Var Fox is a principal of Judicate West and a member of the executive committee. In addition to helping grow and run the company, Var oversees legal matters, risk management and ethics for Judicate West. Var was one of Judicate West’s first Case Managers and continues to serve as a very effective trainer and mentor to the case management team. He is an expert on ADR rules and processes and uses this knowledge and experience to quickly assess the needs of clients; this is the reason so many JW clients seek his case consulting expertise in helping to select the right neutrals for their cases.

Var began his career in the ADR industry in 1990 with Judicate, Inc., The National Private Court System, located in New York. In 1993, he and his partner bought out the company’s West Coast interests and formed Judicate West. Since then, Var has been a guiding force in the outstanding growth and success of the firm. On the personal side, Var is active in many charitable endeavors, always looking to help those in need. Var holds a second-degree black belt in Kung Fu (which he earned in 2000), enjoys fitness daily and watching sports, his favorites being baseball and boxing.

Julian Freeman is a partner with Cox, Castle & Nicholson and co-leader of the firm’s Transactional Department.  He is also the co-leader of the firm’s Office, Industrial & Logistics industry group. 

Julian is recognized within the real estate community as a skilled and efficient dealmaker, with a particular emphasis in the commercial leasing arena. His practice focuses on acquisitions and dispositions, development, management of real estate assets, and office, industrial and retail leasing, representing national and regional office and industrial landlords, major office and industrial tenants, and regional shopping center owners.

Since 2007, Julian has drafted and negotiated leases and lease amendments for more than 30 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space located throughout the United States, including the largest annual office lease in Orange County three times: in 2014 (191,000 feet), 2020 (260,000 feet) and 2021 (640,000 feet), each as identified by the Orange County Business Journal.  Notably, the 640,000-square-foot office lease he completed in 2021 was one of the largest office leases in the history of Orange County and the deal was recognized as NAIOP SoCal’s “Deal of the Year” at its inaugural awards dinner.

In addition, Julian was recognized by Real Estate Forum magazine as one of the 2018 class of 50 Under 40, was twice recognized as an OC Visionary in 2022 and 2023 by Orange County Visionaries magazine, and was selected by GlobeSt. as a 2025 Influencer in Industrial Real Estate.

Melissa Gorin is a returning Food From The Bar advisory board member and the Director of Marketing at Judicate West, where she leads strategic initiatives to elevate the organization’s presence in the legal community. With more than 15 years of experience in the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) industry, Melissa also focuses on business development and neutral practice management. Outside of the office, she has a passion for travel and enjoys exploring new destinations.

Mark E. Minyard is the founding and managing partner of Minyard Morris, a 20-lawyer firm limiting its practice to family law matters filed in Orange County, which was establish in 1977. Mr. Minyard received the 2022 Franklin G. West award from the Orange County Bar Association. This is the OCBA’s highest honor and is presented to outstanding attorneys and judges whose lifetime achievements have advanced justice and the law. Mark has been recognized as one of the top 100 lawyers in Southern California and one of the 50 top lawyers in Orange County by Super lawyers for many years. He is also listed in Best Lawyers in America by Best Lawyers. In 2025, The Daily Journal listed Mark, for the second year in a row, as the only Orange County Family law attorney on their list of top family law attorneys in the State of California. Mark is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Garett Sleichter represents public and private clients in a variety of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, SEC reporting, securities and capital markets, corporate finance, and general company representation. Garett has a passion for helping companies succeed and prides himself on taking a practical, business-minded approach to his practice. Garett has completed over 100 M&A transactions ranging in size from the low millions to over $1 billion and serves as outside general counsel to over 40 companies ranging from start-ups to those with revenues in the hundreds of millions.