“Unlike trial where the focus is on the past, mediation is intended to be forward-looking, offering parties a glimpse of how burdensome conflict can be ended. Two decades of General Counsel experience and two more devoted exclusively to dispute resolution have given me the ability to effectively guide parties through complex and emotionally charged disputes in real estate and commercial litigation. I approach each case with careful preparation, a thoughtful decision-making process, and the tenacity critical to success. These are the qualities that people want in their mediator, and which are essential to getting the job done.”
Case Administrator
Practice Areas
- Breach of Contract
- Business & Commercial Contracts
- Church & Religious Disputes
- Construction
- Employment
- Habitability
- Insurance
- Landlord/Tenant
- Partnership Dissolution
- Professional Liability
- Property Disputes
- Real Estate
- Sexual Harassment
Education
- J.D., Southwestern Law School
- B.A., UCLA, cum laude
Biography
Mark knows it is important for parties at mediation to feel they have been heard, and that their most pressing concerns have been understood. He has been especially effective mediating cases where ongoing business or familial relationships have broken down, and the parties need either to put things back on track, or alternatively, disentangle their affairs and permanently separate. He recognizes when flexibility and a creative solution may be needed, is adept at crafting settlements that account for risks and opportunities unique to the parties’ circumstances, and is knowledgeable in the insurance principles that can materially shape outcomes.
REAL ESTATE
Before dedicating himself to mediation, Mark was General Counsel to California’s largest independent real estate firm where he developed a deep knowledge of the real estate business and corporate operations. His work spanned brokerage, title, insurance, hospitality, and radio industries, giving him a broad perspective that continues to inform his practice.
Mark’s experience is both extensive and specialized. He has mediated disputes involving sales transactions, commercial leases, brokerage industry standards and disclosures, secured loans, title insurance, easement and encroachment issues, habitability, environmental hazards, homeowners’ associations, development, construction defects and contractor payments, and fair housing. He has worked with the nation’s largest financial institutions, shopping center operators, and office building owners, notably during periods of economic disruption and recession, when lease defaults and mortgage foreclosures are widespread.
BUSINESS
Mark also mediates matters involving business torts, partnership disputes, professional liability and fiduciary claims. He is recognized for his skill in balancing sophisticated legal issues with a sensitivity to the personal dynamics that often accompany these high-stakes conflicts.
EMPLOYMENT
Mark has mediated claims involving wrongful termination, sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour, and unfair competition, including many arising in the restaurant and hospitality sectors.
Beyond his work as a mediator, Mark has shared his expertise as a speaker and author, presenting for bar associations, trade groups, and industry organizations. His career reflects not only decades of experience and deep subject matter expertise but also an enduring commitment to fairness, professionalism, and the art of practical problem-solving.
Experience
- Mediator, Signature Resolution (2018-Present)
- Mediator, Mark Loeterman Mediation (2001–2018)
- General Counsel, Fred Sands Real Estate Company (1980–2000)
Professional Achievements and Memberships
- AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- California Real Estate Brokers: Law and Litigation—CEB (Consultant on chapter manuscripts)
Press
- Term Sheets and Mediator Proposals; Not Always Enforceable, but Valuable
- 2021 Real Estate Trends and ADR
- Virtual Mediation – Lessons Learned in a Pandemic
- Errors To Avoid When Drafting Stipulated Judgments In Calif.
- Employment Law and Religious Liberty Clash at the Supreme Court
- A ‘Partnership in Pain’ for Landlords and Tenants
- 3 Legal Developments California Real Estate Brokers Should Know
- California’s New Rules for Lawyers Move Closer to ABA Model
- Different Paths