Hon. Stephen P. Pfahler

“In a legal system designed for win-lose outcomes, I approach every mediation as a profound opportunity to find a win-win resolution.”

Hon. Stephen P. Pfahler (Ret.) brings more than 35 years of civil litigation experience, 20 years on the bench, and a rare combination of trial mastery and settlement expertise to settle even the most challenging cases. Having presided over hundreds of trials and successfully mediated more than 500 civil matters during his tenure on the Los Angeles Superior Court—most recently for 15 years in a Civil Independent Calendar court—Judge Pfahler knows what it takes to settle cases. 

Judge Pfahler is widely regarded as one of the court’s most effective and sought-after settlement judges—a reputation grounded in experience. He served for a decade on the Los Angeles Superior Court ADR Committee, including the last two as Vice Chair, where he trained fellow judges in settlement techniques. Fellow judges routinely referred their most difficult and impasse-bound cases to him for resolution. In recognition of his work, he was named Judge of the Year by the San Fernando Valley Bar Association in 2024.