Stephen Morrison
Academic Qualifications:Honours Law Degree from Osgoode Hall Law School – 1976
Professional Memberships:Canadian Bar Association, Ontario Bar Association, The Advocates’ Society, Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society, Toronto Lawyers’ Association, ADR Instititute of Canada, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Arbitration Experience:Stephen Morrison graduated with honours from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1976 and was called to the Ontario bar in 1978. He practised criminal law until 1981. In 1982, Stephen co-founded The Rose Corporation, a land development company engaged in of all forms of residential construction, including high and low-rise condominiums. Stephen served as president and in-house legal counsel to the company until 1999. The Rose Group diversified its activities and, at various times, owned or controlled private and publicly-traded enterprises in automotive parts manufacturing, telecommunications, general insurance, oil and gas exploration, retirement living, hotels, film studios, mini-warehousing, and financial services. Stephen has gained valuable practical and legal experience in all facets and dimensions of these activities, including land acquisition, development approvals, financing, construction contracting, environmental matters, joint venture arrangements, reciprocal agreements, multi-use projects, and public/private partnership structures. Now a partner at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Stephen’s practice is focused on providing legal advice and advocacy to all participants in the development industry, including various governmental agencies. He is regularly engaged in the resolution of development disputes, and, in particular, is frequently engaged as a mediator and arbitrator in condominium disputes. Stephen also provides insurance coverage opinions to insurers and insureds. He has a firm grasp of the law in these areas and a detailed understanding of many development, construction, architectural, engineering, and environmental remediation technologies. Stephen was, from its inception, a panellist with the Condominium Dispute Resolution Centre and, on occasion, has been called upon to act as a neutral chairperson of contentious condominium corporation annual or special meetings of unit owners. As a result of his combined business and legal background, Stephen has a unique ability to fashion practical resolutions to complex disputes. He understands that the parties prefer workable solutions to protracted litigation. As a mediator, Stephen brings a facilitative and imaginative approach to the resolution of difficult conflicts. A good listener, he helps each party to identify and rank its needs. A creative thinker, he assists the parties to find inventive ways of meeting those needs. A persistent facilitator, he is unrelenting in his pursuit of an agreement. And, as someone who loves a challenge, Stephen especially enjoys cases involving complex, multi-party disputes. In his role as an arbitrator, Stephen understands that the parties are entrusting to him the fair resolution of a dispute that they have been unable to settle themselves. Second only to his determination to render an equitable and legally correct decision is Stephen’s commitment to ensuring that, regardless of the outcome, all parties feel confident that they have been heard and understood. He delivers clear, well-reasoned, and timely written decisions.Stephen holds the designations Chartered Arbitrator and Chartered Mediator from the ADR Institute of Canada and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbtrators.
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