The team from ADR Chambers Inc. includes the following members who will be responsible for providing Integrity Commissioner services to Markham:

Allan J. Stitt, LL.M (Harvard), C.Med., C.Arb.

Allan is the President of ADR Chambers. He is a mediator, arbitrator, negotiation consultant, facilitator, trainer, and ADR systems design specialist. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto Law School and a Special Lecturer at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law, teaching courses in Negotiation and Alternative Dispute Resolution. He has also been a Lecturer at the University of Notre Dame, the University of Lisbon (Portugal), and the University of the Philippines and has taught ADR and Negotiation courses throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia with the Stitt Feld Handy Group, a division of ADR Chambers.

Allan is both a Chartered Mediator (C.Med.) and a Chartered Arbitrator (C.Arb.). He has mediated two-party and multi-party disputes in numerous contexts, including commercial, employment, corporate governance, workplace, banking, personal injury, sports, and breach of contract. He has also arbitrated numerous commercial cases including cases for the National Transportation Agency and the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Board. His book on ADR systems design, ADR For Organizations, and Mediating Commercial Disputes, were both business books bestsellers. He also wrote Mediation: A Practical Guide and he is the Editor-in-Chief of the CCH ADR Practice Manual.

After earning his B.Comm at the University of Toronto, Allan earned his LL.B. at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law and his J.D. at the University of Detroit Law School, graduating first in his class in both law schools. He then earned his LL.M. degree at Harvard Law School. Until 1994, he was a litigator at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt.

While at Harvard Law School in 1992, Allan studied negotiation and ADR with Professor Roger Fisher, Professor Frank Sander, and Bruce Patton. He has returned to Harvard on a number of occasions to act as a Teaching Assistant to Professor Fisher. Allan is the Past President of the ADR Institute of Canada, the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Canada, the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Ontario and the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators, an IMI Certified Mediator, an arbitrator and mediator for the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC), a panel member of the International Panel of Arbitrators with the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), and on the International Panel of Mediators with the Singapore Mediation Centre.Allan has been awarded the Ontario Bar Association Award of Excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution. He is listed in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada in ADR, the Mediation chapter of Who’s Who Legal: Canada 2012, and is listed in The International Who’s Who of Commercial Mediation 2012. He has designed ADR systems for such organizations as the Canadian Bankers Association, the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the Law Society of Upper Canada, and Canadian Tire Corporation.

Charles A. Harnick

Mr. Harnick actively practiced law as a litigator for over 20 years. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1977. From 1990 to 1999, Mr. Harnick served as an elected member of the Ontario Legislature, and from 1995 to 1999 he served as Attorney General of Ontario and Minister Responsible for Native Affairs. Mr. Harnick spent several years as a Chief Federal Land Claims negotiator, including amongst others, the Coldwater land claim.

Mr. Harnick is responsible for the creation of the Ontario Mandatory Mediation Program and Legal Aid Ontario. He was instrumental as a mediator in bringing the major legal organizations in Ontario together with paralegal organizations, culminating in legislation that has made the Law Society of Ontario the regulator of paralegal activities.

In 1991 Charles was certified as a specialist in civil litigation. He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1992 and in 2005 he was awarded the Law Society Medal. He is a Member of The Canadian Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and an Affiliate Member of The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

Mr. Harnick has extensive experience as an Integrity Commissioner and currently acts as Integrity Commissioner for the following 10 Ontario municipalities:

  • Municipality of Leamington
  • City of Kawartha Lakes
  • Haldimand County
  • Township of Larder Lake
  • County of Dufferin
  • City of Richmond Hill
  • Township of McGarry
  • Town of Orangeville
  • City of Markham
  • Norfolk County

In his role as Integrity Commissioner, Mr. Harnick conducts Code of Conduct investigations and drafts decisions based on his findings. Mr. Harnick also interprets and applies Codes of Conduct and municipal conflict of interest legislation in making recommendations to Members of Council.

Mr. Harnick has drafted, reviewed and redrafted Codes of Conduct for several municipalities. He has also completed educational presentations to municipalities on the applicable Code of Conduct and on the Integrity Commissioner's role.

Complementary Content
${loading}