Amanda is an arbitrator, mediator, and lawyer residing in Vancouver, British Columbia, specializing in workplace dispute resolution alongside her colleague Vince Ready.

 

Since becoming a neutral in 2019, Amanda has been appointed on disputes in BC, SK, NT, NU, and under federal jurisdiction—publishing numerous decisions and settling many more cases through mediation. She is on the collective agreement arbitration bureau list of arbitrators in BC, is named as an arbitrator in numerous collective agreements, and acts as an external adjudicator for the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

 

Amanda is a strong proponent of alternate dispute resolution and brings a pragmatic and transparent lens to every dispute to help facilitate resolution through fair and efficient means.

Amanda has a particular interest in mediating collective bargaining disputes. In addition to private appointments, where she has assisted parties in concluding collective agreement negotiations, Amanda has been appointed as a special mediator by the Governments of SK and BC, and has also been appointed as a special officer in BC. Amanda has also undertaken studies of collective bargaining structures and legislation, having been appointed as an Industrial Inquiry Commissioner by the Government of BC in respect of successorship rights in the forestry industry, and currently serving as a Member of a Commission of Inquiry established by the federal government to study the underlying issues in longshoring disputes on Canada’s West Coast.

 

Outside of the labour relations context, Amanda has worked as a mediator/facilitator for private parties in disputes arising in an array of contexts—from shareholder agreements, business transactions, and organizational strife. She enjoys the diversity these cases bring to her practice. In 2020, Amanda was appointed by the Government of Yukon as an independent reviewer to examine its handling of a public school incident. Her subsequent report and recommendations were fully accepted by Government.

 

Amanda graduated from the University of Toronto with an honours B.A (2003) and a Juris Doctor (JD) (2007). She completed a Master of Laws (LLM) specializing in Dispute Resolution at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University in 2021, and is currently taking creative writing courses through University of Toronto.