Our Legal Services
Arbitration & Mediation
Arbitration and Mediation
Disputes do not always need to proceed through the courts. Binding arbitration and mediation offer structured, private alternatives that can save time, reduce cost, and preserve business or personal relationships.
In mediation, a neutral third party helps the parties communicate, identify common ground, and work toward a voluntary settlement. The mediator does not impose a decision; any resolution requires the agreement of both sides. Mediation is confidential, flexible, and often effective when the parties wish to maintain an ongoing relationship or resolve a matter efficiently.
Binding arbitration, by contrast, is a formal process in which the parties present their case to one or more independent arbitrators who then issue a final and enforceable decision. Unlike mediation, the outcome is not voluntary—the arbitrator’s award is binding in the same way a court judgment is. Arbitration is private, generally faster than litigation, and allows the parties greater control over procedure, scheduling, and the selection of decision-makers with relevant expertise. Both processes are widely used in commercial, employment, construction, and other civil disputes across Alberta and Canada.
International Arbitration
Through our affiliated office in Asia, we also consult on international arbitration. International arbitration resolves cross-border commercial disputes outside the courts of any single country. The parties agree in advance (usually by contract) to submit future disputes to arbitration under chosen institutional rules, and the resulting award is enforceable in most countries under the New York Convention.
Domestic arbitration, by comparison, typically involves parties and a seat of arbitration within the same country and is governed primarily by that country’s arbitration legislation. International arbitration is designed for multi-jurisdictional matters, offers greater neutrality, and provides a more predictable enforcement framework across borders.
We regularly consult in proceedings under the rules of major international arbitral institutions, including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), and JAMS.
