Resume

ADR EXPERIENCE

Robert S. Mann, Esq. is widely respected as one of California’s pre-eminent dispute resolution professionals. Selected for five consecutive years as one of the Top 50 Neutrals in California by the Daily Journal, and a multi-year Super Lawyer in Dispute Resolution, he has successfully mediated thousands of complex real estate, business and construction disputes and issued thoughtful, fair and impartial arbitration awards in a variety of challenging disputes.

Mr. Mann’s technical expertise in real estate and construction is unmatched. This experience allows him to help parties and their counsel understand and manage the risk in these expert-driven and factually complex matters. His experience as a trial lawyer (he has tried over 70 cases to verdict and was lead counsel in the longest construction arbitration in the history of the California operations of the AAA—261 hearing days) and his experience in managing construction projects as an owner’s representative, gives him a unique perspective and ability to settle even the most difficult and hotly contested matters. He is the author of more than 50 published articles on mediation and arbitration and he is the published author of a major technical book on construction, Defect-Free Buildings, published in 2007 by McGraw-Hill.

Mr. Mann is known for his calm yet extraordinarily persuasive demeanor, his ability to rapidly assimilate the most complex facts and legal issues, and an uncanny sense of the critical issues that will guide the outcome of trials and arbitrations. He is sought after for his ability to resolve even the most difficult of cases, especially those involving strong emotions and strong personalities.

Mr. Mann has special expertise in real estate matters involving non-disclosure, broker malfeasance, escrow issue, title company issues, and commercial and residential lease disputes. He has likely resolved more real estate non-disclosure disputes than any other mediator in California. He also has substantial expertise in business disputes of all kinds including partnership disputes.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Construction Law
• Real Estate
• Business and Commercial
• Real Estate Broker Malfeasance
• Homeowners Association Disputes
• Professional Liability
• Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith
• Wrongful Death and Personal Injury
• Employment
• Intellectual Property and Entertainment

EDUCATION

• J.D. cum laude, 1977, Santa Clara University School of Law
• A.B., 1974, Stanford University

LEGAL CAREER

1998-2021       President, The Mann Law Firm
1993-1998       Partner, Colton Mann Partnership
1979-1998       Partner, Fierstein & Sturman Law Corp.
1977-1979       Deputy Los Angeles City Attorney

Mr. Mann has more than forty years of experience in construction, real estate and business litigation. Nearly 100% of his practice was devoted to construction law matters, including representation of owners, developers, general contractors, subcontractors, specialty contractors, architects, and engineers. He is a Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America (CLSA), an invitation-only, selective and limited membership international association of the world’s best construction lawyers.

Among his accomplishments, Mr. Mann obtained an award in excess of $90 million (the largest construction defect arbitration award in California history); obtained other multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements in various business, construction and real estate matters; defended major institutional clients in complex construction cases having over $35 million in exposure; has two published appellate decisions; and served as expert witness in construction disputes.

His experience includes all aspects of construction disputes, including construction defect, delay, disruption, mechanic’s liens, change orders, private and public works, multi-family, multi-party, residential and commercial. He has substantial technical expertise in building, including a thorough understanding of infrastructure (including dry and wet underground utilities), sewer systems, septic systems, soils and geotechnical issues, foundations, framing, fenestration, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, exterior plaster systems, roofing, waterproofing, civil engineering and mold. He also served as an expert witness regarding the reasonableness of attorney’s fees and standard of care in construction defect disputes.

PUBLICATIONS

• Author, Defect-Free Buildings: A Construction Manual for Quality Control and Conflict Resolution 2007, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY
• Author of more than 50 published articles on mediation and arbitration
• Author of numerous appellate briefs with two published decisions
• Columnist for the Daily Journal on construction issues

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

• “The Architects Responsibility During Construction Administration,” Construction Law Seminar, Construction Specifications Institute/AIA, September 29, 2007
• “Effective Case Preparation for Commercial/Construction Mediation,” The Absolute Mediator, Pepperdine University, November 5, 2005
• 3rd Annual Avoiding and Resolving Construction Claims, West Coast Casualty (2014, 2015); Insurance Issues in Construction Litigation

ADR TRAINING

• AAA Dealing With Delay Tactics in Arbitration, 2007
• Arbitration Awards: Safeguarding, Deciding and Writing Awards, 2005
• AAA Commercial Arbitrator II Training, 2003
• AAA Arbitrator I Training – Fundamentals of the Arbitration Process, 2002
• Mediation Alliance, Basic and Advanced Mediation Training, 1996, 1997