"Integrity, impartiality, experience, attentiveness and intervention are the foundation of what is necessary to be a good mediator.
I believe I encapsulate these traits and can bring them to the table to assist in resolving your dispute."
STEVE WALLACE
MEDIATOR, LAWYER
For 30+ years Steve Wallace has been practicing litigation, subrogation and mediation, involving bodily injury (for plaintiffs and defendants), coverage issues and property damage claims across Canada. He has been peer-reviewed and recognized by Lexpert as one of Canada’s Leading Practitioners in the area of commercial insurance litigation.
Steve has written and presented various papers on property and injury related matters, including Future Income Loss, Occupiers’ Liability, Standard Mortgage Clauses, Additional Insureds, Polygraph Evidence, Spoliation of Evidence, Waivers, Reservation of Rights and Non-Waiver Agreements, Cost Effective Litigation Management, Concurrent causes of a loss, Broker Liability and the Duty to Defend under Non Profit Directors and Officers liability policies. His training includes the completion of CLE courses on mediation (High Conflict Mediations) and a 40+ hour extensive training on mediation through the #1 ranked Pepperdine University in California, Mediating the Litigated Case.
MEDIATION Method
Traditionally, most mediations included an opportunity for opening submissions by counsel and sometimes the parties. There is a movement away from this style of mediation, not unlike the U.S., where both parties instead focus on communication with the mediator and then begin negotiations. Both styles work, and there is a time for each in many cases. It is the mediator’s role to assist in determining and offering recommendations on when either method should be used, or in which order.
the key to success
Practice Areas
Bodily Injury
Mr. Wallace has litigated and negotiated hundreds and hundreds of bodily injury claims involving motor vehicle accidents, highway maintenance, occupiers liability (residential, department stores, restaurants, pubs and other commercial premises), products liability, assaults, social/commercial host liability and sports related injuries. He has been involved in as many mediations.
Property Damage, Fraud and Arson
Mr. Wallace has litigated and negotiated numerous property damage, fraud and arson claims. Mr. Wallace has prosecuted subrogated losses for numerous claims involving electrical failures, acid spills, chimney fires, sprinkler line failures, spontaneous combustion, candle fires, and arson. The losses involved severe property damage and business interruption.
Litigation Experience
Mr. Wallace has experience in all levels of litigation, including judge and jury trials, court of appeal, chambers motions and summary trials. He is well versed in the analysis of legal costs through to trial.
Coverage
Mr. Wallace has provided numerous different coverage opinions for a variety of property related claims including material change in risk, misrepresentation, warranty breaches, concurrent causation of a loss, faulty workmanship, standard mortgage clauses, Covid related Business Interruption losses and defective work product exclusions. He has experience with coverage related issues on third party liability claims including, intentional act exclusion, use or operation of a motor vehicle, trespass, and policy limits.