CURRICULUM VITAE

Robert A. Kominar M.A., LL.B., Ph.D.(cand.), C.Med., Cert. C.F.M.

BACKGROUND

Robert Kominar is currently an Arbitrator with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario. He recently has been a Faculty member of Royal Roads University's programs: the Master of Arts in Conflict Analysis and Management Program and the Master of Arts in Leadership and Training as well as at Wilfrid Laurier University, Departments of Organizational Leadership and Contemporary Studies. Prior to this Robert held a tenured appointment in the Department of Law and Justice at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario. He practised family, civil and criminal litigation for more than 10 years and now practises mediation and arbitration as the Principal of Integrity Dispute Resolution Services. Robert is an experienced conflict resolution trainer and has served as the Academic Coordinator of the York/Laurentian Certificate Program in Dispute Resolution, in Sudbury, Ontario. He has also coordinated the York/Brock Program in the Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario. Robert has instructed in and co-directed the Program at York University in Toronto and at the University of Guelph and University of Windsor. He has wide experience with interventions in legal, interpersonal, organizational and commercial conflict.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & INTERESTS

Robert has been worked with parties in thousands of disputes, as mediator, arbitrator and as counsel. He has significant experience in areas of family and employment conflict, as well as in interventions in commercial and organizational disputes. The following illustrate some of his particular areas of interest and experience:

• Family breakdown: including parenting issues, support, and property division.
• Child Protection Mediation
• Employment disputes
• Partnership and Shareholder conflict
• Estate beneficiary conflict
• Organizational Conflict and systems design
• Human rights disputes
• Settlement of Civil Litigation cases
• Professional Discipline matters
• Facilitated Organizational Dialogue Process
• Community conflicts

EDUCATION

B.A. Honours (Philosophy), University of Windsor, 1974

M.A. (Philosophy), University of Windsor, 1975

LL.B. University of Windsor, 1980

Ph.D. Candidate (Ethics & Philosophy of Law), University of Western Ontario. Expected date of completion, Spring 2007.

EMPLOYMENT & OTHER PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT

Arbitrator, Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) (2002-2006)

Arbitrations at FSCO determine disputes between auto insurers and those claiming statutory accident benefits. Arbitrators share concurrent jurisdiction with Superior Court Justices in accident benefit cases.

Sessional Professor, Departments of Organizational Leadership and Contemporary Studies, Laurier University, Brantford Ontario (2005-2006)

Mediator/Settlement Officer, Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) (2001-2002)

FSCO is responsible for the regulation of all Financial Institutions in Ontario that fall under provincial jurisdiction. All disputes in Ontario between individuals injured in motor vehicle accidents and their accident benefits insurers are required to be mediated prior to arbitration or court action.

Professor , Master's Program in Conflict Analysis and Management, Royal Roads University, Victoria, British Columbia (2000-2002)

Royal Roads University offers the largest graduate level program in conflict studies in Canada. Robert has served as academic coordinator in the program.

Professor, Master of Arts Program in Leadership and Training, Royal Roads University, Victoria, British Columbia (2001-2002)

Assistant Professor, Department of Law & Justice, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario (1991-1999)

The Department of Law & Justice offers an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Legal Studies. During Robert's tenure it implemented a Dispute Resolution stream within its degree programs. Along with Laurentian University as a whole, the Department is actively involved in the development of technology that facilitates the delivery of creative, high quality distributed learning.

Robert taught courses in jurisprudence, critical thinking, law and dispute resolution as well as researched and wrote in these areas. He has a number of academic publications and has presented his research in national and international conferences. He is frequently called on by the media to discuss conflict resolution issues. He is currently writing a book on mediation ethics.

Barrister & Solicitor (1982-2006)

Primary areas of focus: family and criminal litigation, wrongful dismissal from employment, civil litigation.

Dispute Resolution Trainer (1997- 2001)

Coordinator and Trainer in the York/Laurentian Certificate Program in Dispute Resolution. This full academic year program focuses on training dispute resolution professionals to become reflective practitioners, by providing them with both practical skills training as well as the opportunity to read, reflect and dialogue about the emerging profession and ethical responsibilities of dispute resolution. The program, centered at York University, is fast becoming a collaborative effort of a number of Canadian universities. Robert was instrumental to bringing dispute resolution training to Northern Ontario and the Hamilton/Niagara regions. He currently teaches mediation in Windsor, Ontario and Victoria, British Columbia. Robert has designed a course module/examination in civil procedure geared to providing mediators who are not lawyers with the knowledge necessary to gain access to court mediation rosters across Ontario.

Clinical Supervisor (1999-2000)

Laurentian University in partnership with the Mediation Center of Sudbury has set up the first clinical internship program in Conflict Resolution in Ontario. Robert is the Senior Supervisor of the internship program which was created to provide significant supervised experience to conflict resolution professionals in Northern Ontario.

Principal, Integrity Dispute Resolution Services

Integrity Dispute Resolution Services provides mediation and arbitration services throughout Canada. Integrity also provides mediation and negotiation training programs as well as design of organizational conflict management systems. We have provided large group facilitation services to Industry Canada, and the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development as well as a number of Ontario hospitals. Integrity is currently expanding its services to respond to the need organizations have to integrate sustainable dialogue communication processes into their organizational environment, with the view to overcoming traditionally adversarial cultures.

Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Family Mediation Canada

Certifying Assessor, Family Mediation Canada

All candidates for certification with FMC are evaluated through education and experience criteria as well as video demonstration of mediation skills and written examinations.

Co-Chair of the Program Committee for Family Mediation Canada's 1999 National Conference, Toronto Ontario

Past Member of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Association for Family Mediation

Past-Chair of the Ethics Committee, Ontario Association for Family Mediation

Former Member of the Board of Directors (multiple terms), Canadian Foundation for Dispute Resolution (Ontario), formerly the Arbitration & Mediation Institute of Ontario

Member of the Chartered Mediator Assessment Committee, Canadian Foundation for Dispute Resolution (Ontario)

Past-Chair of the Education Committee of the Arbitration & Mediation Institute of Ontario

Member, Ontario Society for the Study of Argumentation

CERTIFICATIONS

Certified as a Comprehensive Family Mediator (Cert. C.F.M.), Family Mediation Canada.

Family Mediation Canada has instituted the most rigorous certification process for mediators in North America. The comprehensive mediator designation is the highest accreditation they currently offer.

Certified as a National Mediator Assessor by Family Mediation Canada

Certified as a Chartered Mediator (C.Med.), Canadian Foundation for Dispute Resolution, formerly the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Canada.

Certified Squaretrade Online Mediator

Square Trade provides all required mediation services for disputes that arise on eBay auction transactions around the globe, as well as online dispute resolution services in other commercial and insurance related cases.

Roster Member, Ontario Mandatory Mediation Program for Civil Litigation, Toronto, Ontario.

The Province of Ontario now requires that most civil litigation cases filed in the Superior courts be mediated before trial.

Roster Member, Ontario Child Protection Mediation Panel, Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Ontario

Qualified pursuant to National Standing Offer to provide mediation services and conflict resolution training to the Department of National Defence, April 2001 - December 2006.

Qualified pursuant to National Standing Offer to provide mediation services pursuant to the Farm Debt Mediation Act, through March 2008.

Qualified pursuant to National Standing Offer to provide mediation services to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, November 3, 2003 - December 31, 2006.

Qualified to provide Independent Third Party Neutral services to the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, through 2006.

13 December 2006

REFERENCES

Personal and Professional References Available on Request