ELIZABETH CUMMINS SETO (pdf)
Elizabeth Cummins Seto’s background makes her a uniquely qualified dispute resolution expert.  Ms. Cummins Seto has practiced law in Ontario for 19 years, after a successful career in the insurance industry. Her working life has taken her to Ireland and Africa, giving her a broad perspective and a depth of understanding of conflict management.

Ms. Cummins Seto’s law practice emphasized achieving results through alternative dispute resolution practices. In addition to the practical experience obtained through participating in hundreds of settlement and mediation conferences, she maintains a keen interest in the evolving discipline of conflict resolution methods.  Her areas of expertise include:

• accident benefits
• coverage issues
• personal injury
• professional liability
• property claims
• sexual assault & institutional liability
• sports medicine

Ms. Cummins Seto graduated from University College, Dublin Ireland in 1966.  She graduated with Distinction from the Faculty of Law, University of Western Ontario in 1986 and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1988.  She was the recipient of Harold G. Fox Foundation Prize, the Blake Cassels Prize in Company Law and the Pitney Bowes Law Student Achievement Award.   Ms. Cummins Seto clerked for the Chief Justice of Ontario Court of Appeal and was Assistant to Chief Justice Dubin at the Royal Commission of Enquiry into the use of banned substance in sports.

Ms. Cummins Seto has lectured and written extensively on a wide range of legal and insurance matters.  She is the co-author of No-Fault Insurance in Canada and author of several articles on insurance law.  She is a member of numerous professional organizations including the Canadian Bar Association, The Advocates’ Society and The Osgoode Society.

JAMES O'CONNOR (pdf)

With over 33 years of broadly based civil litigation experience and 20 years as a commercial mediator throughout Canada, Mr. O’Connor brings to the mediation table a wealth of experience and knowledge for the effective resolution of disputes.  Since 1988, Jim has successfully conducted hundreds of mediations.  His areas of expertise include:

Mr. O’Connor is a frequent guest speaker on Alternative Dispute Resolution, particularly the processes of mediation and arbitration, at Queen’s University.  He is a Lecturer and Instructor at the Law Society of Upper Canada, The Bar Admission Course in Negotiation, Mediation and Arbitration; Civil Litigation; Class Action Proceedings; Corporate and Commercial Law; Business Law; Insolvency; Real, Personal and Intellectual Property; and, Professional Responsibility & Ethics.

Mr. O’Connor graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Degree in Economics; from Dalhousie University where he studied Business and Law; and, was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1977. He is a member of The Law Society of Upper Canada; The ADR Institute of Ontario; The ADR Institute of Canada; The Society for Conflict Resolution of Ontario; The Conflict Resolution Network of Canada; The General Insurance Ombudservice of Ontario; The Ontario Association of Community Access Centres; and, Mr. O’Connor is the immediate Past President of The Kingston Centre for Mediation, Education and Development and The Mediation Centre of Southeastern Ontario.

RICHARD F. L. ROSE (pdf)

Mr. Richard Rose has practiced law in the Province of Ontario for over 34 years as senior partner of Lawson McGrenere LLP.  His practice involved the mediation and settlement of hundreds of disputes which included complex multi-party matters. 

Mr. Rose brings to the mediation table invaluable experience where risk assessment is essential to the effective resolution of disputes.  His areas of expertise include:

• personal injury
• accident benefits
• sexual assault
• sports law
• products liability
• health care
• class action disputes
• property claims
• hospital negligence
• statutory and contract interpretation

Mr. Rose graduated from the University of Western Ontario with Honors in 1967 and LLB, cum laude in 1970.   He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1972 and appointed Queens Counsel in 1984. He appeared as counsel at the trial level of the former District and Supreme Courts of Ontario, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Federal Court of Canada, the Ontario Court of Appeal as well as various administrative tribunals.

TERRANCE A. SWEENEY (pdf)

Mr. Terrance Sweeney has practised law in the Province of Ontario for over 35 years.  As a senior partner in the Toronto office of a national law firm, he established and headed the tax department, developed an active tax and trade litigation practice, and appeared in all relevant tribunals and courts on numerous tax and trade cases.

Mr. Sweeney’s broad experience in commercial law makes him uniquely qualified to identify and address the interests of all parties .He brings this essential skill to the mediation table where maintaining the productive commercial relationships is paramount.   His areas of expertise include:

• banking
• corporate and commercial relations
• corporate reorganizations
• estate and succession planning
• franchising
• innovative structures
• limited partnerships
• mergers and acquisitions
• monetizations and securizations
• public company takeover bids
• shareholders’ disputes

Mr. Sweeney graduated from the University of Western Ontario, School of Business Administration, in 1962.  He received his LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1965 and was awarded the Clara Brett Martin Memorial Scholarship.  He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1967.   He has completed the advanced mediation course at Harvard Law School and is a graduate of the Directors Education Program, sponsored by the ICD Corporate Governance College at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.

Mr. Sweeney has lectured to several professional organizations, law firms and corporations.  He has authored numerous articles on a wide range of commercial matters and is the editor in chief of the 2007 edition, Annotated Ontario Retail Sales Tax Act, and the author of Maximizing Corporate Tax Incentives For Scientific Research And Experimental Development both published by LexisNexis Canada Inc.

Mr. Torrie is one of Canada’s leading experts in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution.  Since 1987, he has successfully chaired a full range of cases concerning:

• class action disputes
• commercial disputes
• construction liens
• contracts
• employment
• estate litigation
• health care disputes
• land ownership claims
• land use disputes
• libel and slander
• personal injury
• sexual abuse
• professional negligence
• shareholders’ disputes

Mr. Torrie was appointed by the Attorney General of Ontario to mediate multifaceted land disputes.   He appeared as an expert witness on the settlement of insurance claims.  Mr. Torrie mediated one of the Ontario’s most complex motor vehicle accident cases known as “Operation Fog”.   

Mr. Torrie graduated from McGill University, Montreal, with an Honours Degree in 1976.  He graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto, in 1980 and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1982. 

Mr. Torrie has written and lectured extensively to various professional bodies, corporations, law firms, and law schools on the topic of Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Mr. Torrie is a member of several professional organizations including the Canadian Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

FREDERICK H. WEBBER (pdf)

Fred Webber brings to the mediation table extensive experience in providing practical, effective legal and business solutions for his clients in all aspects of their commercial relationships.  

Mr. Webber has practiced law for over 37 years.  As senior in-house counsel at Nortel Networks Limited and General Electric Canada, as well as acting for a number of smaller hi-tech companies, Mr. Webber became skilled in facilitating results that met the needs of all parties.  His areas of expertise are:

• information technology
• intellectual property
• commercial contracts
• distribution, marketing & competition issues
• product liability
• statutory and contract interpretation
• wrongful dismissal
• joint ventures, mergers & acquisitions
• torts/negligence

Mr. Webber received his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto in 1964 and his law degree from U of T in 1967.  He was called to the bar in 1969 and is a member of the Canadian Bar Association.