Cairns Mediation
(512) 522-1741‬
jason@cairnsmediation.com

Meet Jason

Jason is a commercial mediator and attorney based in Austin, Texas. As a former litigator, Jason witnessed time and again that parties experienced greater satisfaction when they resolved their cases through mediation rather than trial. Motivated by a desire to help parties achieve more favorable outcomes, Jason transitioned from litigation to work as a mediator, where he specializes in insurance coverage and bad faith disputes.

Jason brings to his mediation practice a decade of experience as an attorney. He litigated complex commercial cases at Sidley Austin LLP and King & Spalding LLP before becoming a partner at Reid Collins & Tsai LLP, one of the top plaintiffs’-side litigation firms in the country. His practice focused on insurance coverage disputes and insolvency-related directors and officers litigation. Jason has represented clients in state and federal courts across the country, at both the trial and appellate levels, as well as in international arbitration. Prior to entering private practice, he clerked for the Honorable Robert H. Cleland of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Jason received his B.A. in Economics summa cum laude and with honors from Case Western Reserve University. He graduated cum laude from Northwestern University School of Law where he served on the Editorial Board of the Northwestern University Law Review.
EDUCATION
  • Northwestern University School of Law, J.D., cum laude
  • Case Western Reserve University, B.A. in Economics, summa cum laude and with honors
MEDIATION TRAINING
  • Harvard University, Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, Mediation and Conflict Management Certificate
  • Cornell University, The Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution at the ILR School, Professional Mediation Certificate
  • Austin Dispute Resolution Center, 40-Hour Basic Mediation Training
mediator rosters
  • Texas Department of Insurance (Texas Windstorm Insurance Association claims)
  • Bexar County Civil District Courts and County Courts-at-Law
  • Tarrant County Civil District Courts
  • Travis County Civil District Courts
PUBLICATIONS & presentations
  • Compelled to Testify: Exceptions to Mediator Confidentiality, Sole Presenter (CLE Presentation), Association of Attorney-Mediators, Advanced Attorney-Mediator Training and CLE Seminar (Nov. 2024)
  • Commercial Conflict Resolution: Mediation and Litigation Explained, Sole Presenter, St. Mary’s University (March 2024)
  • Jason A. Cairns & Jonathan J. Koehler, Cruel and Unusual Punishments: A Comparison of Public and Judicial Opinion, 54 Jurimetrics Journal 109 (2014)
  • Jason Cairns & Robert Slonim, Substitution Effects Across Charitable Donations, 111 Economics Letters 173 (2011)
EXPERIENCE
  • Reid Collins & Tsai LLP, Austin, TX, Partner
  • King & Spalding LLP, Austin, TX, Associate
  • Sidley Austin LLP, Chicago, IL, Associate
  • Honorable Robert H. Cleland, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Law Clerk
Recognition
  • Credentialed Advanced Mediator, Texas Mediator Credentialing Association
  • Qualified and Approved Mediator for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division
  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America, Commercial Litigation (2021, 2022, 2023)
  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America, Litigation – Bankruptcy (2023)
Bar admissions
  • Texas
  • Illinois
  • U.S. District Courts: Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas; Northern District of Illinois; Eastern District of Michigan
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
  • Association of Attorney-Mediators
  • Texas Association of Mediators
  • Austin Mediators Association
  • State Bar of Texas (Insurance Law Section, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section)
  • Austin Bar Association (Alternative Dispute Resolution Section)
  • American Bar Association (Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Mediation Committee, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee)
Cairns Mediation
(512) 522-1741‬
jason@cairnsmediation.com
12407 N. Mopac Expwy
Suite 250, #430
Austin, Texas 78758
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