Mr. Lear is a 1983 graduate, cum laude, of Dartmouth College and a 1987 graduate of U.C.L.A. School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review and the Moot Court Honors Program. Mr. Lear joined Thelen, Marrin, Johnson & Bridges immediately after law school and worked for four years as a “big firm” litigation associate before becoming a Los Angeles-based State Bar prosecutor. For three years, Mr. Lear prosecuted California attorneys, never losing a trial, before co-founding Gerry & Lear in 1994. In 2002, Mr. Lear founded Century Law Group.
Mr. Lear has tried over 150 cases. He is a recognized speaker at legal and real estate seminars, has published numerous articles, and has been qualified as an expert witness in state and federal courts.
Mr. Lear served as Commissioner for the City of Manhattan Beach from 2000 through 2008. Since 2008 Mr. Lear has served as elected Chairman of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District Bond Oversight Committee, supervising the expenditure and allocation of over $60 million of bond proceeds.