PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Mr. Lesser virtually invented the field of scuba litigation. Having been involved in the fledgling diving industry in the late 1950’s, he began his career focusing on sport and commercial diving litigation.  While this has been the focus of his pratice over the past 35 years of his legal career, Mr. Lesser also represents clients in personal injury, product liability, wrongful death, maritime and other contract and tort claims in litigation matters nationwide.  He is an experienced trial lawyer having successfully tried numerous cases to verdict.

Mr. Lesser has been acknowledged by his peers as a “Super Lawyer” on several occasions, and received the National Law Journal Top Defense Verdict of the year in 2004 for the defense of a multimillion dollar dive injury case.  He obtained his law degree from the University of Southern California School of Law and a Masters degree in criminology from Cal State University at Long Beach.  Mr. Lesser’s professional credentials involve not only representing the most prestigious names in sport and commercial diving, including Aqua Lung, Kirby Morgan, SDI/TDI and other manufacturers, but he is also certified in virtually every level of diving up to and including Closed Circuit Rebreather Diving.

Additionally, Mr. Lesser served for five years on the Board of Directors of the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association, bringing much needed legal expertise to the decisions of the Board.  He has written extensively on diving safety, management, but has nonetheless represented plaintiffs in seven-figure verdicts and settlements in diving and other cases.

Mr. Lesser is still an avid and active scuba diver, and remains recognized by his peers as the Dean of the diving litigation field.

MEMBERSHIPS & CERTIFICATION

•  Admitted to California Bar and California Federal Courts, 1974
•  Admitted to Hawaii Federal Court, 1991 and Hawaii Bar, 1992
•  Admitted to Texas Bar, 1993
•  Admitted to Colorado Bar, 1994
•  Admitted pro hac vice in multiple states and federal jurisdictions, including Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands
•  General Counsel, NASDS (National Association of Scuba Diving Schools), 1977 to 1985
•  Practice specializing in business and watersports litigation, 1974 to 1985; practice specializing in scuba diving claims against instructors, divestores, equipment manufacturers and dive boats, 1985 to present
•  Twenty-year lecturer at DEMA (Diving Equipment Manufacturers Association) on risk management for diving instructors, store owners and boat operators

•  Vice Chair of the Admiralty and Maritime Law Section – American Bar Association

•  Member ANSI 2375 Committee on Diving Institutional Standards and Safety
•  Member DEMA Board of Directors, 1997 through present

•  Certified scuba diver since 1959 (L.A. County)
•  NASDS Open Water Diver – 1975
•  PADI Advanced Diver – 1989
•  SSI Platinum 5000 Diver – 1993
•  SSI and IANTD Nitrox Diver – 1995
•  IANTD Technical Nitrox Diver – 1995
•  TDI Rebreather Certification – 1998
• SDI Solo Diver – 2005
• TDI Closed Circuit Rebreather Certification – 2007

EDUCATION

•  California State University at Long Beach; B.A. 1969, M.S. 1971
•  University of Southern California Law School – J.D., 1973