial Circuit (Winnebago County, Illinois), with these admissions being in connection with foreclosure defense litigation representing borrowers. Jeff has never represented any banks, “lenders”, servicers, trustees of securitized mortgage loan trusts, trustee sale companies, or any others who seek to foreclose.
He prevailed against MERS (Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.) in the Supreme Courts of both Oregon and Montana in having those Courts declare that MERS is not the “beneficiary” of a Deed of Trust notwithstanding MERS’ claim that it is, and thus making the law on this issue in Oregon and Montana. As a direct result of Mr. Barnes’ efforts, all non-judicial foreclosures involving MERS in both Oregon and Montana stopped upon issuance of these Supreme Court decisions.
Jeff spent over thirty-seven (37) years litigating throughout the United States in the areas of business tort litigation, contract litigation, insurance litigation (coverage, claims, premium fraud defense, Unfair and Deceptive Insurance Practices, fraud litigation, real estate litigation, and Administrative proceedings involving defense of chiropractors in disciplinary proceedings. He also spent two years representing individuals in deportation proceedings and appeals to the BIA (Board of Immigration Appeals) following the enactment of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act (IIRRA) and its integration with the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA). Jeff was also previously a Certified Mediator and Arbitrator, having been so certified by the Supreme Court of Florida, and he also previously obtained status as a Qualified Neutral in the State of Minnesota.
Jeff is no longer engaged in active litigation and does not provide legal advice. His present focus is on educating and providing information to those involved in any civil dispute with the goal of helping those involved to resolve the disputes efficiently and in a cost-effective manner.