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Eleissa C. Lavelle , Esq.

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    Biography
    General Biography
    Practice Areas & Industries
    Business Commercial
    Construction
    Construction Defect
    Engineering & Construction
    Estate Probate Trusts
    Higher Education & Title IX
    Insurance
    Personal Injury
    Professional Liability
    Real Property
    Surety
    Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities
    Background and Education
    Eleissa C. Lavelle, Esq. mediates and arbitrates complex and high-conflict disputes. Her areas of practice include construction, real estate, surety, title insurance, and business acquisition, management and dissolution.  She has significant experience in estate and trust administration, professional liability and personal injury matters. Ms. Lavelle has served as a neutral for more than 20 years. Ms. Lavelle was a shareholder in national, regional and Nevada law firms, practicing for more than 30 years before joining JAMS.  She was also General Counsel for the Clark County School District, which is the fifth largest school district in the United States, overseeing construction, real estate, employment, personal injury and worker’s compensation matters and mediated disputes among and between educators, administrators, school board trustees and parents.
     
    Ms. Lavelle brings a calm and common-sense approach to every dispute. 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 was selected as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

    Representative Matters

    • Business Commercial
        • Arbitrated disputes regarding breach of employment contracts
        • Mediated and arbitrated disputes concerning dissolution of businesses
        • Mediated and arbitrated disputes involving fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and mismanagement of publicly traded and private companies
        • Arbitrated and mediated consumer disputes involving credit card companies, banks 
    • Construction
        • Arbitrated and mediated disputes among public and private owners, developers, contractors, lenders and sureties involving delay, disruption, and defective design and construction
        • Mediated disputes between insurers 
        • Arbitrated and mediated disputes concerning payment and performance bonds
        • Arbitrated and mediated disputes between contractors and subcontractors
    • Education and Civil Rights
        • As General Counsel for the Clark County, Nevada School District, mediated and conducted conflict management between and among disputing parents, administrators, employees and trustees
        • Mediated disputes involving public and private educational institutions
        • Mediated civil rights disputes involving personal injury, excessive use of force and other Civil Rights claims
    • Estate Probate Trusts
        • Served as Trustee of trusts involving sale of business, real property, and competing interests among beneficiaries
        • Arbitrated and mediated disputes concerning management of trust estate and breach of fiduciary duty by trustee
        • Arbitrated and mediated disputes among family members 
        • Mediated guardianship disputes
    • 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
    • Personal Injury
        • Mediated and arbitrated Personal injury and wrongful death cases involving vehicle accidents, including those arising from alleged negligent design and maintenance of highways
        • Mediated Premises liability 
    • Professional Liability
        • Arbitrated and mediated disputes involving skilled nursing facilities
        • Mediated and Arbitrated Medical and dental malpractice claims
        • Mediated attorney malpractice claims
        • Arbitrated landscape malpractice claims
    • Real Property
        • Mediated leasehold disputes involving commercial landlords, tenants and lenders 
        • Mediated title insurance coverage and payment disputes
        • Mediated claims involving abandonment of leasehold by anchor tenants 
        • Mediated disputes concerning tenant improvements 
        • Arbitrated and mediated disputes involving mixed-use developments 
        • Arbitrated and mediated Community Association disputes 
        • Mediated work-out agreements between lenders, borrowers and guarantors involving distressed properties
        • Mediated disputes involving real estate brokers and agents

    Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

    Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS. 

     
    • Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
    • Recognized as a “Best Lawyer in America,” The Best Lawyers in America, 2024
    • Recognized as a “Best Lawyer in Construction Law” The Best Lawyers in America, 2023, 2026
    • Recognized as a “Best Lawyer,” The Best Lawyers in America, 2020-2023
    • Recognized as a “Super Lawyer,” Mountain States Super Lawyers
    • Adjunct Faculty — Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
      • Real Estate Finance
      • Negotiation
    • Nevada Supreme Court Settlement Judge
    • Faculty, National Institute of Trial Advocacy Seminars, Las Vegas, Nevada (Taking and Defending Depositions)
    • U.S. District Court for Nevada’s Section 1983 Inmate Early Mediation Program Mediator Panel
    • Former General Counsel, Clark County School District
    • Former Member and Chairman, Clark County School District Bond Oversight Committee
    • Member
      • State Bar of Nevada
      • Utah State Bar

    Recent Publications

    • “Timing Is Everything: Balance Risk and Opportunity to Decide When to Mediate,” and "Timing Is Everything: When is hte Best Time to Mediate," JAMS Global Construction Solutions, Spring 2014
    • “Payment and Lien Statutes Are Potential Landmines,” Modern Contract Solutions, 2010
    • “Negotiation in the Red Zone: Excelling When It’s Critical,” JAMS Global Construction Solutions, Winter 2017

    Speaking Engagements

    • State Bar of Nevada - April 29, 2021 - Nuts and Bolts of Negotiation
    • Pima County, Arizona, Bar Association - Zoom Mediations, Arbitrations and Hearings, 2020
    • Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys - Advanced Mediation Strategies, 2017
    • JAMS Global Engineering and Construction Group Biennial Conference, February 22, 2018 - Facilitative and Evaluative Styles and Strategies in Mediating Construction Disputes
    • Fidelity National Law Group, October 17, 2017 - Persuasive Pre-Trial Advocacy in Litigation
    • STRATEGIC MOTION PRACTICE THROUGHOUT LITIGATION: The When, Why and How of Pleading Wars, Discovery Wars, Sanctions and all Sorts of Motions (Panel)
    • HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF MEDIATION: Six Things to Consider in the Process (Panel)
    • State Bar of Nevada, October 6, 2017 - Negotiation Skills
    • State Bar of Nevada, December 7, 2016 - Ethics in Negotiation and Settlement
    • "Mediation Advocacy," Nevada State Bar Young Lawyers (panel discussion), 2015
    • "Effective Use of Experts in Arbitration," State Bar of Nevada Annual Meeting, 2014
    • "Arbitration Clauses for Commercial Transactions and Disputes," Association of Corporate Counsel, 2014
    • "Ethical Aspects of Building an Arbitration Practice," American Bar Association Webinar, 2013
    • "Exploring the Pros and Cons of Mediation," Association of Corporate Counsel (panel discussion), July 2013
    • "Legislative Update: Common Interest Community Operation, Management and Dispute Resolution," State Bar of Nevada Webinar, 2013
    • Settlement Conference Training, Clark County District Court Judges, 2013
    • "Strategies to Streamline Your Arbitration," Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys, 2013
    • "Strategies for Managing Disputes and Claims Without Litigation," Construction Management Association of America, South Nevada Chapter, 2012
    • Presentations on effective strategies for mediation and arbitration to various private law firms in Nevada and Utah

    Background and Education

    • L.L.M. Degree in Dispute Resolution, Straus Institute at Pepperdine University School of Law
    • J.D. and B.A., University of Utah
      • Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi
    • General Counsel, Clark County School District
    • Partner, Duane Morris LLP
    • Partner, Watt, Tieder, Hoffar & Fitzgerald LLP
    • Shareholder, Lavelle & Associates, PC
    • State Bar of Nevada’s First Bar Counsel
    Counsel Comments

     

    • "In mediation and arbitration, Eleissa is “conscientious, relentless, well prepared.”

      - Prominent Las Vegas attorney
    • “[Ms. Lavelle] performed phenomenally and made me look like a hero to my office and my client. I remain very grateful for her attention and service in this matter and prior matters.”
    • “Ms. Lavelle had a great understanding of the issues and her background in real estate matters was quite helpful.”
    • “[Ms. Lavelle] balanced the table extremely well.”
    • “[Ms. Lavelle’s] bluntness backed by her experience was very effective for all sides.”
    • “Mediator Lavelle listened to my concerns prior to the mediation…and prepared herself for the case issues that arose at the mediation hearing.”
    • “Her ability to present strengths and weaknesses of case and to be persistent” made a decisive difference in the outcome."
    • “Lisa Lavelle, if there were more of you, a lot could be accomplished.”
    • “Quick and was insightful.”
    • “Ms. Lavelle did a fantastic job.  The parties were far apart and at a perceived impasse.  Twice she went back and brought the parties closer until the deal was closed.  An all-around pleasurable experience.”
    • “Ms. Lavelle was one of the best mediators I have ever worked with.  She worked extremely hard over 6.5 hours to get it globally settled in a difficult case.  Could not have been more satisfied.”
    • “[Ms. Lavelle] was very patient, tireless in her efforts and her commitment to the process was obvious.  Before the mediation began my expectation was no settlement agreement would be reached.  Ms. Lavelle is an exceptional mediator.”
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