Marilyn Sydney Klinger

Marilyn Klinger is the Office Managing Partner of SMTD Law LLP, a construction/surety/real estate/dispute resolution boutique law firm with offices in Irvine, Oakland, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. She is involved in all aspects of construction law on a state and national level, representing the full spectrum of the construction industry, from owners, contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, and sureties in all venues and jurisdictions, including trial, arbitration, mediation, and administrative hearings. Ms. Klinger is now focusing her attention on neutral work as an arbitrator and mediator.

Ms. Klinger is a graduate of UC Law San Francisco with a J.D. and Santa Clara University with a BS degree. Before joining SMTD Law, she was at Sedgwick LLP for over three decades, rising to the practice group leader of its Construction Practices Group, and culminating to her leading the Commercial Practices Section of the firm and being on its executive board.

Ms. Klinger is a prolific writer and speaker. She was awarded the James Acret Lifetime Achievement Award for construction legal writing by the Los Angeles County Bar Association Construction Committee. More recently, she has moved into the neutral world, conducting mediations and arbitrations. Ms. Klinger completed training under both the arbitration program at the American Arbitration Association's and mediation training at the Pepperdine Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution.