Eleissa C. Lavelle, Esq. mediates and arbitrates nationwide in often complex and high-conflict disputes including construction, real estate, estate and trust administration, professional liability, business management and dissolution and personal injury matters. Ms. Lavelle has served as a neutral for more than 15 years, commencing while in private practice and proceeding fulltime with JAMS in 2012. Ms. Lavelle enjoyed a diverse private practice in national, regional and Nevada law firms for more than 30 years before joining JAMS.
Ms. Lavelle brings a calm and common-sense approach to every case. She is recognized for her persistence, creativity, knowledge and experience in managing complicated cases and contentious disputing parties in mediation and arbitration.
Ms. Lavelle is an adjunct professor of law at William S. Boyd School of Law. She holds an LL.M. Degree in Dispute Resolution (Straus Institute, Pepperdine University School of Law) and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Representative Matters
Construction/Surety
- Arbitrated dispute between a public college system, contractor and surety involving alleged delay, disruption, and defective construction
- Arbitrated disputes between public golf course owner and developer involving alleged defective design and construction
- Mediated disputes involving alleged defective construction of residential developments and individual custom homes, including alleged hazardous waste, insurance coverage disputes and involvement of public entities
- Arbitrated and mediated disputes among sureties, contractors and public owners involving payment and performance bonds
- Mediated construction disputes between subcontractor and general contractor involving non-conforming materials incorporated in a water treatment
- Mediated design and defective construction disputes among subcontractors in connection with a federal project involving repair of water tanks on a military facility
Real Estate
- Mediated disputes concerning a master lease between a publicly traded company and its lenders involving multiple properties throughout the country
- Mediated numerous title insurance disputes
- Mediated and arbitrated cases alleging abandonment of leasehold by anchor tenants in shopping centers
- Mediated dispute involving tenant improvements in a warehouse/office complex
- Mediated multiple inter-related disputes involving complex, mixed-use development (hotel, residential, time-share, commercial uses) and between developer, master community association and sub-associations
- Mediated and arbitrated numerous community association disputes involving federal and state statutory regulations and governing documents
- Mediated numerous disputes involving leasing and sale of commercial and residential properties between owners, tenants, buyers and brokers
- Mediated work-out agreements between lenders, borrowers and guarantors involving distressed commercial and residential properties
Business/Commercial
- Mediated disputes concerning dissolution of many closely held businesses, including professional practices, construction companies and family businesses
- Mediated dispute involving allegations of securities fraud
- Arbitrated and mediated numerous disputes involving allegations of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and mismanagement of publicly traded and privately held entities
- Mediated and arbitrated consumer disputes involving credit card companies and banks
- Arbitrated and mediated numerous disputes involving breach of contract and default on promissory notes and other agreements in the sale of closely held businesses
- Arbitrated numerous disputes arising from breach of contract involving casino equipment, software contracts
Estates and Trusts
- Served as Trustee of trusts involving sale of business, real property, insurance and competing interests among beneficiaries
- Mediated disputes alleging improper management of trust estate and breach of fiduciary duty by trustee
- Mediated disputes involving beneficiaries of multiple competing trusts
- Mediated dispute between family members involving management of a family business
- Mediated dispute between disabled mother and paternal grandmother seeking guardianship of minor children
Insurance
- Neutral evaluation of claims between Hurricane Sandy victims and FEMA
- Mediated claims involving OCIP policies in commercial construction disputes
- Mediated coverage issues arising from claims against general contractor for negligent construction
- Mediated coverage disputes in cases alleging professional malpractice
- Mediated coverage issues in construction defect disputes involving residential developments
- Mediated coverage issues in cases alleging officer and director malfeasance
Professional Liability
- Mediated disputes involving skilled nursing facilities
- Mediated disputes involving alleged medical malpractice
- Mediated disputes involving alleged dental malpractice
- Mediated disputes involving alleged attorney malpractice
- Mediated disputes involving alleged malpractice by landscape architects
Personal Injury
- Mediated numerous personal injury and wrongful death cases arising from automobile and ATV accidents
- Mediated multiple premises liability claims involving the design and maintenance of retail commercial spaces including but not limited to hotels and grocery stores
- Mediated several claims involving the design, maintenance, striping and signage of parking lots
- Mediated wrongful death case involving alleged negligent design of freeway bypass and signage
Civil Rights Cases - 42 U.S.C. § 1983
- Mediated civil rights disputes involving personal injury, excessive use of force and other claims
- Mediated civil rights disputes involving educational issues
