In classical mediation training, educators and students learn to distinguish between positions and interests. It may be in both parties’ interest to settle a dispute before going to court, but their position on the matter at hand may make this option difficult to achieve. In...
Advocates frequently “pound the table” when making a point – usually figuratively, but sometimes literally. Making your point forcefully is certainly one way to command attention. But, is it the best way to achieve your goal in mediation? In personal injury and insurance litigation, mediation normally...
“I'm being reasonable!” – “They're not being reasonable!” “If they made a reasonable offer, I would make a reasonable offer!” Inevitably and frequently, the word “reasonable” comes up at every mediation. People are bound to view their own negotiation positions and movements as reasonable but frequently...
Multi-party mediations involving multiple plaintiffs, multiple defendants, or both, present an added layer of complexity to the substantive issues under discussion. At minimum, it requires extra effort to try to “herd the cats” when there are more than two parties at the table. Multiple plaintiffs can...
Sometimes I read mediation memoranda that deliver hard hitting points, blunt positions and frank messages that border on being rude or insulting. Invariably, this rather harsh memorandum concludes with “Respectfully submitted”. Mediation memoranda are an excellent opportunity to try to manage the parties’ expectations as...
Mediators may appear to be exceedingly optimistic in the face of disagreement. Why? Because optimism has to start somewhere. All too often, the parties to the dispute, their lawyers or both attend mediation with the belief that the case can’t/won’t/shouldn’t settle. If your mediator doesn't inject...
The 2019 Canada Cup Was The Biggest Professional Squash Tournament In Canada. Cooper Mediation was the presenting sponsor of the the 10th Annual Troilus Canada Cup, which ran from Monday, March 4 through Thursday, March 7, 2019 at a variety of squash clubs in southern and...
Cooper Mediation, as the presenting sponsor, is pleased to announce the 9th Annual Canada Cup from February 12-15, 2018. This will be a star-studded tournament involving top ranked squash players (including world #10 Diego Elias) from around the world. Vance and Jon Cooper of Cooper Mediation...
Vancestock VI: Thank You For Helping Us Raise Over $43,000 For Trails Youth Initiatives and nearly $200,000 over 6 years! If you happen to see Vance Cooper on the street flashing a big smile and humming a tune, it’s a good bet that he’s reliving one...
Cooper Mediation is pleased to announce the much-anticipated return of The Emancipation of Ms. Lovely to Toronto. As one of the sponsors of this production, we are honoured to bring Ngozi Paul’s critically acclaimed solo play – the winner of the Spotlight Award for best...