AOE's Master Ombudsman is the Honorable Richard A. Robyn, Sr, who is also one of AOE's founders. Judge Robyn is a retired workers' compensation judge.

Judge Robyn's career allows him unique insight into California's troubled workers' compensation system and the emerging world of privatized ADR programs for workers' compensation. He has worked in the political arena, practiced law as a trial attorney, served in California State government as a workers' compensation judge and, for the last 10 years, overseen the most successful ADR program for workers' compensation in the State of California.

"My time as a workers' compensation judge for the State of California was very valuable to me, but it was also a very frustating time", says Judge Robyn. "There were so many players involved in each claim fighting for a piece of the pie, that equity and efficiency were seldom achieved. I knew in 1993, when ADR programs became a legal option for the Unionized construction industry, that the possibilities for improving on the State system would be limited only by the creativity of the real parties in interest - - the labor and management representatives at the bargaining table. The possibilities for privatized ADR programs for workers' compensation were exciting then and remain so today".