Paul Eza’s story began as a young graphic artist making a living designing greeting cards. “It was fine,” he says. “But I was bored. I was at a point in my life when it was a good time to make a change, so I considered my options. I was interested in education but knew a law degree would give me the versatility a master’s in education couldn’t.”
After law school, he relocated to Miami to join the State Attorney’s Office where he met his future wife, Constance, who was just entering her second year of medical school. They married after her graduation in 2012 and moved to Jacksonville where she began her residency and Eza took on a position at an insurance defense firm.
For 11 years, Eza worked as a trial attorney for multiple firms—gaining experience and subject-matter expertise. Throughout this time, he became adept at crafting solutions that served his clients as well as opposing parties, and realized his skills could be better utilized if he shifted to a more neutral role.
It was time to make another bold move. He opened Eza Mediation LLC in 2023, mediating a broad range of cases, including personal injury, construction defect, breach of contract, defamation, and more. He hit the ground running building a client list from attorney referrals.
“I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to have developed strong relationships with attorneys on both sides of the aisle,” he says. “I was pleasantly surprised how many of them trusted my work and referred clients to me when I first started my new endeavor.”
Eza slipped easily into the new role that felt custom made for him. “Everyone has a different style and personality. And while I was a reasonably good trial attorney, you were never going to see me on the cover of Trial Attorney Magazine. I wasn’t a boisterous or flamboyant litigator. The showman just wasn’t my style. I’m more low-key and focused on getting to the facts and finding a resolution.”
Since launching, he has created an environment where individuals and organizations can come together to share their perspectives and work toward a resolution that satisfies all parties.
“I present myself in an authentic way,” he says. “This is important in any aspect of law, but particularly in mediation. I may know the attorneys involved, but this may be the only time I meet the adjusters and certainly the parties. I have to build trust in a very short period of time.
“I really like helping people identify those one or two issues that have really been holding up the settlement,” he says. “It’s not always obvious in the fog of litigation. But once they do, it’s very satisfying to help them find their own way to a reasonable resolution.”
As Eza Mediation has grown over the last several years, he is confident that he has at last found his place in mediation.
