Mediator Resume

Lemke Mediation - Principal

Principal, Lemke Mediation, 2015 - Present; Lecturer, University of Southern California Law School, 2018 - Present; Adjunct Mediation Clinic Supervisor, Pepperdine University Law School, 2016 - 2024; Mediator, Los Angeles County Department of Consumer & Business Affairs - Dispute Resolution Program, 2014 - 2020; Senior Associate, Braden Hinchcliffe & Hawley LLP, 2005 - 2014; Associate, Selman & Breitman LLP, 2004 - 2005; Associate, Woolls & Peer, 2002 - 2004; Contract Attorney, Quisenberry & Kabateck LLP, 2001 - 2002.

Prior to transitioning to mediation, served as insurance coverage counsel for international and domestic carriers. Handled cases across a wide variety of areas, particularly employment, personal injury (including catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death), commercial, and construction. Over the course of legal career, served as Plaintiff and Defense counsel. Having served in each capacity enables me to see each case from every perspective and affords me the unique ability to identify litigation risk, value cases, and bring cases to closure. In addition to serving as Plaintiff, Defense, and Insurance Coverage counsel, and as a Judge Pro Tem, ADR experience includes serving as Mediator, Arbitrator, Settlement Officer, Early Neutral Evaluator, and Adjunct Faculty for two top-rated law schools’ mediation programs. This unique and comprehensive range of experience affords a 360-degree view of cases, and insight into their resolution.

Specialize in employment disputes. Resolved cases involving sexual harassment (whether opposite or same-sex), discrimination (whether racial, gender, gender expression, disability, or pregnancy), failure to accommodate (whether disability or religious), wrongful termination, retaliation, and wage and hour. Also specialize in personal injury, catastrophic personal injury, and wrongful death cases. Resolved cases involving automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, trucking accidents. Also resolved dog bite cases. Resolved premises liability, products liability, and commercial cases. Resolved real estate and housing cases (whether residential or commercial landlord-tenant, habitability, discrimination, failure to accommodate and Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance). Resolved insurance cases (involving coverage, bad faith, subrogation, and contribution).

Employment: harassment, wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, and wage & hour; Personal injury, catastrophic personal injury, and wrongful death; Landlord-Tenant: commercial and residential; Housing: habitability and Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance; Real Estate; Insurance: coverage, bad faith, contribution, and subrogation; Commercial, business, and breach of contract; & Construction defect, and particularly complex multi-party disputes.

Settlements must make sense to the parties. At the same time, rarely does either side have a perfect case. Accordingly, my approach is to assess the strengths & weaknesses of each case based upon the evidence, the law, the venue (including likely jury dynamics), and any “x factors,” then guide the parties in negotiating toward the ultimate resolution of their dispute. Every case is unique, and deserves a fresh eye. Every party deserves to be heard, and hearing each side is nearly always a necessary precursor to serious settlement discussions. Through patience, persistence, empathy, candor, a critical eye, tempered with experience, settlements become possible.

Pepperdine University Law School - Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution (LL.M. in Dispute Resolution - 2017); University of Southern California Law School (JD - 2000); University of California - Berkeley (BA, Legal Studies, Minor in Business Admin - 1997).

Admitted to the Bar: California (2001).

Southern California Mediation Association (former President) LGBT Bar Association of Los Angeles (former Co-Chair) International Academy of Mediators (Distinguished Fellow) National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (Member) Mexican American Bar Association (Member) Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (Lifetime member)

“Online Dispute Resolution,” Presentation to Judicial Leadership via Mediation Center of Los Angeles, 2019; “Online Defamation & Strategies for Settlement,” Southern California Mediation Association - Annual Conference, 2018; “Insurance Issues in Mediation,” Pepperdine Law School - Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, 2018; “Mediating with Insurers 101,” Southern California Mediation Association - Annual Conference, 2017; “Women’s Negotiation Academy,” Pepperdine Law School - Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, 2016 - 2018; “Mediating with Insurance & Update on Mediation Confidentiality,” LGBT Bar Association of Los Angeles, 2017; “Breaking Impasse,” Pepperdine Law School - Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, 2017; “Paralinguistics & Cross-Cultural Communication,” County of Los Angeles - Dispute Resolution Program, 2016; “Breaking Impasse & Forging Durable Settlements,” County of Los Angeles - Dispute Resolution Program, 2016; “Mediating Limited Civil Cases,” USC Law School, 2016; “Neurology in Communication: Congruent Non-Verbal Messaging,” Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, 2014.

Hourly Rate: Not provided Daily Rate: $9,000.00 Study Rate: Not provided Cancellation: Not provided Cancellation Period: 30 Days Comment: Applies to single-plaintiff, single-defendant, online mediations for '27.

English

United States of America

Los Angeles, California