About Leigh Pedersen
I was called to the bar in 1982 and over the last 40 years my practice has been primarily in the area of personal injury. Throughout that time I have represented both plaintiff and defendants on a relatively equal basis. Doing so provided me with a unique perspective on the workings of personal injury litigation. I have appeared at all levels of court within the province and have been involved in numerous jury trials. My legal practice also included general insurance, security realization, property and contract disputes, wrongful dismissal, insolvency and corporate and commercial litigation. In addition to civil litigation I was a two-term chairman of the Canada Pension Plan Appeals Tribunal.
The majority of my legal career has been situated in Kamloops with the firm of Morelli Chertkow of which I spent 28 years as the managing partner. Since commencing my mediation practice in 2001, I have mediated a wide variety of claims including personal injury, wrongful dismissal, contract disputes, real property litigation and matters related to Work Safe BC disputes. Currently I am transitioning away from the day to day practice of law with the intention of focusing on mediation.
Over the past 20 years many of the mediations I have conducted have been at the request of counsel or adjusters who were on the opposite side of litigated files I have handled. That, I believe, is a testament to the objectivity and respect that I bring to the process and to the individuals involved.
Fees & Policies
My hourly rate for a two-party mediation is $600 per hour or portion thereof. Mediations can be reserved for a half-day with a three hour minimum or a full day with a five hour minimum. Unless a large volume of documents are involved there is no additional fee for preparation or pre-mediation contact with the parties. In addition if there are facility fees for an in person mediation they will be billed separately by the centre involved. Technical support will be provided for any virtual mediation which will be billed at $195.00 plus GST as an addition to the mediation fees.
As I am located in the Interior of BC the majority of mediations will be conducted remotely via Zoom. In my experience this has been beneficial for all parties involved. If travel is required, depending on the location, any additional fees can be negotiated.
Once a mediation date is reserved, a confirmation notice will be sent out. Subsequently, the Agreement to Mediate will be provided along with details such as Zoom links etc.
A cancelation fee of $1,500.00 will apply to any mediation cancelled without 7 full business days notice.
Scheduling
Mediation can be scheduled using the calendar provided or by contacting my scheduling team at (604) 492-2690 or by sending me an email at lpedersen.mediation@outlook.com