For the OBA Labour & Employment Section Newsletter, Stuart talks about how to get to a deal during mediation based on his experience and observations mediating disputes.

Resolving a claim at mediation is good, but winning at mediation is even better. After all, anyone can settle. As an advocate, you should work to get the best result for your client, whether it is at trial or at mediation.

As mediators, our job is simple: help the parties to reach a resolution to the dispute that brought them to you. But as we all know, that is sometimes easier said than done. The purpose of this article is twofold: to discuss some opportunities that video mediation provides, and to discuss some creative ways to help the parties break an impasse.

High-pressure, long hours, intensely competitive – preconceptions about private practice abound. Given that this setting runs the gamut in terms of business size, roles and specialties, it’s no wonder that it offers no universal experience or that it presents at…

I have heard stories of mediations devolving into scenarios where everyone is signing in a different way, including some where counsel are signing on behalf of their clients. However, there are solutions that will make this process far more efficient.