Profile

Andrew S. (“Drew”) Pauly is an accomplished legal professional with over four decades of litigation and dispute resolution experience. Specializing in real estate, commercial, partnership, entertainment, and lending disputes, he has a proven ability to navigate complex legal matters and facilitate equitable resolutions as both neutral and counsel. He is recognized for integrity, preparation, and subject-matter expertise.

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

  • Real Estate
  • Business & Commercial Contracts
  • Partner/Member Disputes
  • Entertainment
  • Professional Liability
  • Landlord-Tenant
  • Partition
  • Lending
  • Fraudulent Transfers
  • Debtor/Creditor Rights
  • Receivership
  • Ancillary Remedies

MEDIATION APPROACH

  • “How can I help you? No, really.” Candid, practical, and solution-focused
  • Emphasis on preparation, direct communication, and realistic evaluation of risks/rewards
  • Skilled at reading the room, cutting through distractions, and generating creative solutions
  • Persistent post-mediation follow-up to keep cases moving forward

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

  • Completed Mediating the Litigated Case (42 hours) at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law, 2020
  • Extensive experience mediating diverse disputes for Federal and California state courts
  • Appointed arbitrator and advocate in numerous arbitration proceedings
  • Trial-tested litigator with a focus on real estate, title insurance, lending, partnership, and commercial law
  • Noted for collaborative problem-solving, fairness, deep legal knowledge, curiosity, and ability to distill simplicity out of tough situations

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Shoreline Law Firm fka Greenwald, Pauly, Foster & Miller; Stern, Neubauer, Greenwald & Pauly; Stern & Miller
Los Angeles, CA | 1983 – 2025

  • Lead counsel in high-stakes litigation involving public/private entities and high-net-worth individuals
  • Significant experience in mediation, arbitration, and trial work
  • Recognized for delivering boutique firm attention with large-firm capabilities

Associate, Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg & Tunney
Los Angeles, CA | 1979 – 1983

  • Litigation Department: participated in commercial, real estate, antitrust, aviation and entertainment cases

EDUCATION

University of California, Los Angeles – School of Law, J.D., 1979

  • Distinguished Advocate, Moot Court Honors Program
  • Extern Clerk, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Hon. David W. Williams)

Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, B.A. in Business and Administrative Studies, cum laude, 1976

  • Semesters away in Montreal, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon and University of Oregon Marine Biology Station, Charleston, Oregon

CERTIFICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS

  • Certified Mediator – Straus Institute, Pepperdine University School of Law
  • Member, Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Associations
  • Past Member, American Bar Association and Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL)
  • Former Special Master, State Bar of California
  • Former Chair, Programs Committee, Litigation Section, California State Bar
  • Former Member, California State Bar Committee on Administration of Justice
  • Appointed to Committees and advisory roles including Judicial Appointments and Receivership Ad Hoc Committees, Los Angeles County Bar Association

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS

  • Lecturer on receivership and judicial foreclosures (ABTL and LACBA)
  • Founder and former board member, California Receivers Forum
  • Leadership roles in education and children’s advocacy organizations:
    • Facing History and Ourselves (Leadership Council, Advisory Board, National Board)
    • The Mirman School for Gifted Children (Trustee)
    • California Collegiate Charter School (Board Chair)

Representative Cases

Commercial Contract/General Business

  • Mediated palimony/business dispute involving billionaire—reconciliation achieved.
  • Lengthy and contentious mediation between municipality and outdoor advertising company.
  • Handled a case with a major retailer attempting to force supplier to honor requirements in contract. Secured favorable settlement.
  • Settled claims against international automotive manufacturer in consumer class action brought under California’s Unfair Competition Law.
  • Handled case involving a large regional land developer in a bankruptcy proceeding filed by resort hotel that had defaulted on secured loan. Resulted in successful settlement deal approved by bankruptcy court under which developer gained control of the resort hotel asset.
  • Favorable settlements and dismissals of a variety of cases involving real property, commercial, employment, and other issues
  • Arbitration involving a set of partners seeking to be bought out of their partnership interests by the remaining partners and where both sides submitted drastically different appraisal valuations.
  • Handled case involving multi-million-dollar monopolization claim under the Sherman Act against Las Vegas hotel. Argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

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Real Estate / Real Property

  • Partition resolution involving large commercial site owned by tenants in common since the 1950’s in Pacific Palisades causing property to be sold and ultimately redeveloped.
  • Extensive experience in luxury property specific performance claims.
  • Participated in lead role in many cases with the California Association of Realtor purchase and sale forms at the core of the controversy.
  • Heavily involved in disputes over title insurance coverage and monitoring of claims handling.
  • Action by Fortune 50 retailer in trial and appellate courts to overturn injunction and allow completion of construction of large store.
  • Handled a case involving district’s attempt to invalidate deed restrictions in place for over 85 years with over 4000+ property owners.
  • Litigation involving purchasers of multi-million-dollar Beverly Hills home against home developer for non-disclosure and fraud arising from defective conditions in home. Settled before trial for over $2.5 million.
  • Handled many cases with large institutional lenders in various actions involving breaches of secured loans, including obtaining receivers for subject property pending foreclosures, obtaining relief from bankruptcy stays where debtor has filed bankruptcy, and securing writs of attachment against loan guarantors. Cases were filed in both state and federal courts throughout California.
  • Quiet title case involving commercial real property.
  • Favorable settlements and dismissals of a variety of cases involving real property, commercial, employment, and other issues
  • A large commercial tenant operating fast-casual restaurants was sued by its landlord for alleged breach of a properly terminated lease. Judgment was obtained at trial.
  • Case involving a Landlord attempting to compel arbitration of rental rates during an option period against a large commercial tenant operating a nationwide steakhouse chain.

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Entertainment

  • Handled a case involving a high-profile entertainment industry client in heavily publicized employee wrongful termination arbitration.
  • Entertainment conglomerate caught up in complex contract and fraud-based dispute against start-up motion picture company and its various principals and affiliates concerning the sale of various film projects – resulted in multi-million-dollar settlement secured by film projects with additional complex enforcement mechanisms.
  • Successfully extricated major film industry executive from dispute over artwork.
  • Handled a case involving an entertainment management firm against screenwriter regarding his failure to pay ten percent of gross earnings on blockbuster film. Screenwriter argued various defenses, including arguments under the Talent Agencies Act.

Testimonials

“Pauly quickly analyzed complex issues that had developed over years of litigation and a voluminous court record. He immediately identified the pressure points and potential paths to resolution. I have never worked with a mediator who so effectively grasped the full scope of a case in such a short time.”


“Beyond his legal expertise and experience as a neutral, Mr. Pauly has a unique ability to diffuse the emotion that builds over the life of a case while maintaining control of the process. He knows when to listen and when to push. I would gladly engage him again in future matters.”


“I hope Mr. Pauly continues to mediate for many years to come. I was deeply impressed by his ability to keep the parties at the negotiating table and his engagement throughout the process. During a lengthy negotiation, he remained responsive, available, and clearly committed to achieving the best outcome for the parties. That level of dedication is rare, and it had a profound impact.”


“Drew is one of the finest mediators I have encountered in my 24 years of practice. A recent matter he assisted me on involved a highly complex commercial cannabis dispute intertwined with fraud, public corruption, and potential appellate issues surrounding the dismissal of federal RICO and Fifth Amendment Takings claims. Client control is always a challenge, but in this case the difficulty was off the charts. Despite the contentious backdrop, Drew patiently navigated the maze of legal and factual issues with both sides. In only three hours, he was able to move the parties closer to resolution than we had managed in nearly three years of litigation. Although the case did not ultimately settle, Drew’s skill, patience, and ability to cut through entrenched positions were invaluable. I would not hesitate to recommend Drew for any complex, high-stakes dispute.”


“Drew is a highly effective mediator who I would strongly recommend for dispute resolution. He resolved a difficult matter for one of our firm’s most important clients where other mediators had previously failed. And he did so in both a quick and cost-effective manner. He was well prepared, thoughtful, practical, and used a no non-nonsense approach that garnered trust with both parties. With Drew’s assistance, the parties were forced to quickly grapple with the strengths and weaknesses of their respective positions, which resulted in successful resolution for our client.”


“Drew served as a mediator in an extremely challenging family-related dispute for an important and longstanding client of our firm. He displayed immense patience, knowledge, and perseverance in dealing with quite difficult parties. The mediation proved illuminating and ultimately may help in facilitating a resolution once the court rules. I believe Drew is exactly the type of neutral whom experienced litigators such as myself seek out for our cases.”


“As counsel who has worked with Drew Pauly, I highly endorse his mediation services. He was thoroughly prepared for our mediation and had clearly read and understood the materials the parties had provided in advance. He cut straight to the main issues in the case without anyone having to flag them for him and offered insightful, practical perspectives. He maintained a calm, neutral presence that helped facilitate settlement communications and offered his services to continue to act as a go-between for the parties while they worked out the details of settlement post-mediation. I would not hesitate to engage Drew again.”