Len Gross – Mediation & Arbitration Services
Contact: Mediation@lengross.com – 310-991-9892
Trust, Experience, Professionalism
Len Gross is a highly regarded certified mediator, and arbitrator, in Southern California specializing in resolving commercial disputes. He has mediated over 70 cases at LA County Superior Court. He also effectively mediates and arbitrates fee disputes between attorneys and their clients on behalf of the Attorney-Client Mediation & Arbitration Division (ACMAS) of the LA County Bar Association (LACBA). ACMAS has acknowledged Len’s skill in conducting these proceedings online by presenting him their valued ZOOM certification.
Further, Len serves as an arbitrator for FINRA (Financial Industry National Regulatory Authority), an arm of the SEC. FINRA arbitrators primarily evaluate and resolve significant disputes between clients and their financial advisors making justified awards as they determine necessary.
Based on his extensive experience and accomplishments, Len is recognized as a Certified Mediator by the Mediator Certification Consortium of California, commonly called MC3. This prestigious award signifies he not only possesses the training and knowledge to mediate complex cases, he has committed to comply with ethical standards of the profession as well as participate in ongoing personal development.
Len is a member of the Southern California Mediation Association, the New York State Bar Association, and a public speaker for its public outreach initiative, a Senior Scholar at UCLA, and a retired CPA. Previously, he served as a senior executive for over 40 years at major companies with operations throughout the United States and overseas. This broad and diverse background enables Len to bring an insightful and evenhanded perspective to cases where he assists the parties attain an acceptable solution or where applicable renders an arbitrator’s opinion to settle the disagreement. His insights are logical, direct and fully appropriate to the issues being contested.
Commercial Mediation Cases
A sample of mediated cases Len has handled includes:
- Enabled property owners to take possession of rental units where tenant was delinquent in rent; parties agreed to timing of tenant vacancy and payment of past due rents.
- Settled variety of auto accident claims; where insurer contributed settlement amount, or where insurer denied responsibility, or where responsible party had no liability insurance.
- Resolved habitability claims by tenant, in which property owner agreed to remedy essential defects thereby obtaining quick approval from tenant and City’s Department of Building Safety.
- Reconciled bitter dispute between mother and son over respective property rights enabling son to continue residing in rental unit while paying property taxes, and mother retaining ownership
- Facilitated acceptance by municipal officials of updated handicap parking configuration allowing property owner to continuing renting commercial units without interruption.
- Developed revised debtor payment schedules, in which creditor(s) concluded collection of promissory note was more likely under modified program accepted by debtor
Arbitration and Mediation Fee Dispute Cases
Representative fee-based suits Len mediated or arbitrated:
- Acting as mediator, Len enabled two attorneys to resolve dispute over their respective share of contingency $175,000 client award. Settlement averted lien filing and subsequent litigation
- Client asserted attorney’s $135,000 fees charged were unconscionable. Arbitration panel of which Len was “lay” member determined that facts failed to support client’s claim.
- Client claimed law firm had not effectively addressed lawsuit between Client and his sister concerning mother’s estate. Len helped resolve in which Client promptly paid reduced balance.
- Client believed Law Firm had failed to protect its interests in intellectual property litigation. Arbitration Panel, including Len, determined that Law Firm had handled the case properly.
Extensive Business Background
Len’s relevant experience includes having been CEO, COO and CFO of domestic and world-wide companies. In these positions, he has managed organizations varying from 38 to 1250 employees. With locations operating from a single site to those with 110 installations. With revenues under $4 million, to those with annual sales over $500 million. In his management capacities, he mediated and effectively resolved substantial disputes internal to the businesses as well as with outside organizations.
Broad Training
Len’s in-depth professional mediation training began with attending the American Arbitration Association’s comprehensive mediation skills workshop course. Thereafter, he received mediation and arbitration instruction from the LA County Consumer & Business Affairs Department, the LA County Bar Association, the Financial Industry National Regulatory Authority, and personal mentoring by veteran mediators with the Southern California Mediation Association. His experience and knowledge is continually being updated by attending seminars sponsored by respected mediation and arbitration associations. Responding to current needs, he has been certified to conduct reliable online mediations and arbitrations using the ZOOM platform.
Applying this training and resulting experience, Len has developed a mediation style which is facilitative, gradually convincing each side to temper their demands where warranted. This blend of assisting the parties reach their own resolution, or offering a new approach to which they can agree, enables the parties to overcome obstacles that often arise during mediation. These proven practices establish Len as a highly valued mediator.
Advantages of Mediation
Mediation has several vital advantages compared to legal action. These benefits include:
1. Self-determination
2. Certainty
3. Reduced costs
4. Time
5. Confidentiality
Specialization
- Breach of commercial contract
- Purchase and sales contracts
- Commission practices
- Sales agent arrangements
- Financing agreements
- Unlawful detainer disputes
- Property habitability disagreements
- Automobile accidents
- Fee disputes over services provided
Attorney Endorsements
“Len Gross’ various management positions have required him to successfully negotiate the resolution of disputes with both vendors and customers and to coordinate with counsel and Human Resources personnel in working through employer/employee disputes. He has handled these diligently with an eye toward fairness, always striving for a win-win resolution”
Jerry Witkow – General Counsel to Shapco, Inc.
“Len Gross attacked tasks and issues with vigor and determination and always considered, among other things, the facts presented, the legal setting, his options and the impact of pursuing a particular course. In his dealings I found him to be straightforward and decisive, but at the same time, concerned for the interests of the other parties”.
William Locher-Gibbs, Giden, Locher, Turner, Senet & Wittbrodt LLP
“I am pleased to reference the work of Leonard Gross as a volunteer mediator with the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs’ Mediation Program. Mr. Gross has worked with me, a volunteer attorney mediator, in mediating several cases to which we have been assigned by the Los Angeles Superior Court’s landlord-tenant court. While Mr. Gross is not an attorney, I am impressed with his intelligence and ability to rapidly understand the essence of the nature of the dispute between the parties, each side’s goals and needs that must be dealt with to achieve a mutually acceptable resolution of the case, and his creative proposals that have helped bring many of our cases to successful settlement agreements.”
Richard A. Weisz, Esq.
RATES
| HALF DAY | FULL DAY | |
| Fees | $750 | $1,250 |
| Duration | 4 hours | 8 hours |
| Additional time fees | $200/hr. | $200/hr. |
| Deposit | 50% est. duration | 50% est. duration |
| Administrative Fee | None | None |
| Rescheduling Fee – at least 8 hours’ notice | None | None |
| Rescheduling Fee – under 8 hours’ notice | 25% of deposit | 25% of deposit |
| Cancellation Fee – at least 5 days’ notice | None | None |
| Cancellation Fee – under 5 days’ notice | 50% of deposit | 50% of deposit |
| Follow-up to resolve claim if not settled at mediation session, if desired | No charge | No charge |