Automotive Dispute Resolution   Lewis R. Linet, Jr., Ph.D. "An American Resolutionary" CarSpeakADR 818-772-6464 Lew@CarSpeakADR.com

Music Business – Managed and Produced Rock and Folk groups in the 1960’s and 1970’s including the rock group KISS.  Produced and coordinated concerts and large outdoor music festivals including The Philadelphia Folk Festival, Newport Folk Festival at Carnegie Hall, and Nassau Community College Folk Festival.  Talent coordinated TV show Philadelphia Folk Festival 1970 for PBS.

Automobile Business - Upon arriving in Los Angeles in 1978, entered the Automobile Business.  Started in Retail Sales & Management and then, in 1986, moved into Sales & Management Training and Dealership Consulting through the founding of American Auto Seminars and AmericanAutoSeminars.com.  Since then has trained literally thousands of the industry’s best salespeople some of whom are now dealers.

Expert Witnessing – 1995, commenced providing Auto Industry Expert Witness and Case Preparation services to attorneys in the area of Dealership Standards & Practices.  Has testified in dozens of cases at both depositions and trials.

A Mediator is a Settlement Salesman.  A Salesman since the age of 6, Dr. Linet has gained the skills of a master negotiator.  Through door-to-door sales as a child followed by negotiating performing artists’ record, publishing and agency deals and through negotiating and managing thousands of automobile purchasing and leasing transactions, he has accumulated and created closing techniques that are used today by some of the finest negotiators in all areas of sales.  His book, The Deal or The Art Of The 4-Square is considered the bible of Automotive Negotiation and has sold in the thousands worldwide.  He has mediated hundreds of Dealership Sales, Leasing, Financing and Service Disputes. Los Angeles Superior Court ADR Panel.

Fraud, Unfair Business Practices, 17200 Issues, Document Disclosures, Finance Reserve, Sales, Leasing & Management Procedures, Prior Rentals, Title History, Service Contracts, Purchase/Lease Flips, Spanish Contracts, Wrongful Termination, Employment Contracts, Discrimination, Payment-Packing, Regulation Z, Regulation M, AB 68, Song-Beverly, Lemon Law, Single Document, Safety Inspection, Wrongful Death, Negligent Entrustment, Sales Training, After-Market Sales, Advertising, Civil and Vehicle Codes, Product Defects, Class Actions.

Throughout my thirty-two years in the Automobile Business and fifteen years as an Expert Witness in the area of Dealership Standards & Practices, I’ve felt that most of the cases, in which I’ve testified, could have, should have and would have been settled if only an Auto Industry Mediator, that is, one who knows “CarSpeak” had been employed to bring the opposing parties to settlement.

As we both know trial is, at best, risky business, fraught with more potholes than the streets of L.A. after a rain storm.  How often do you go in with a “slam-dunk” but come out with a “penalty”?  Clearly, Mediation is the best path to take whenever possible.

As I considered expanding my Witness practice into Mediation, and aware of the fierce competition,  I researched all of the ADR panels I could find but could not find one single Mediator with an Auto Industry background and yet, there’s so much automobile-related litigation happening.  As a car business insider, I’m able to bring, to the table, specialized information helpful in facilitating resolutions that are truly wins for all parties.

My father, who practiced law for seventy-five years, used to tell me that there are always at least two legitimate sides to every story.  Having now testified for both plaintiffs and defendants, in the words of Joni Mitchell, “I’ve looked at life from both sides now” and therefore bring, to Mediation, a tremendous sense of neutrality and understanding.

A great Mediator or “Settlement Salesman” has to be a great Closer that is, a master of the “Would-ja-takes”, “If-I-could-wouldjas” and the “What-ifs”.  I have closed, literally, thousands of deals and, through Dealership Management and Expert Witnessing, have encountered all of the disputes which arise in the car business. I am expert in Industry Standards & Practices and have a great understanding of relevant law.  Most importantly, I know “CarSpeak” and am able to identify the issues & interests, uncover hidden agenda, come up with creative solutions and, most importantly, save you a lot of time and money.