About TCAS

TCAS is an unincorporated, not-for-profit association which was formed in 2010 with the following purposes and objectives:

• to further the use of arbitration as a means of resolving commercial disputes and to promote excellence in the practice of arbitration;
• to promote and develop Toronto as a pre-eminent location for international commercial arbitration;
• to develop and promote a common set of rules and standards for the practice of commercial arbitration; and
• to encourage continuing education among the members and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas on all aspects of international and domestic arbitration.

Its primary mission is to promote and develop in Toronto a world centre for arbitration excellence to resolve international and domestic disputes by providing:

• qualified arbitrators;
• exceptional facilities;
• experienced counsel;
• innovative research, and
• a supportive legal environment in the Ontario courts, regardless of the location of the parties or their systems of law.

TCAS is active in promoting the use of arbitration to resolve commercial disputes by:

• developing alliances with other arbitral organizations and centres of learning, such as ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC)  ADR Institute of Ontario (ADRIO),  Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners (YCAP),  and Western Canada Commercial Arbitration Society (WCAS);
• sponsoring international conferences featuring preeminent practitioners as speakers, including by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb),  ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) and International Centre for Dispute Resolution Canada (ICDR);
• advocating supportive international and domestic legislation, an example of which led to the new International Commercial Arbitration Act, 2017;
• providing a forum and network for the exchange of ideas on all aspects of international and domestic arbitration in an Annual General Meeting held in May of every year and in regular programs throughout the year, such as Arbitration Roundtable Dinners;
• promoting and understanding of available rules and arbitral institutions to facilitate commercial arbitration through various educational efforts including the TCAS Gold Standard Arbitration Course.

View the TCAS Constitution.

TCAS Committees and Their Members