WELCOME TO COOPER MEDIATION
MEDIATION AND ARBITRATION SERVICES
Vance Cooper is principal of Cooper Mediation Inc. Vance devotes 100% of his professional time to mediating and arbitrating primarily personal injury and insurance cases. He serves as an arbitrator in loss transfer and party disputes under the Insurance Act.
Vance can be reached at vance@coopermediation.ca or (416) 346-4241.
Jonathan T. Cooper is the taller, younger and non-bow-tied mediator with Cooper Mediation Inc. He mediates primarily, but not exclusively, in the area of personal injury and insurance.
Jon can be reached at jon@coopermediation.ca or at (647) 993-2667.
Logan Cooper joined the Cooper Mediation team in November, 2017 and now devotes 100% of her professional time to mediation. She mediates primarily, but not exclusively, in the area of personal injury and insurance.
Contact Logan at: logan@coopermediation.ca or (416) 726-1344.
We have mediated well over 2,000 claims ranging from personal injury, wrongful death, life and disability insurance, property damage, product liability, hospital, medical and dental negligence, class actions and business disputes. We have mediated claims involving more than 15 parties and 15 lawyers over one or multiple days and, at the same time, we have mediated half day cases involving two parties and two lawyers. No claim is too large, too complex or too small.
It is relatively easy to establish the reasons why the parties are in a dispute and why they are unable to resolve the dispute. It is much more difficult and challenging to find ways and means to work through or around the issues in the dispute and assist the parties to design a mutually acceptable resolution. This persistence is demonstrated not only at the mediation but in post mediation efforts (where settlement could not be achieved at mediation). We are 'like a dog with a bone' - we don't let go of the mediation process easily.
Don’t take our word for it. Read the paper prepared after gathering data from one year of mediations. We assisted the parties and their counsel in resolving 75% – 80% of all claims on the day of the mediation. Our post-mediation efforts raised the success rate to something in the order of 90% – 95%.
Read the paperThis may sound obvious but is far from it. Listening involves much more than hearing and understanding the facts or the arguments. It requires an appreciation for what truly matters to one side or the other or what is likely to keep the parties apart or get the parties together. Frequently, listening requires an appreciation for what is not said. Jack Cooper, the patriarch of the Coopers and a source of great wisdom, was known to have said, “You have two ears and one mouth; use them in those proportions” and “You can never listen yourself into trouble”.
How and why did the dispute arise? Why has the dispute persisted for months or years? What are the current barriers or impediments to settlement? What can be done to work around those barriers? You can’t find the answers before asking the right questions.
Lawsuits and arbitrations are stressful, unpredictable and costly. The parties to such disputes are often consumed by the matter. Settlement offers them certainty and closure. It is a very easy matter to start a lawsuit or an arbitration; it is more difficult to bring the matter to a conclusion and even more difficult to bring it to a mutually acceptable resolution.
We conduct mediations throughout the province of Ontario. We are happy to travel beyond the borders at the request of counsel.
To determine our availability and to schedule a mediation with either Vance, Jon or Logan, please contact our mediation coordinator by email at adminsupport@coopermediation.
Vance has served as a private arbitrator on numerous occasions. While the bulk of his arbitration work arises under the Insurance Act [loss transfer and priority disputes], he has served as a court appointed administrator to review settlements pursuant to a class proceeding. He is willing to consider all appointments pursuant to the Arbitration Act, 1991. Please contact Vance vance@coopermediation.ca to review the matter under consideration and his availability to take on the appointment.
We are happy to attend at your office and meet with lawyers, law clerks, paralegals and/or insurance representatives. We conduct seminars and lead group discussions in relation to matters such as preparing a mediation memorandum, preparing for or attending at or conducting a mediation and negotiation exercises and simulations.
Please contact Vance vance@coopermediation.ca or Jon jon@coopermediation.ca so that we can design a tailor-made training session appropriate to your needs.
Read the latest news and articles posted to the Cooper Mediation Blog. Get practical and useful tips to get the most out of mediation.
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