Shirley Werner Kornreich. Photo Credit: Rick Kopstein/ALM

Shirley Werner Kornreich, who spent nearly 24 years on the New York bench before retiring at the end of May, has joined JAMS as an arbitrator this month.

Kornreich's time on the bench included nine years in the Commercial Division in Manhattan Supreme Court. She presided over scores of complex litigation cases, including the products liability Bextra/Celebrex state cases and the state Bausch + Lomb ReNu cases, coordinated with federal judges.

She also handled asbestos cases, class actions, securities, real estate and employment litigation and corporate and contract actions. More recently, her rulings in a case involving claims by pop star Kesha against her ex-manager attracted national attention.

Before serving on the bench, Kornreich was an appellate attorney for The Legal Aid Society, Criminal Defense Division, in Nassau County and Manhattan. She also previously worked as a law assistant to a New York state trial justice.

JAMS said Kornreich will be based in its New York resolution center and will serve as a mediator, arbitrator and special master in a range of disputes, including arbitration, business/commercial, class action/mass torts,  construction, employment, financial markets, insurance, professional liability and real property.

“With her extensive and diverse background, we are confident that she will make an excellent addition to the JAMS panel,” said Chris Poole, JAMS president and CEO, in a statement.

Kornreich was not available for an interview Wednesday. She said in a statement that she was “ready for this next step in my judicial journey.” She added, “This work is truly important to me, and continuing to serve the New York community is something I'm dedicated to and passionate about.”