Mary Ellen was called to the bar in 1975. She practiced as a civil litigator in a Vancouver-based law firm for more than 10 years before being appointed to the County Court of British Columbia. After the merger of the Superior Courts in July 1990, she presided as a justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia until May 2012.  

During her 26-year judicial career, Mary Ellen dealt with a full spectrum of civil litigation matters, including all manner of torts claims (personal injury, medical malpractice, solicitor’s negligence, municipal negligence), wills and estate actions, construction claims, insurance matters (disability, life, coverage), wrongful dismissal actions and other commercial disputes.

Following her retirement from the bench, Mary Ellen strengthened her considerable credentials with intensive mediation training. She launched her mediation practice in 2012 and transitioned from adjudicating actions to mediating disputes – quickly becoming one of B.C.’s most highly respected mediators. In early 2017 Mary Ellen joined her friends and colleagues, Barbara Cornish, and Simon Margolis, in forming Cornish Margolis Boyd Mediation & Arbitration, a firm which has quickly gained a premier reputation in the field of alternate dispute resolution.

Through her mediation practice, Mary Ellen has demonstrated an intuitive ability to identify the needs and interests driving the parties in each dispute and to guide them in effectively communicating those needs to one another. She has developed a deep understanding that her role is not to design or impose her own solution, but rather to assist the parties in reaching a mutually agreeable resolution. At the same time, Mary Ellen leverages her judicial perspective by providing parties with realistic risk assessments during negotiations. 

Since the advent of COVID-19, Mary Ellen has trained hard to master the art of online mediations using Zoom and Microsoft Teams. 

• Bachelor of Laws, University of British Columbia 1974
• Called to the Bar of British Columbia 1975
• Reinstated to the Bar of British Columbia 2012

• 2020 Best Lawyers in Canada for Alternative Dispute Resolution.
• Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators
• Lectured on mediation for: Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, Canadian Bar Association, Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia, Law Society of British Columbia  

Please contact our office at vquinn@cmbmediation.com or 604-639-3171 for more information

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