Profile
Background and education
1970 | B.Sc., McGill University, Montreal |
1978 | LL.B. Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, Toronto. Received Silver Medal, as one of two top students in graduating class; also recipient of several other academic prizes. |
1979 | Completed articles with Martin Teplitsky, Q.C. in Toronto. |
1980 | Completed Ontario Bar Admission Course, admitted to Ontario Bar April 1980. |
1987 | Appointed part-time Vice-Chair of Ontario Crown Employees Grievance Settlement Board. |
1989 | Moved to Nova Scotia and called to Nova Scotia bar in 1992 |
1996 | Received designation of Chartered Arbitrator (C. Arb.) from ADR Institute of Canada. |
2005 | Graduated with LL.M. (ADR) (Part-time) from Osgoode Hall Law School. |
2006 | Appointed alternate Vice-Chair Nova Scotia Labour Relations Board, then (2013) Alternate Chair of Nova Scotia Labour Board |
2007 | Appointed Adjudicator for Nova Scotia Small Claims Court |
Arbitration, Mediation, Adjudication
since 1989 | Labour arbitrator and adjudicator, Human Rights Board of Inquiry and commercial arbitrator. Receive appointments in Nova Scotia as arbitrator in private and public sectors, including appointments by Minister of Labour under Trade Union Act, appointments as single adjudicator under Civil Service Collective Bargaining Act, board of appeal under Education Act, Board of Inquiry under Human Rights Act, appointments by Federal government under Canada Labour Code as arbitrator, referee for wage recovery appeals and adjudicator of unjust dismissal claims, and both as sole arbitrator and chair of boards under collective agreements in public and quasi-public sectors and private industries. |
since 1993 | Family mediator acting as mediator for couples wishing to avoid litigation over issues of custody, support and division of property. |
since 1994 | Arbitrator for Atlantic Canada under Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan (CAMVAP), hearing disputes between car manufacturers and consumers. |
since 2007 | Adjudicator for Nova Scotia Small Claims Court, sitting in Halifax. |
2006 - 2016 | Alternate Vice-Chair - Nova Scotia Labour Relations Board - 2013-2016. 2006 - 2013 Part-time appointment sitting as Vice-Chair, hearing cases of all kinds that come before the Board . |
since 2005 | Mediator for workplace and other issues. |
1987 - 1980 | Vice-Chair of the Ontario Crown Employees Grievance Settlement Board Arbitrating rights grievances between the Ontario Government and its employees in the public service. |
1990 - 1992 | Mediator-arbitrator Completed 2-year term appointment as mediator-arbitrator for Canada Post Corporation and Canadian Union of Postal Workers with responsibility for both Ontario and Atlantic Canada in connection with a special grievance backlog reduction project ("BAR project"). |
Practice of Law
since 2010 | Sole practice in home-based office in Halifax. Emphasis on selective litigation matters and acting in consulting capacity. |
2005 - 2010 | Gavras Slone Lenehan, Halifax Emphasis on all areas of civil litigation, including employment, personal injury, disability insurance, commercial disputes and family law. |
1992 - 2005 | Slone & Munro, Halifax Emphasis on all areas of litigation (as above). |
1980 - 1994 | Teplitsky, Colson, Toronto Civil litigator (full time 1980-1989) indowntown Toronto, practising in most areas of civil litigation with emphasis on cases in the areas of commercial, personal injury, administrative, real property, professional malpractice, employment, corporate and estate law. |
Teaching
since 1991 | Part-time lecturer, Dalhousie Law School, Halifax. Co-teaching courses in Civil Trial Practice (1991 - 1993) and "Administration of the Collective Agreement" (1992 - 2008). Co-Coach of Dalhousie team participating in Mathews Dinsdale Labour Arbitration Moot. |
1995 - 2000 | Lectured several times to Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice on "The Role of the Adjudicator". |
1994 | Designed and co-taught arbitration course for N.S. Department of Labour, in conjunction with Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Nova Scotia (now ADR Atlantic), directed toward training arbitrators for inclusion on Minister's list of approved arbitrators. |
1993 - 1999 | Guest arbitrator at approximately ten intensive seminars conducted by Canadian Union of Postal Workers, training lay advocates to conduct grievance arbitration. |
1984 - 1986 | Lecturer at Ontario Bar Admission course, leading seminar groups in course covering ethics and other professional issues. |
Volunteer positions and memberships
since 2004 | past Board member and past President of ADR Atlantic Institute, a non-profit organization which promotes alternative dispute resolution in the Atlantic Provinces. Also former board member of the ADR Institute of Canada. |
Since 1998 | Member of Board and now President of Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia (EHANS), a charitable organization dedicated to providing public education and advancing treatment for environmentally-induced illnesses. |