Marlynn Howe is an Attorney at Call & Jensen with one of the most distinctive legal backgrounds in the firm. with one of the most distinctive legal backgrounds in the firm. A California-licensed attorney since 1985 and a California-licensed real estate broker, she holds not only a J.D. but an LLM in Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University the premier dispute resolution program in the country and has served as an adjunct professor there, instructing law students, MBA students, and working professionals in client counseling and mediation. That combination of trial experience, transactional depth, and formal dispute resolution expertise gives her clients a genuinely uncommon advantage.

Employment, Business & Real Estate Litigation

Marlynn’s litigation practice spans employment, business, and real estate disputes, with particular depth in:

• Class action wage and hour defense
• Commercial and residential real estate disputes
• Title insurance disputes
• HOA disputes and construction defect litigation
• Partnership disputes and dissolutions
• Business tort and commercial litigation

Transactional & Corporate Counsel Work

Marlynn’s practice extends well beyond the courtroom. She has handled complex real estate transactions, HOA project development and documentation, construction management, insurance claims, and a broad range of corporate and institutional matters  including nearly five years as Senior Counsel in Pepperdine University’s General Counsel’s office, where she managed everything from faculty housing subdivision development on the Malibu campus to regulatory compliance with the California Department of Real Estate.

Dispute Resolution

Marlynn holds an LLM in Dispute Resolution with a concentration in Negotiation and Mediation from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, where she graduated as a member of the program’s inaugural LLM class. She has applied that training throughout her career to help clients resolve disputes efficiently and cost-effectively, often before litigation becomes necessary.

Background

Marlynn began her legal career in 1985 as an associate at Gray, Cary, Ames & Frye then San Diego’s largest law firm where she practiced real estate transactional law. She then joined the Newport Beach firm Call, Clayton & Jensen as an associate and partner, representing Orange County banks, developers, partnerships, corporations, and real estate brokerages including Grubb & Ellis in its Southern California litigation. In 1994 she joined Pepperdine University’s General Counsel’s office as Senior Counsel before returning to private practice in 1999.

Education

B.A., Pepperdine University, 1980 – magna cum laude

J.D., Pepperdine University School of Law, 1985 – Top 10% of class

LLM, Dispute Resolution (Negotiation and Mediation), Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University – Member, inaugural LLM graduating class