Lee Jay Berman grew up in his family’s retail clothing business, eventually becoming President in his mid-20s.  He understands all of the dynamics inherent in a family or closely-held business.  He also spent time working in a division of a Fortune 500 company, navigating those ranks in a highly structured,
conservative corporate culture.  He has since consulted with businesses of all sizes and cultures in
leadership development, succession planning, and coaching executive leadership teams to become high
performing, collaborative, visionary leaders.
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He began as a full-time mediator 29 years ago, and has successfully mediated over 2,700 matters, many of which were high profile cases.  Chambers USA has ranked him as one of the top commercial mediators in the U.S. from 2018-2023, naming him to their “Band 1” as one of the top 13 mediators in the U.S. He was voted by his colleagues into the Who’s Who Legal in International Commercial Mediation from 2012- 2023.  The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN) named him their inaugural
“Distinguished Neutral of the Year” in 2017, the Southern California Mediation Association honored him
with their Cloke-Millen Peacemaker of the Year award in 2021 and their Randolph Lowry Award in 2010,
and California’s Daily Journal twice named him “Top Neutral”.  He is an American Arbitration
Association “Master Mediator” for employment matters, a national panelist on their commercial and
construction panels, and a select mediator on their International Center for Dispute Resolution panel.  He
is a Distinguished Fellow with the International Academy of Mediators, and a Charter Diplomat with the
NADN.
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Prior to becoming a mediator, Lee Jay also had a lengthy career in the real estate and construction
industry, working as an executive in Land Acquisition and forward planning for Pardee and Ryland
Homes where among other responsibilities, he handled the negotiation for purchasing tens of millions of
dollars of land, worked on the appraisal and analysis of property, land development issues, land
management including environmental and endangered species concerns, and market analysis of the
housing products to be constructed.  In this role, he was frequently mediating between his company and
the sellers of large land parcels, and between the design, engineering, and construction groups within
those companies. He has also served in the following roles:

• BMC Associates West Coast Director; 2021 to Present
• The Mediation Offices of Lee Jay Berman – Commercial Mediator; 1994 to Present
• American Institute of Mediation – Founder, President and Lead Trainer; 2008 to Present
• Leadership Development Partners – Leadership Consultant and Executive Coach; 2005 to
  Present
• Director, Pepperdine Law School’s “Mediating the Litigated Case” program 2002-2009
• Santa Barbara Superior Court, Director, Court Administered Dispute Resolution (CADRe)
  Program, 1999-2000
• Ryland Homes, Vice President, Land and Development, Los Angeles Division
• Pardee Construction Co, Director Land Acquisition, Pardee Environmental Group

Education

• 1983 Bachelors, Economics, UCLA

Professional Affiliations

• Distinguished Fellow, International Academy of Mediators, 2003-present
• Charter Diplomat, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, 2010-present
• Charter Diplomat, California Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, 2007-present
• State Bar of California, Standing Committee on ADR, 2006-2009
• ABA Section on Dispute Resolution, National Chair, Training Committee, 2003-
  2007
• California Dispute Resolution Council (CDRC), 1995-present
• Mediators Beyond Borders, Charter Mediator Member, 2009-present
• Southern California Mediation Association, 1994-present, Chair Courts Committee,
  2005
• Beverly Hills Bar Association, Litigation, Real Property and ADR Sections, 2000-
  present
• California Lawyers Association, 2018-present
• Culver Marina Bar Association, 2018-present