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-Chairman of Ontario Crown Employees Grievance Settlement Board.
1989 Moved to Nova Scotia and called to Nova Scotia bar in 1992
1996 Received designation of AChartered Arbitrator@ (AC. 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
2007 Appointed Adjudicator for Nova Scotia Small Claims Court

Arbitration, Mediation, Adjudication

since 1989 Labour arbitrator and adjudicator  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, 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 Dartmouth and Halifax.
since 2006 Alternate Vice-Chair - Nova Scotia Labour Relations Board   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-Chairman of the Ontario Crown Employees Grievance Settlement Board  Arbitrating rights grievances between the Ontario Government and its employees in the public service.
1980 - 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 2020 Sole practice in home-based office in Halifax.  Emphasis on selective litigation matters and acting in consulting capacity.
2005 - 2020  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 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.