Adjudicator Profile

James Minns is a mediator, arbitrator, adjudicator, and appraisal umpire. James gained experience as a lawyer working in private practice with a focus on litigation and transactional matters. James’ practice involves all aspects of construction, real property, insurance coverage for property losses, condominium disputes and intellectual property law disputes.  While in private practice, he frequently appeared before the Ontario Superior Court, the Ontario Divisional Court, and the Ontario Court of Appeal.  In addition, James has acquired alternative dispute resolution (ADR) competencies through extensive formal training and on-the-job experience.

James has developed subject matter expertise in a broad range of construction matters while acting on behalf of all levels of the construction pyramid, including owners, general contractors and labour and material sub-trades.  His experience includes working as counsel drafting and reviewing construction contracts and as litigation counsel on construction lien and contract disputes.  From his insurance background, he has experience acting on property claims resulting from all manner of losses from all types of risks.  The property insurance claims typically involved the remediation and stabilization of the damaged property, followed by the restoration and reconstruction of the property to its pre-loss condition. James has experience acting as litigation counsel, as a mediator and as an appraisal umpire on a wide spectrum of construction-related insurance policies, including commercial risk, course of construction, builder’s risk, and wrap-up insurance policies.  His experience includes working with industrial, commercial, retail, residential and condominium properties and with transportation & infrastructure design and construction-related claims.

James’ education includes an LL.M. (Osgoode, 2002), an MBA (Toronto, 1995) and an LL.B. (UWO, 1980).  James holds a Q. Med and Q. Arb. designation from ADRIC and is a Fellow with the CIArb.  He is a member of the Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society (TCAS), and he is a member of the Toronto Construction Association (TCA).