Richard M. Coleman, Esq.
A trial lawyer with more than four decades of experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants, Dick Coleman has served as a neutral since 1996. Since 2000, he has taught Negotiation and Settlement Advocacy at Pepperdine’s Straus Institute, rated by US News & World Report as the #1 graduate program in Dispute Resolution. As his experience suggests, Dick is an excellent settlement officer, known for putting the parties at ease with his relaxed, affable style. His natural instincts for working with people enhance his ability to resolve all types of disputes.

Dick frequently is recommended as a discovery referee by Superior Court judges who appreciate his impeccable attention to detail, knowledge of the law and take-charge attitude. Dick writes on the subject of discovery for the Los Angeles Daily Journal. His columns have ranked among the publication’s most widely read articles and his insights “hit the nail on the head,” according to a federal judge.

A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Dick Coleman provided litigation, mediation and arbitration -services for -various corporations, law firms and individual clients which included, among others, TRW, the Ralph M. Parsons Company, GTE, Zurn Industries, Kindel & Anderson, William Peter Blatty and Conway Twitty. Dick has lectured and served on panels on mediation for ABOTA, the Los Angeles Superior Court, UCLA, Pepperdine, and other organizations. He is a former president of the Los Angeles County and Century City bar associations, and the National Caucus of Metropolitan Bar Leaders.

SPECIALIZES IN:
Contract, corporate, employment, entertainment, fraud, medical and legal malpractice, real estate, security, business and personal injury tort cases.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS:

  • McKibbin Excellence In Teaching Award, 2006, Pepperdine University School of Law.
  • Lawyer of the Year Award, 2001, Malibu Bar Association.
  • Daniel O’Connell Award for career achievement and community contribution, 1997.
  • Outstanding Service Award, 1989 and Outstanding Achievement Award, 1975, 1977, 1979, Century City Bar Association.
  • Los Angeles Trial Lawyer’s President’s Award for Outstanding Contributions, 1981, 1982.
  • One of 10 national recipients, Prettyman Fellowship in Trial Advocacy, Georgetown University.

EDUCATION:

• C.D.R. (1999), Pepperdine Law School
• LL.M (1961), Georgetown Law Center
• J.D. (1960), Harvard Law School
• A.B., (1957), Georgetown University,
Summa Cum Laude

AVAILABLE:

Southern California.