The Instructor

Lee Jay Berman began as a full-time mediator 30 years ago, and has successfully mediated over 2,700 matters as, many of which were high profile cases, as a private, independent commercial mediator. Ranked by Chambers USA for 7 years as one of the top commercial mediators in the U.S., and in Band 1 (top 16 in the U.S.) since 2023. He has been voted by his colleagues into the Who’s Who of International Commercial Mediation from 2012-2024, and they named him one of the 10 Global Thought Leaders in North America. ADR Times named him to their inaugural “Who’s Who in ADR”. The Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel honored him with their 2024 Counsel of the Year Award for Excellence in ADR. The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN) named him their inaugural “Distinguished Neutral of the Year” in 2017. California’s Daily Journal twice named him “Top Neutral”. The Statewide California Mediation Association has honored him with their their inaugural Excellence in Civil and Employment Mediation Award (2026), Cloke-Millen Peacemaker of the Year (2021) and L. Randolph Lowry Award (2010) for his work as a mediator, trainer, and thought leader in the field. He is a AAA Master Mediator for employment matters, a national panelist on their commercial, construction, entertainment and insurance panels, and a select mediator on their International Center for Dispute Resolution mediation panel. He is a Distinguished Fellow with the International Academy of Mediators, a Charter Diplomat with NADN, and was one of the first 5 U.S. mediators certified by the International Mediation Institute.

Also a popular trainer, Mr. Berman founded the American Institute of Mediation after seven years as Director of Pepperdine Law School's Mediating the Litigated Case program (ranked #1 nationally). He has trained mediators, judges, attorneys, and business leaders across North America, Mexico, Europe, and the Middle East, as well as India, Uzbekistan, Australia, and New Zealand.

Lee Jay has been interviewed on dozens of podcasts, published numerous articles on mediation and negotiation, and the American Bar Association will be publishing two of his books in 2025.

In addition to his professional endeavors, Mr. Berman is an active supporter of the TJ Martell Foundation, raising money for cancer research, an annual supporting member of UCLA’s’ Bruin Athletic Club of the Wooden Athletic Fund and a member of the UCLA Chancellor’s Society. He is on the Board of the Jessica Berman Foundation, raising money for breast cancer research and cerebral palsy, and he served for many years as a Trustee of Olive Crest Homes for Abused Children, and as President of Kids at Heart

For more information, please visit www.LeeJayBerman.com.