The Hastings Community Justice Clinic represented a plaintiff in an employment case that Ms. Bogaards successfully mediated in
April 2022. Professor Goishi stated about her experience with Ms. Bogaards:
“We (plaintiff and his representatives) greatly appreciated Ms. Bogaards’ optimism and enthusiasm for the mediation process. This set a very positive tone and framing for the mediation itself. We also appreciated that she was a great listener, and welcomed hearing background information and emotional content that is present in most disputes, but that is often glossed over or ignored. She also did a great job of reality-checking, gently telling us about the potential weaknesses in our case. Finally, we thought it was great that she reminded us that a successful mediation will be one where both parties are unhappy. This was a great reminder of the nature of compromise. She also reiterated the upside of settling, as opposed to taking our chances with proceeding with the litigation — helpful to remind the parties about the risks of proceeding.”

U.C. Hastings Professor Miye A. Goishi of the Hastings Community Justice Clinic

My mediation appointment with Ms. Bogaards was more than interesting as it was conducted exclusively by phone due to the health crisis. Despite this, it went smoothly and productively. The case settled within the allotted time frame due largely in part to Ms. Bogaards persistence but also her vast experience in personal injury work. It was obvious her defense and plaintiff’s background gave her credibility with both parties. All in all, it was all a very positive experience for a first-time use. She was prepared and knew the flash points needed to get this settled. It took time but it was due to the parties obstinance, which she dealt with professionally and civilly. I’ve known Ms. Bogaards over the years from having litigated with her in her role as a defense attorney. I thought this case was perfect for a Mediator with a defense background that also does plaintiff’s work, as she does. I was very impressed with her grasp of value as regards a plaintiff’s case. She was spot on regarding the values and issues. I would not hesitate to use her again and recommend her as a Mediator to all plaintiff’s attorneys who view her strictly as a former defense attorney. She is way more than that; very efficient, there was no wasted time.

Debra Bogaards is one of the most thorough, skilled and aggressive litigators in the Bay Area. She protects her clients and their interests like a mama bear to her cubs. I speak both as a client for whom Ms. Bogaards achieved an incredible result, and as a colleague who has worked beside Ms. Bogaards and has seen her diligence and thought process. Here skillset and tremendous presence and command, regardless of the forum, makes for a most fierce litigator. Ms. Bogaards is always my first recommendation to clients and friends seeking to protect their legal rights relating to personal injuries.

Look no further. Debra is an amazing lawyer and very thorough at her job. About a year ago, we came into contact with Debra because we were being harassed and kicked out by our landlord. Out of 5 lawyers we called Debra was the only one to answer and help us out immediately. The first time we called, her amazing assistant Rachel answered and began asking me questions in order to understand our case. She immediately began the process and before we knew it, we had a meeting with Debra. Debra is beyond amazing at her job. She is professional and knowledgeable in her profession. Apart from being a great lawyer, she is a caring person. We were going through a stressful time but Debra and her assistants made us feel welcomed and helped us forget for a moment the horrible landlord we had. Debra and Rachel are outstanding and work together as an amazing team. We were beyond satisfied with the results we received and glad we chose Debra to represent us. We would recommend Debra in a heartbeat. She is unbelievably amazing in her profession and as a person.

We hired Debra Bogaards to represent us after our beloved mother passed away as the result of negligent administration of medications at a reputable, upscale assisted living. Day by day we watched her decline, took her to medical appointments and were told by her doctors that they did not understand why. After her admission to the hospital, we discovered that nursing staff failed to administer prescribed medication; the unused pills were sitting unopened in our mother’s pill basket at the nurse’s station.

This was a painful, unnecessary and premature loss.  We did not want other families to experience such an awful decline and death; we felt the assisted living facility had to remediate their practices and be held accountable.

Debra was an outstanding representative for us.  We were exhausted, upset and bereft. Debra’s strength, confidence and knowledge comforted us. She helped us let go of the heavy responsibility of addressing the elder abuse because she carried it in her capable hands. Debra is uplifting to work with; she brings positive energy to all of her interactions, including with the opposing side and the mediator. Her strength and optimism reduces stress in naturally stressful situations. She has deep knowledge and experience and expertly researches case specific information.  She is well prepared, a strong advocate, and is patient and respectful with her clients throughout the decision-making process.

Our result was very satisfying.  The assisted living changed their protocol and instituted ongoing nursing supervision for the administration of medications.  In addition, we received financial compensation. The results Debra achieved for us were excellent and helped us gain closure.

We highly recommend Debra as an advocate. She has high integrity, tremendous energy and gets results.

I recently had to mediate a complex and difficult case, where opposing counsel and I agreed to use Debra as the mediator. I found her to be extraordinarily competent, empathetic and efficient in getting my case resolved.

Debra was very thorough, read through and understood all the materials, and was very well prepared. She privately met with the parties and impressed upon them the risks each of them faced by going to trial. As a result, the parties reached a compromise which was fair, and only accomplished because Debra was able to see the case from a good perspective from both the plaintiff and the defendant’s point of view.

A month before trial, Ms. Bogaards successfully mediated a challenging personal injury case and was able to effectively bridge a vast cultural and legal divide, to broker a settlement acceptable to all.

We were extremely pleased by Debra’s professional abilities and personal attention, and we recommend her without hesitation! If you can imagine a good experience with a lawyer, Debra is it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to my amazing attorney Debra Bogaards for an excellent job she did for me in my slip and fall case. The settlement she got for me was great! She is very professional and is extremely talented at what she does (and she is very pretty as well). I recommend her very highly.

Debra is one of the best attorneys I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Her track record speaks for itself. Her meticulous preparation, zealous advocacy, honesty and a civil, professional demeanor with co-counsel and opposing counsel alike set her apart. I strongly endorse her.

After blind rejection from several attorneys…a close family friend referred me to Debra Bogaards. From the moment I called her office, I spoke to Ms. Bogaards directly (no “middleman”). She expressed great empathy about our situation and agreed to review our case. She conducted a very thorough examination of the information we provided her and consulted with experts about our case. Ultimately, there were a number of unique challenges that made a successful lawsuit in our situation difficult. Although other attorneys may have recognized these challenges, they did not inform us of their observations until we consulted Ms. Bogaards. She was honest with us about the challenges, respectful of our situation and helped us make a rational and informed decision. We ultimately decided not to pursue a lawsuit in our situation but I can’t thank Ms. Bogaards enough for her time and professionalism in reviewing our case. I am glad a friend recommended her to us, and I am also glad to recommend her to you.

Debra guided us through a sticky wicket of obfuscation and confusion thrown out by the hotel where my husband slipped and broke his femur in four places. She was able to clearly demonstrate that the hotel was at fault in this case, and we reached a nice settlement through mediation. We were extremely pleased by her professional abilities and personal attention, and we recommend Debra Bogaards without hesitation!

Debra helped us stop a recklessly planned construction project in our building before it began, and then recovered fees and damages for us. She created and executed her strategy seamlessly in obtaining a great result. We highly recommend Debra!

Debra is an exceptional attorney, a true professional in every respect of the word. Not only is she dedicated to her practice and clients; she will always have time for you with a smile on her face, which when coupled with a positive reassuring voice, is very comforting during stressful and trying times. Debra is the best at what she does, and surrounds herself with an incredible network of top notch professionals. This assembled team works seamlessly to achieve the highest and greatest results for her clients. Her experience, relationships, hard work, dedication and love of what she does puts Debra at the top of our list. We would highly recommend Debra and are so grateful to have had her as our attorney.

Debra helped us navigate an incredibly tense and difficult situation. Her approach was just what we needed. We found Debra to be caring and understanding of our case, while being a fierce and determined advocate. Debra moved swiftly, took just the right amount of control, and definitely went the extra mile for us. I really felt like we had the upper hand. I was so glad Debra was on our side and not theirs! We were ultimately successful, and we have Debra to thank for it.

Debra is a STRONG ADVOCATE and an excellent person to have on your side. She took the time to listen to me, understand my position, and provided careful and thoughtful advice. She helped me reach a favorable outcome in my case and I will be forever GRATEFUL.

Working with Debra was the best decision ever. She is an absolute pleasure to work with: incredibly well-informed, detailed, and made sure I was updated along the way. Being a complete novice to this realm, she explained everything clearly and thoroughly, eliminating any uncertainty I had. I felt so confident working with Debra. All I can say is: she’s the best and I would love to work with her again in the future. Thanks again, Debra, for everything!