Hon. Luis A. Lavin (Ret.)

Hon. Luis A. Lavin (Ret.) brings more than two decades of judicial experience at both the trial and appellate levels, offering parties a unique combination of real-time litigation insight and appellate-level perspective. A former justice of the California Court of Appeal, he authored more than 750 opinions on a wide range of issues, including the scope and enforceability of arbitration agreements, class certification, business disputes, insurance coverage, product liability, medical malpractice, employment discrimination, environmental law and real estate disputes. Justice Lavin also sat as a justice pro tem on the California Supreme Court on several occasions.

Justice Lavin handles a broad range of matters, including business, employment, entertainment, environmental, professional liability and real estate disputes. His appellate experience provides parties with a clear understanding of how legal arguments are likely to be viewed on review, making him especially effective in high-stakes and legally nuanced cases.

Known for his thorough preparation and clear, pragmatic communication style, Justice Lavin combines analytical rigor with a practical, solutions-oriented approach. He collaborates closely with the parties and counsel to overcome impasse, whether serving as a mediator or an arbitrator.

Before joining JAMS, Justice Lavin served nine years on the California Court of Appeal and 13 years on the Los Angeles Superior Court, where he presided over more than 100 bench and jury trials. As a trial judge, he was assigned to a writs and receivers department focused on challenges to governmental actions. His caseload included complex environmental matters involving CEQA and the Coastal Act, land use disputes, public employment issues and municipal affairs. He also ruled on requests for injunctive relief and receivership appointments involving corporate governance, trade secrets and real property disputes. Previously, he was assigned to a general jurisdiction civil trial department and managed cases from complaint to resolution, including ruling on class certification and summary judgment motions.

Earlier in his career, he served as a senior trial attorney with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice, general counsel for the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, and associate general counsel for the Directors Guild of America, where he oversaw arbitration matters in the entertainment industry. As a lawyer in private practice in San Francisco and Boston, he represented corporate clients in civil litigation and transactional matters.

Justice Lavin is also an experienced educator, having taught at Loyola, Southwestern and USC law schools, and regularly contributed to judicial education programs.

A naturalized U.S. citizen born in Cuba, Justice Lavin attended public schools before graduating from Cornell University and Harvard Law School. He is fluent in Spanish.

ADR Qualifications 

• Nine years on the California Court of Appeal, Second District, authoring more than 750 opinions
• 13 years on the Los Angeles Superior Court, presiding over 100 trials
• 16 years of legal experience, including eight years in the public sector, five years in private practice and three years as in-house counsel
• Conducted approximately 20 arbitrations as chief counsel or associate counsel for an entertainment guild
• Appointed as sole arbitrator in more than 100 arbitrations, including arbitrations involving business, entertainment, employment, professional liability and real estate disputes
• Mediated complex environmental dispute involving more than 100 landowners and numerous government entities
• Provided neutral evaluation in an appeal from a multi-million-dollar product liability judgment
• Participated in mock trials involving challenges to environmental regulations in the oil and gas industry and a lawsuit seeking to set aside fraudulent transfers to  numerous defendants