Mediation

Invictus Legal LLP is a paralegal-led legal services firm based in St. Catharines, Ontario, serving clients across Ontario. The firm emphasizes accessible, client-focused legal support and practical dispute resolution tailored to individual circumstances.

While Invictus Legal’s core services revolve around a wide range of paralegal and legal advocacy work, its team includes professionals trained in mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), which plays a strategic role in how the firm helps clients effectively resolve conflicts .

How do we mediate?

Mediation is about driving results from the participants. The mediator facilitates discussions, but generally the solution comes from the parties.

The Mediator is engaged to facilitate discussions, not to provide answers. Their role is to ensure the parties explore options.

Mediation works best when parties come prepared to negotiate. There should be some give and take by either side. Come to a mediation with a set of achievable goals, practical solutions to the problems the parties face. The fact that the parties are prepared to mediate means that options are available.

At its foundation, Invictus Legal LLP has positioned itself as a results-oriented practice that listens carefully to client issues and desired outcomes before crafting a tailored plan of action. Common areas of service include employment law, human rights issues, landlord and tenant disputes, disability tribunals, small claims litigation. Within these contexts, mediation—especially in employment and human rights disputes—is an increasingly valuable tool that aligns with the firm’s practical approach to dispute resolution. Mediation is not limited in terms of the financial amount sought.

A key professional in the firm’s ADR capacity is Justin O’Donnell, a licensed paralegal and trained mediator at Invictus Legal LLP. O’Donnell brings expertise in negotiation, mediation, and workshop facilitation, backed by membership in the Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (ADRIO). His qualifications position him to act as a neutral facilitator in resolving workplace and legal disputes outside of formal litigation settings. Additionally partner, Peter Giblett has a history of facilitating caucused mediation of contract and employment disputes while residing in the UK. Managing partner, Angela Browne, has performed collaborative mediations with parties where there are common interests and seek agreement on the items in dispute, with all parties in the room.

Mediation services at Invictus Legal LLP complement traditional advocacy by offering clients a structured yet flexible method to address conflict. In situations where parties have ongoing relationships—such as employer-employee issues, contractual disagreements, or human rights-related tensions—mediation can help preserve dignity and avoid the time and expense of full-scale tribunal hearings or court actions. By emphasizing communication and shared solutions, mediation aligns with the firm’s broader mission to secure outcomes that reflect what matters most to the client.

Mediation can be particularly effective in employment and human rights disputes, where and workplace dynamics can complicate formal dispute resolution. Emotions can complicate matters in such situations. Mediation helps resolve disputes without the expense of litigation.

Mediators assist parties through a structured mediation allowing each to articulate concerns, explore interests, and negotiate agreements that address both immediate issues and future working relationships. Because mediation is voluntary, confidential, and collaborative, it often leads to more sustainable and satisfactory resolutions than adversarial procedures.

Invictus Legal’s willingness to integrate mediation reflects a broader trend in legal services that prioritizes ADR: many clients prefer solutions that reduce stress, preserve reputations, and expedite outcomes. For employers, this can mean resolving workplace conflict while preserving team cohesion; for employees, it can offer a voice in shaping the terms of resolution rather than leaving decisions solely to a tribunal or court.

The firm's paralegal-driven approach and inclusion of mediation services demonstrate a commitment to creative and client-centred dispute resolution within the framework of Ontario’s legal system.