MARK FINGERMAN, ESQ.

MEDIATOR

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 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

Mark Fingerman is a mediator for civil disputes with an emphasis on business, family business, partnership, and trust and estate disputes. Mark’s mediation style derives from 28 years of state and federal trial practice transformed by a Masters Degree in Dispute Resolution and mindfulness training as a teacher of yoga, meditation and applied contemplative practices, enabling him to offer mindfulness based mediation with an edge. 

“Mindfulness” refers to compassionately engaging the parties and counsel, without judgment, enabling the participants to gain a more complete view of the conflict. This includes conversing directly with the parties. The “edge” refers to the use of proven mediation techniques, including frank case evaluation as needed, with an emphasis on assisting the parties in making a deal. My goal is to work with counsel and their clients to efficiently guide the parties to a durable resolution based on reasons they understand and accept.  

As a lawyer, Mark’s clients ranged from institutional to individual, including insurance defense, multinational, government agency, the Republic of France and small business in both simple and complex cases. Mark has been successfully mediating court panel (USDC, LASC, California Court of Appeals) and private cases since 2010. 


After 9 great years at ADR Services, I am now an independent mediator. I have made this move to have more flexibility in how I provide mediation services. I am forever grateful for the guidance, support and friendship from Lucie Barron, her team and my colleagues at ADR Services, in particular, from my dear friend and mentor, Ralph Williams. ADR Services was always the go-to in my lawyering days and my time on the panel confirmed it as the best all-around large scale provider of dispute resolution services. 

AREAS OF SPECIALTY

  • Business 
    All manner of business disputes including: Breach of Contract; Partnership disputes; Fraud; Ownership/Control disputes among owners and third parties. 


  • ​Trust, Estate & Probate.  

​         ​Beneficiary disputes, Inheritance rights, Undue influence and capacity, Guardianship custody and visitation.​


  • Partnership Dissolution. 

            Business divorces usually with personal and emotional issues impeding resolution. 


  • Real Estate 

    • Failure to disclose; Broker liability; Lease Disputes; Landlord/tenant, commercial and residential; boundary disputes; easements. 


  • Personal Injury 

         ​Toxic Tort, Auto v. Auto, Premises Liability, Food Poisoning. 

  • Intellectual Property 
    Trade Secret, Trademark, Unfair Competition. 

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  • Employment

​          Wrongful termination; discrimination; harassment. 

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  • Insurance Coverage 

         Homeowner’s and Commercial General Liability insurance policies. 


MEDIATION EXPERIENCE


  • 2013 - 2022  ADR Services, Inc., Los Angeles and Orange County offices. Court mediation panels (USDC, LASC, California Court of Appeals) 2010 - present. 


 LITIGATION EXPERIENCE 

  • 2001-2012 Jacobson, Russell, Saltz & Fingerman - Partner 
  • 1999-2001 Valensi Rose - Partner 
  • 1986-1997 Bergman, Dacey, Goldsmith – Partner 

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​EDUCATION 

  • 1979 BA (Philosophy), University of California at San Diego 
  • 1981 JD, California Western School of Law in San Diego 
  • 2011 LL.M in Dispute Resolution, Strauss Institute, Pepperdine Law School 


PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS 

State Bar of California; Santa Monica Bar Association, past member Board of Directors; Beverly Hills Bar Association, member; Los Angeles County Bar Association, member; ProVisors, Group Leader; Association of Surfing Lawyers, past President. 

HONORS

2009 Chevalier de L’Ordre National du Mérite (Knight of the National Order of Merit), Republic of France 

PERSONAL

  • 2010 RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher), Yoga Alliance (Max Strom) 
  • 2016 Teacher Training, Mindfulness-Based Emotional Intelligence, by Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (Google offshoot)