 | “Thanks Michael. You were perfect as usual!"
(Kathleen Chavalier) |
| “Hi Mike, I am dropping you a note to thank you for helping us reach a resolution today. We could not have done this without you! I thought you were fantastic and I intend to use you for employment mediations going forward Cheers, Sean J. O'Donnell" |
| “Mr. Silver, it was a pleasure meeting you and I am very thankful for your caring approach in dealing with my case. I felt your passion for justice and your kind presence helped comfort me throughout the tiring day. I also appreciated your ways of distracting my mind with your stories when I was feeling emotional (hope you can track down the fish)! . . . . all the best.” (AA) |
| “I wanted to personally thank you for taking the time to help the temple to regain its honour and hope for the future. Although I understand that this was a part of the task you were engaged to perform, I also believe that the Lord chooses certain people to carry out his work and in my heart you were one of those people....Thanks to you, we see a ray of hope for betterment and change..." (Nisha Sharma) |
| “Thank you, Michael, for skillfully asking the right questions and identifying the issues that 4 disagreeable siblings brought to the table. Your role was key in reaching an agreement and final settlement.” (Nora Polychronopoulos) |
| “I want to personally thank you for the work that you did in helping to untangle the mess we found ourselves in...I found your rulings to be just, fair and evenly applied, always. You had a remarkable grasp of the issues and controversies. You not only pointed out some of the flaws of the system but went so far to offer some tangible ways of resolving these issues....A BIG THANK YOU for a job well done!" (Bal Rampersad) |
| “Hi Michael, Despite the pain of these proceedings. It would be impossible for me to imagine to have experienced this process with anyone other than yourself. From the bottom of my heart you made this experience for me, a feeling to move forward and get on with life. It is amazing how just the littlest things in life can effect the real things that are of real meaning! I'm sure we will talk, but I again thank you for your services and will support your rulings.” (Bob Busch) |
| “Mike has probably done more civil mediation than anyone in the Province as he was on the original roster of mediators when the OMMP was just a pilot project. I believe that he may be the only one of the original OMMP mediators to still be doing mediations in the private sector. Mike has in the past and continues to be one of the most versatile mediators when it comes to different subject areas. This extensive list includes employment, commercial, construction, defamation, personal injury, professional negligence and almost everything else." (Barry Fisher) | | “Thank you for facilitating our mediation…Although the task of a mediator is indeed an arduous one, your sensitive and sincere approach provided a calm and positive environment…You have enabled us to find peace and closure. We are truly grateful. The world is a wonderful place because of people like you. Thank you.” (Kathryn Sue-Chan) |
| “Our legal system is often bad, with delays, arbitrary decisions, and disconnected adjudicators, but Michael has done everything he can to make the process, for those who mediate/arbitrate before him, better....Michael is always prepared ...and makes sure that all sides feel they are heard. He might not settle every mediation, but the work that he does in those mediations ensures that the files eventually resolve." (Andrew Monkhouse) |
| “Thank you for your time and your first class input, and calming effect in handling (our) case.” (Jon Barbesin) |
| “Thank you for assisting the parties and counsel in resolving this matter…We appreciate your professionalism and expertise in doing so. We view your role as having been the key to achieving settlement.” (Jason Ward) |
| “I appreciate your assistance…As you may have noticed, I did not think this matter could be settled at mediation and am very pleased with the result.” (Anneli LeGault) |
| “It was a pleasure working with you last month in resolving the ...dispute. Events have unfolded as per the Settlement Agreement you facilitated and the litigation is over. thank you for a job well done! this was the first mediation in which I have participated as counsel and it was a rich and exciting experience for me!” (David Steinberg) |
| “Michael—we couldn’t have done it without you. You are great!” (Liz Seto) |
| “As you know, the court process can itself exact a heavy toll, in time commitments, emotional capital and of course finances. That being said, there is still compassion in the legal system along the way for the battered and bruised. I wanted to thank you Michael for your efforts and kind gesture on Friday. I appreciate your hard work, intuition and kindness…” (Randal Kalpin) |
| “Thank you so much for picking up this mistake and drawing it to our attention. It is much appreciated by both this office and my client. We also wish to thank you for your capable assistance in helping us resolve this matter.” (Val Edwards) |
| “I thought it only appropriate to let you know that while the case did not settle at mediation, it has in fact subsequently settled….I believe that the settlement was due in no small measure to your good work as a mediator and for this, many thanks.” (Ian Kirby) |
| “I would like to thank you for all your efforts and patience before and on the night of Oct. 11 to enable us to reach an agreement…. (our lawyer) highly recommended you when the concept of mediation was suggested….At long last, I am confident that we have a Board of Directors that can be effective, open, and accountable…and (this) is in great part due to your mediating skills…Without the excellent work…, we would still be at each other’s throats and the problem would continue to escalate. Thankfully all is now over and the process of healing can begin. Thank you.” (Don Lynch) |
| “Mike is a wonderful human being who has the quality of making those in his presence feel good. He has made a real contribution to his profession and to the work of the mediation process.” (Stephen Travis) |
| “Thank you for the manner in which you conducted yesterday’s mediation. I knew that it would be a difficult day and I was very pleased with the manner in which you conducted things.” (Robert Whitmore) |
| “I must say, Michael that despite the severely egregious circumstances surrounding this mediation, I enjoyed participating in the process conducted by yourself and must commend you on your fair and equitable conduct of the mediation.” (John Bowles) |
| “…Your efforts went above and beyond the call of duty, and further your input was absolutely crucial in allowing the parties to come to an agreement….Personally, I have always been impressed with the principled, hands on approach that you invariably use in assisting parties with the generation and consideration of settlement options. I have never been left with a feeling that you were pressuring any of my clients to settle just for the sake of reaching a settlement (on any terms), or that you believe in ‘splitting the difference’. It is this principled and constructive approach that makes you stand head and shoulders above most other mediators and makes you worth every penny of your fees.” (Roger Harris) |
| “Thank you for your assistance on this matter. (We) were looking for someone who could bring this to a conclusion quickly and, in your own way, that was done.” (Clifford Cole) |
| “Even though, as a litigator, my raison d’etre is taking cases to trial, I am convinced that the mediation process must be a priority for the justice system….I have had the happy experience…of finding resolutions in two difficult cases. In both cases Michael Silver was our mediator and he did a superb job on behalf of both sides. I want to make special mention of his skills and dedication. With people of that calibre the (ADR) project cannot help but be a success.” (Sheila Block) |
| “I was very impressed with the excellent mediation services provided by…Michael Silver. The role of the mediator is very difficult. The success of the mediation process depends very heavily on the perceived fairness, integrity and impartiality of the mediator. I, in common with several other counsels in this case, did not expect that the process would be productive. I was completely mistaken and am pleased to have been wrong.” (Linda McCaffrey) |
| “What a terrific job Mike Silver did in mediating. Given the nature of the dispute, I frankly did not expect…to reach a settlement. Mike somehow managed to hammer out a settlement between all the parties in a couple of hours. I was most impressed with Mike’s abilities as a mediator, and our client was pleased with the settlement it received.” (Nicholas Richter) |
| “Without Mr. Silver’s assistance we doubt very much that this matter could have settled prior to a trial. We should also point out that this was not an isolated action, but there were two companion actions which we were also able to settle as a result of Mr. Silver’s involvement and the flexible approach he took in discussing the issues in all the litigation.” (William Steele and Bruce Reynolds) |
| “Thank you for your skilful assistance in helping us to resolve this matter. Having you as an intermediary allowed the parties to vent their frustrations towards you rather than at each other and I believe that was instrumental in allowing us to reach a settlement. The time spent was certainly productive.” (Gary Gibbs) |
| “I recently attended with my client and their lawyer at a mediation session with Michael Silver. One of my observations is how this session compared to conventional pre-trial conferences…I have attended a few pre-trial conferences and…They are not, in my view, nearly as effective as (this) session. Perhaps this is a result of the specific training and experience that the pre-trial judges simply may not have. Suffice it to say that from my unscientific sampling, the mediation was a significantly superior process and…Very effective.” (Wayne Rudson) |
| Testimonials Regarding the Book "Mediation & Negotiation: Representing Your Clients" | |
| “I would like to congratulate you on producing an excellent book which is a very useful guide in an expanding field in which you have been a pioneer.” (Roy McMurtry, Chief Justice of Ontario) |
| “I am not surprised that you are feeling a bit drained, because you have had to combine the writing of a highly original book with inevitable family demands…The (mediation book) looks excellent in every way-scholarly, wide ranging and timely. I will certainly try to spread the word on this side of the Atlantic, and I very much hope that the book receives proper recognition.” (Professor Sir David Williams, Vice Chancellor, Cambridge University, UK) |
| “I have reviewed the book and I think it is an excellent source of information for practicing lawyers about negotiation and mediation. I especially like the fact that it is practical in its orientation and it has numerous helpful suggestions regarding advocacy techniques….I appreciate the thought that went into the book and your clear way of explaining ways the mediation and negotiation process can be effectively used by advocates. It is one of the very few books I have read that examines the mediation/negotiation process from the perspective of the advocate who needs to know how to use those processes to their maximum advantage.” (Greg Relyea) |
| “Congratulations on your book launch... I am buying the book---it looks great! Plus people I spoke to told me what a terrific mediator you are” (Kathy Feldman, Ontario Court of Appeal) |
