Nationwide Coverage

Nationwide Coverage

Jim Schratz and Associates provides services throughout the United States and overseas. Below you will see the 39 states where we have qualified as an expert witness or been retained in.

National Work, Local Insight

Although the firm is based in Sonoma, California, Jim’s practice has always been national in scope. He is routinely retained in matters filed far from California, and is comfortable working with local counsel, in-house teams, and carriers in jurisdictions with very different rules and expectations.

Most engagements can be handled efficiently through electronic file transfer, video conference, and coordinated travel only when necessary. That makes it straightforward to involve the firm in a case wherever it is pending, without adding unnecessary cost or delay.

Types of Matters Across the Country

Jim is frequently retained in cases involving:

• Large fee applications submitted after major trials, arbitrations, and class actions.
• Coverage and bad faith litigation where claims handling and insurer decision-making are central issues.
• Multi-state and complex commercial disputes with multiple law firms, overlapping roles, and substantial legal spend.
• Long-running defense matters where courts or carriers want an independent view of fees and strategy.

Qualified and Retained in Dozens of Jurisdictions

The map above highlights the 39 states where Jim has either been qualified as an expert witness or retained to consult on fees, coverage, or claims handling. In many of those jurisdictions, courts have relied on his testimony and audit work to reduce or confirm fee requests and to evaluate insurer conduct.

Even in states where he has not yet testified, Jim’s experience in fee analysis and claims handling standards is readily transferable. He works with local counsel to understand any state-specific nuances and then applies those rules to the facts, billing records, and claim file.

When to Involve a National Expert

If you are handling a matter with significant legal fees or meaningful bad faith exposure, a national perspective can be especially helpful. Jim is available to provide a free file review and a not-to-exceed budget so you can decide, up front, whether engaging an expert makes sense for your case and your client.