About Charles Schoemaker Jr.

Mediation provides an opportunity to resolve a dispute in a matter of hours, rather than languishing in the court system for months, or even years,” remarked Attorney Charles Schoemaker, Jr. on mediation and other methods of alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

With over 30 years of litigation experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in matters involving business and contract disputes, government tort liability, real estate, construction, personal injury and general civil litigation, Mr. Schoemaker brings a wealth of experience to a sole private practice now focused exclusively on ADR.

Mr. Schoemaker grew up in New Jersey, spending his summers in high school and early college years working for his father’s roofing business. He completed his undergraduate degree in English at Rutgers University in 1973.

“In either junior high or high school, I became aware of how important the law was through the various situations that happened to my family members, friends and neighbors. It seemed like access to someone who was knowledgeable about the law—or even better, a lawyer—was vital,” Mr. Schoemaker reflected on his decision to pursue a legal career.

He would relocate to the west coast to attend law school at the University of West Los Angeles, completing his Juris Doctorate and passing the California State Bar Exam in 1978.

Mr. Schoemaker spent the first 14 years of his legal career with the Los Angeles-based firm Kegel, Tobin & Hamrick, handling the defense in major injury and complex litigation matters for insured and self-insured clients. He primarily worked on the defense of public entities, in addition to unique cases that did not fall in to one of the firm’s primary practice areas. This experience broadened his exposure to many different areas of law.

In 1992, he established a new firm with two business partners, Altman, Minkoff & Schoemaker, in Encino, California. It was later renamed Altman, Schoemaker & Hambleton. For the next decade, he represented individuals, small businesses and public entities as plaintiffs in tort and commercial litigation.