One of the most powerful ways in which the attorneys of Baker, Burton & Lundy make a difference in the legal world is with their mediation services and abilities. Long before it was fashionable (and profitable), all three of the attorneys volunteered for decades as mediators and arbitrators as a way to give back to the legal community as well as to promote peace among adversaries.
BRAD N. BAKER
Back in the early 90's, Brad Baker was also heavily involved in alternative dispute resolution. He was selected as a Judge Pro Tem for the Los Angeles Superior Court and has maintained this volunteer position for almost 20 years. Prior to becoming one of the state's most respected estate planners, Brad was a general practitioner and focused a significant amount of his legal practice and trial experience on family law matters. In this respect, he was able to bring both sides together more often than not and resolve matters without trial. This experience assists him greatly in his mediation and arbitration services as some of the most contentious and difficult disputes involve divorce. There is no such thing as a happy divorce but Brad is usually able to bring both sides together to a mediated resolution. As they say, a good mediation is where neither side is happy, but in Brad's mind, a good mediation is where both sides win and he strives for that win-win solution, never giving up as he truly wants the best for both sides. Brad is an excellent listener with an extremely bright and insightful intellect which allows him to identify the significant issues rapidly and work with both sides to understand the positives and negatives of their respective positions. His gregarious and humorous personality puts people at ease, even in the most stressful of situations, lending himself to peaceful resolution of oft times turbulent conflict. He is another reason why Baker, Burton & Lundy is the place to mediate your case.
KENT BURTON
Finally, Kent Burton can honestly say that he has been part of the evolution of mediation from its infancy in the mid 1980's to the place of prominence it holds today in the legal world. Mediation is a billion dollar business which grew out of the court system's need to resolve matters prior to trial, if possible. Kent's wife Lauren, was one of the founders in a partnership with the court system to provide mediation services, originally named the Neighborhood Justice Center, but now known as Dispute Resolution Services. Kent worked side by side with her in a voluntary capacity to implement these free services for the benefit of the community. In fact, Kent assisted Lauren when she drafted the legislation for funding for mediation services.
Kent Burton's expertise in mediation, especially regarding business disputes, is unparalleled. Because Kent is one of the most well known and foremost business and transaction lawyers in the South Bay, a significant number of the South Bay businesses, especially in the real estate and development industry, are his clients. Disputes happen and it is not infrequent that Baker, Burton and Lundy actually represent both parties in the dispute. For our clients, this is a blessing in disguise as frequently, both sides will simply agree to have Kent mediate the dispute and come to an equitable resolution. Kent's expertise in the business and real estate world make him the premiere transaction lawyer in the South Bay. It also puts him at the forefront in mediating these matters. Because of Kent's background and experience and insightful business acumen, Kent grasps the problems immediately and thinks about multiple choices and decision making paradigms. He can therefore lead both sides into agreeable business solutions which then leads both sides to have successful resolutions. As a true neutral, Kent is the agreed upon choice in the South Bay.
ALBRO L. LUNDY III
Back in 1989, Albro Lundy answered a call from then Presiding LASC Judge, and now Presiding Justice, Division One, Robert Mallano, to volunteer as a mediator in the Superior Court's settlement efforts – saving precious court resources and court time to resolve disputes prior to trial.
Since then, Albro has successfully mediated and resolved as a settlement officer for the court a multitude of varied and contentious cases using his broad background in litigation, mediating everything from personal injury and medical malpractice to construction defects and business disputes. In fact, Albro believes so strongly in mediation and the fact that everyone should have access to it without paying the sometimes outrageous sums of the private mediation and arbitration firms, that he has volunteered to be a member of a specially priced mediator's list within the Consumer Attorneys organization, commonly known as the $200/hour list. Because Albro has earned great respect on both sides of the bar and has been mediating and arbitrating cases for close to 20 years, it is not surprising that his services are valued in the South Bay and Southern California area.
