2020 Symposium Speakers
Ashley Syer
Ashley Syer is a lawyer and mediator in Vancouver, BC. She practices through Syer Law and provides mediation services through Gastown Mediation. Her main areas of focus are tenancy, strata, employment, and general civil matters.
Barry Penner
Senior Counsel & Strategic Advisor, Penner Pacific Advisory Services.* A legal and public affairs advisory practice, Penner Pacific assists with regulatory, environmental and First Nations requirements, as well as providing governmental and media relations advice.
Ben Ziegler
Ben is a conflict mediator, consultant and advocate. He worked as an online mediator with eBay and Consumer Protection BC, and for 12 years was a mediator and mentor in the BC Court (Civil) Mediation Program.
Bryce Jeffery
Bryce is a graduate of UBC and Queen Mary College, University of London, England. He is a barrister of Lincoln’s Inn London, and has been a practising lawyer in the Vancouver area for 34 years. He currently manages MBJLaw in Langley and oversees Terms & Conditions, a purpose-built mediation centre in downtown Langley.
Carl Nilsen, B.SC., FRICS, AACI, P.APP.
Carl Nilsen is a Senior Director of Altus Group Limited and has been providing professional services in Canada since 1972. […]
Ceyda Gultan, MA, CPHR, ACC
Ceyda Gultan is a human resources professional, leadership coach and has 20 years’ experience working with and for national, international and local organizations managing projects all focused on enhancing and growing teams, identifying those barriers that hinder either corporations or individuals to become the best they can be.
Cherie Willliams
CHERIE WILLIAMS takes access to justice, fairness, and equality seriously. She is an inspirational
leader, community activist, and mentor who tells stories to inspire action and at the same time
grounds her ADR practice solidly in law and policy.
Cherolyn Knapp
Cherolyn Knapp is a conflict resolution consultant, mediator and facilitator based in Victoria, BC. She grew up on the shores of Georgian Bay in Owen Sound, Ontario and earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Human Resources) from Ryerson University in 1995.
Chris Davy
Chris Davy graduated from the Justice Institutes of British Columbia, Mediation and Negotiation programs. While taking courses through the Justice […]
Chuck Wills
The Principal Mediator and Founder of Business Mediation Vancouver, Chuck has over 16 years of experience practicing corporate and commercial law in Vancouver and, after retiring his partnership, a further 20 years experience in private business as a business owner, director and officer.
Daniel Brantes, Ph.D., FCIArb
Daniel Brantes Ferreira earned his Ph.D. in Constitutional Law at the Pontifical University of Rio de Janeiro in 2011 and was a visiting scholar at UB Law School (2009) researching Legal Realism under the guidance of UB Distinguished Professor John Henry Schlegel.
Dawn Wattie
Dawn completed a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Victoria in 1984 where she initially developed an interest in indigenous matters and First Nations governance followed by an LLB from the University of Windsor in 1988.
Demi Panko
Demi Peters-Panko is a Mediator, Child Consultant, and Online Dispute Resolution Trainer from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She is passionate about providing […]
Doe Lee
Doe Lee is a Qualified Arbitrator and a law student at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia.
Dr Ernest Thiessen
Dr Thiessen is President of iCan Systems Inc., the developer of the Smartsettle eNegotiation system. Dr Thiessen has led iCan’s […]
Dr. Connie Allsopp
Connie D. M. Allsopp, Ph.D., is a business and education consultant in private practice, the founder of The World’s Registrar, and a former supervisor/ instructor at the University of Victoria, B.C. Canada.
Elton Simoes
Elton Simoes is an accomplished, Arbitrator, Mediator, Negotiator, Consultant, Non-executive Director, and Business Executive. He practices arbitration, mediation and Med-Arb in complex, confidential, time sensitive, commercial disputes involving shareholders, consumers, intellectual property, technology, media, entertainment and sports.
Fisnik Kumnova, Q.Med, Q. Arb
An ADRBC member in good standing since 2018, Fisnik brings a combined body of experience and education in multiple ADR Disciplines, alongside over five years’ direct experience as ADRBC’s Manager of Stakeholder Relations.
George E.H. Cadman, Q.C.
George Cadman is a seasoned litigator with 40 years’ experience before all levels of the Canadian courts and various administrative tribunals.
Gordon Sloan
Gordon Sloan started mediating in 1985. He founded ADR Education in 1997 providing dispute resolution services across Canada.
Joan Braun, LLB, MSW, LLM
Joan also has experience in management in the justice sector, and served as the Executive Director of the BC Centre for Elder Advocacy and Support (BC CEAS) where she established a specialty legal aid clinic for older adults.
John-Paul E. Boyd Q.C.
John-Paul E. Boyd Q.C. is a family law lawyer, author, speaker and consultant. He is the principal of John-Paul Boyd Arbitration Chambers, a member of the bars of British Columbia and Alberta, and counsel to the preeminent Calgary family law firm Wise Scheible Barkauskas.
Kathleen MacDonald
Kathleen MacDonald (Cert. ConRes., B.A., B.Ed., M.A.) specializes in training both adolescents and adults in conflict and anger management, communication skills, Real Restitution, mediation, negotiation, and community (team) building.
Kaylie Maughan
After working for more than a decade in different capacities with youth counselling and forensic mental health, Kaylie was first exposed to Restorative Justice acting as a community support to a youth in the circle process.
Kenneth Glasner, Q.C. FCIArb.
Kenneth (Ken) Glasner, Q.C. is an experienced arbitrator and mediator based in Vancouver. He was appointed a Federal Queen’s Counsel […]
Krista James
Krista James is the National Director of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law. Krista’s work is focused on law and policy issues linked to aging; and human rights law.
Laura Cundari
Laura is an experienced advocate, appearing as lead counsel at all levels of court in British Columbia and the federal courts, as well as before administrative tribunals.
Lindsay Foley
Lindsay Foley has worked as a mediator in industrial relations matters since 2007, predominantly within the federally-regulated private sector. This […]
Michael F. Welsh
Michael Welsh was called to the British Columbia bar in 1981 and practises as a mediator and arbitrator in family, estate, employment and workplace, commercial and civil law matters, as well as community-based mediation.
Murray Smith Q.C.
Murray Smith is a barrister practising out of arbitration chambers in Vancouver, British Columbia. His practice is confined to commercial arbitration cases.
Shelina Neallani
Shelina Neallani is a mediator, lawyer and consultant. Shelina graduated from UBC with degrees in Social Work and Law and has been called to the Bars of Ontario and BC.
Simon Margolis Q.C.
Simon is a senior litigator and skilled mediator/arbitrator. Following his call to the bar in 1983, he developed a broad commercial and insurance based practice, representing clients at all levels of court.
Stacey R. Rose – Executive Director
Stacey is a seasoned dispute resolution professional, having spent her entire career working with parties in the realms of commercial insurance, Strata property, and general civil litigation.
Stephen McPhee
Stephen McPhee. Q.C is a LSBC accredited Family Mediator and Arbitrator and senior family law and civil litigation counsel with Ramsay Lampman Rhodes in Nanaimo, BC.
Vanessa Gray
Vanessa Gray, BA, C.Med., Cert. ConRes. is a front line conflict resolution practitioner with over 14 years of mediation and […]
Yeda Hong, Q. Med
Having been an ADRBC member ingood standing since 2018, Yeda has also been a very strong and generous volunteer contributor to our annual Symposium over several years, and also serves on our Regulated Civil Mediation Roster.