Biography
Lester J. Levy, Esq. has been a full time neutral for over 20 years. Mr. Levy is a renowned mediator and arbiter as well as settlement master/ombudsman and special master/referee. He uses his legal, analytical, and conciliation skills to craft the best possible resolution of each case. He is adept at handling large, complex cases involving multiple claims, parties and issues, and specifically those matters with long-term implications.
Representative Matters
- Arbitrated gender discrimination and hostile environment claims brought by two female employees against manager and insurance sales company
- Mediated dispute between employer and former employee of insurance brokerage regarding alleged violation of confidentiality and non-compete provisions with respect to the use of customer lists and related data
- Mediated whistleblower cases involving executives of financial institutions and government contracting firms
- Mediated wrongful discharge claims by employees of fast food restaurant on the basis of racial discrimination, harassment, and hostile environment
- Mediated pre-litigation executive compensation claims regarding the separation agreement and severance package for long-term executive displaced by reorganization following merger with national firm
- Mediated wrongful termination claim alleged to be in violation of public policy regarding psychiatric health care regulations
- Mediated personal injury and wrongful termination claims by railroad employee under Federal Employer Liability Act (FELA)
- Mediated employee claims related to exposure to toxic odors in the workplace
- Special Master, appointed by Federal District Judge, for wage and hour class (FLSA) action by Chinese-speaking employees of a Los Angeles daily newspaper
- Settlement Master for class of more than 200,000 special rate employees alleging wage and hour violations against a federal government employee union
- Discovery Referee to oversee depositions and written discovery disputes in a racial discrimination and wrongful termination action
- Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS
- Energy & Environmental Trailblazer, National Law Journal, 2016
- "ADR Swiftly Compensates Parties in Mass Actions and Toxic Tort Cases," New Jersey Law Journal, April 12, 2016
- "Mediation Can Accelerate Cleanup," New Jersey Law Journal, March 7, 2016
- Fellow, College of Commercial Arbitrators
- Founder, JAMS Class Action and Mass Tort Settlement Program
- Registered Mediator, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York
- Adjunct Professor, Alternative Dispute Resolution, University of San Francisco Law School
- Member, ADR Panels for the Northern California Federal District Court, and the Superior Courts of San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, and San Mateo Counties
- Member, ADR Panels for the Bankruptcy Courts in the Districts of Delaware and the Southern District of New York
- Former Vice Chair & Member, Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee, Tort Trial & Insurance Section of the American Bar Association
- Chair & Member, ADR Committee, American Bankruptcy Institute, 2005-2008
- Vice Chair, ADR Committee of ABA Section on Environment, Energy and Resources (SEER)
- Founder, JAMS Environmental Judicial College
- Trained in mediation/negotiation at Harvard Law School (Roger Fisher, author of Getting to Yes)
- Written and lectured on ADR to Bar Associations including the ABA, IBA, law firms, private companies, and law schools throughout the United States
- “A Comment on Communication and Complex Case Mediation,” Daily Journal, September 17, 2010
- "Mediator Creates Healthy Settlement Environment," ADR Profile, Daily Journal, March 23, 2007
- Munger, Tolles & Olson, San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, 1986-1994
- Law Clerk, Hon. Irving R. Kaufman, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1985-1986
- J.D., magna cum laude, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, 1985; Chief Articles Editor, Cardozo Law Review
- B.Mus., San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 1981, Classical Guitar Performance and Composition
Counsel Comments
- “Lester’s honest and direct style creates a trusting relationship and open dialogue with attorneys and their clients. He transforms the most complex and emotionally challenging disputes into a process the parties can use to constructively resolve their differences. He quickly identifies the key issues, sets a course of action including a range of possible settlements, then gets it done.”
- "...There are a lot of people who are not in the courtroom...that ought to be thanked, in particular, Mr. Levy, the special master, who, from my observations...has done an outstanding job shepherding this through, a very lengthy, time-consuming, difficult litigation because of the number of parties; and he simply has done a wonderful job, bringing this to a resolution."
- Federal Judge - “Lester Levy’s effectiveness as a mediator is the result of both a keen mind and relatable personality. He handles complex issues and challenging personalities with equal aplomb. The hallmark of an effective mediator is evenhanded persistence, and Lester is highly skilled at keeping the parties engaged and moving toward a mutually acceptable resolution.”
- “Lester takes the time to learn the nuances of each case so he can foster a constructive dialogue between the parties to achieve resolution. He always invests whatever it takes to make sure the case settles, never giving up until the documents are signed.”
- “Lester is thoughtful, and takes his time to speak directly with each party to better understand the issues. He is deliberate and careful in communicating messages between sides.”
- “He was very patient yet effective at permitting each side to put forth their arguments which led to a fair resolution for all parties. His knowledge of environmental litigation and the issue that surround it certainly helped move the mediation along.”
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Practice Areas
- Antitrust
- Arbitration
- Bankruptcy
- Business/Commercial
- Class Action/Mass Tort
- Employment
- Environmental
- Federal Law
- Financial Markets
- Franchise
- Higher Education & Title IX
- Insurance
- Intellectual Property
- Personal Injury/Torts
- Professional Liability
- Real Property
- Securities
- Settlement Master/Ombudsman
- Special Master/Discovery Referee
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