Member of the California Bar (No. 140222) Licensed California Real Estate Broker (No. 01461068)
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF LAW J.D. received May 1984. Senior Editor, Virginia Journal of International Law. Winner of Dillard and Dèak Awards for Best International Law Note at UVA and in the United States, Spring 1984.
STRAUS INSTITUTE FOR DISPUTE RESOLUTION PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW LL.M. in Dispute Resolution received May 2003. LL.M. program involved extensive course work in domestic and international alternative dispute resolution, and over 360 hours of service as a volunteer mediator and arbitrator with the Los Angeles Superior Court and California Lawyers for the Arts.
LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE M.Sc. in International Relations received June 1980.
OBERLIN COLLEGE B.A. in Economics and Government received January 1979. Junior year at London School of Economics.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
LAW OFFICES OF PETER J. LESSER 1993 - 2024
Los Angeles, California
LITIGATION PRACTICE: Representation of clients in civil and appellate litigation, with emphasis on business, real estate, construction, probate/trust, employment and other complex litigation (practice has been approximately 50 percent plaintiff, 50 percent defense). Substantial first-chair jury trial, bench trial and appellate experience before the California Courts, U.S. District Court, U.S Bankruptcy Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Substantial experience with residential and commercial real estate transactions, probate/trust administration and estate planning.
Served as a Court-Appointed Referee with full authority to manage and sell real property in a Los Angeles Superior Court partition action (2019-2022).
MEDIATION PRACTICE (2003 - Present): Mediator with growing private practice in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange and surrounding counties. Over 500 mediations conducted to date, with consistently excellent reviews and recommendations. Service as a mediator with the Los Angeles Superior Court and Riverside Superior Court (Settlement Judge Pro Tem and mediation panelist). Extensive experience mediating complex, multi-party business and employment litigations; real estate, HOA and construction disputes; malpractice cases; partnership, family and inheritance disputes; and accident/injury cases. Familiar with insurance and bankruptcy in the litigation/mediation contexts.
MITCHELL, SILBERBERG & KNUPP 1988 - 1993 Los Angeles, California Involved in a range of business, probate and entertainment litigation matters, with substantial deposition, law and motion, and first-chair civil trial experience. First-chaired criminal jury trials as a probono prosecutor with the L.A. City Attorney's Office.
KELLEY, DRYE & WARREN 1987 - 1988 Washington, D.C. Involved in regulatory and litigation matters in federal courts and various administrative tribunals, including international trademark and patent cases before the U.S. Court of International Trade.
Participated in a range of domestic and international litigation matters, including major antitrust, environmental and securities law cases in federal courts and administrative agencies.
* References and transcripts available upon request *