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John S. Diaconis
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Personal Information
  • Address:
    32 Orchard Drive
    Armonk, NEW YORK 10504 United States
  • Phone:
    (914) 273-8049
  • Cell:
    (914) 523-8085
Credentials
  • Attorney:
    Yes
  • Education:
    Admitted to New York Bar, 1981; United States District Courts for Eastern and Southern Districts of New York; United States Court of Appeals for Second Circuit
  • Other Information:
    Formal Mediation Training: Harvard Law School, Intensive Mediation Training and Advanced Mediation Training, Program of Instruction for Lawyers; Westchester Mediation Center, in conjunction with New York State Office of Court Administration; New York Supreme Court, Commercial Division, Appointed To Court-Approved Panel of Mediators and Neutrals.

    Chairperson, Practising Law Institute, Program on Reinsurance Law and Practice, 1994-2000. <br><br>

    Publications:
    The Impact of Insolvency on International Reinsurance Arbitration, 25 J. Marshall L. Rev. 527 (1992); The Trials of Life: International Reinsurance Transactions Can Provide A Tangle In Legal Terms, THE REVIEW: WORLDWIDE REINSURANCE, Vol. 123, No. 10, p. 60 (10/91); Co-Author, Over The Limit: Are Reinsurers Aware of The Extent of Cover They Provide When Issuing Policies, THE REVIEW: WORLDWIDE REINSURANCE, Vol. 121, No. 9, p. 59 (9/89); International Arbitration: Supboena Power of Arbitrators, N.Y.L.J., 10/6/88 at p.5.
Work Experience
  • Insurance Company: 3 years.
    Claim Department: 3 years. Vice-President, Hartford Finacial Services Group
  • Law Firm (Insurance/Reinsurance Practice): 37 years.
    Partner: 37 years. Partner, Bleakley Platt & Schmidt LLP and other firms
Breakdown of Experience
  • Fidelity &, Surety
    50%
  • Directors &, Officers
    20%
  • Employment Practices Liability
    10%
  • Commercial Liability
    10%
  • Bad Faith/ECO
    5%
  • Ocean Marine
    5%
By Market
  • U.S. Market:
    80%
  • U.K. Market:
    20%

Insurance vs. Reinsurance: 75/25%
Treaty vs. Facultative Reinsurance: 50/50%

Mediation Experience
  • Number of Mediations
    As Mediator: 15
    As Counsel: 22
ARIAS Experience

Workshops, as Faculty: 1; March 2007

Workshops, as Trainee: 1; September 2004

Ethics Training, as Trainee: 1; March 2010

ARIAS Conference Faculty: 1; Spring 2010

Arbitration Experience

Number of Arbitrations

As an Arbitrator: 6

As an Umpire: 10

As Outside Counsel: 20

Arbitrator Experience
Number of Arbitrations
2
Appointed as an arbitrator.
2
Acted as an arbitrator through the organizational meeting or the arbitration has only reached this stage and the resolution of significant pre-hearing motions.
1
Acted as an arbitrator through an evidentiary hearing of at least one full day and less than three full days regarding the substantive merits of the parties' dispute.
1
Acted as an arbitrator through to final award after completion of an evidentiary hearing of at least three full days regarding the substantive merits of the parties' dispute.
Umpire Experience
Number of Arbitrations
3
Acted as an umpire through the organizational meeting or the arbitration has only reached this stage.
5
Acted as an umpire through an evidentiary hearing of at least one full day and less than three full days regarding the substantive merits of the parties' dispute.
2
Acted as an umpire through to final award after completion of an evidentiary hearing of at least one full day and less than three full days regarding the substantive merits of the parties' dispute.
Lead Counsel Experience
Number of Arbitrations
5
Retained and Acted as Lead Counsel, up to, but not including, the organizational meeting or the arbitration has only reached this stage.
6
Acted as Lead Counsel through the organizational meeting or the arbitration has only reached this stage.
4
Acted as Lead Counsel through to an evidentiary hearing of at least one full day and less than three full days regarding the substantive merits of the parties' dispute.
5
Acted as Lead Counsel through to final award after completion of an evidentiary hearing of at least three full days regarding the substantive merits of the parties' dispute.
Biography

Mr. Diaconis is a member of the firm of Bleakley Platt & Schmidt LLP and a former Vice-President of Hartford Financial Services Group.

Mr. Diaconis has forty years of insurance and reinsurance experience. Currently, he counsels clients in the insurance and reinsurance industry, and acts as mediator, arbitrator, and coverage and defense counsel in a variety of matters, including commercial crime and financial institution bond claims, construction claims, directors and officers claims, and professional and commercial general liability matters.

He received his mediation training from Prof. Frank Sander at Harvard Law School's Program of Instruction for Lawyers. He also has received Neutral Training with the New York State Office of Court Administration and has been appointed to the Court-Approved Roster of Neutrals by the Commercial Divisions of the New York State Supreme Court for both New York and Westchester Counties.