What happens in Vancouver stays in Vancouver, but when it comes to the ADRIC National Conference at the Douglas Hotel, I feel it’s only fair to share some of the highlights—especially the ones involving upside-down name badges and exotic hors d’oeuvres.
On October 22-24, 2025, I had the privilege to attend the much-anticipated annual gathering of Canada’s ADR aficionados. The festivities kicked off with a cocktail reception on the evening of the 22nd and my valiant attempt to network while balancing a tiny plate, a drink, and what I hope was a spring roll (the jury is still out).
The main event unfolded over October 23rd and 24th, with Carla Bekkering, Michael Schafler, and a record 255 professionals from coast to coast convened to exchange wisdom, stories, and sometimes business cards. The conference promised a whirlwind of engaging discussions, insightful panels, and enough coffee to sustain the most dedicated of neutrals. With Vancouver’s rain providing the perfect backdrop, the ADRIC crowd proved once again that, whether resolving disputes or battling umbrella malfunctions, Canadians do it with style—and a healthy dose of humour.
Flanked by my two new conference friends, Valerie and Sara, the event kicked off with a classic case of “who’s on first?” as Gary Lacasse and Stacey Rose tried to figure out who was introducing whom.
The 2024 financial statements were presented and, most importantly, showed that the Institute is not broke and everyone is still friends with the auditors. A slate of directors was announced, and membership is stable at 2,200. The social media reach is so impressive that even your grandma might have seen a post from ADRIC.
The Honourable Wally Oppal charmed the crowd with tales of legal reform, cross-examination, and the importance of resolving disputes without turning every disagreement into a courtroom drama. He also reminded everyone that judges are people too, even if they do get special treatment in elevators.
I enjoyed every session I attended, but I am limited to reporting on only two as follows.
The Tariff Tango
Canada and the U.S. are doing the “Tariff Two-Step” and trying to keep up with a landscape that changes faster than you can say “reciprocal duties.” Every time you blink, there’s a new policy, tariff, or a new reason to call your lawyer on a Saturday morning.
The session title had a typo—no, it’s not about “terror-related disputes”; it’s all about how tariffs are crashing the ADR party and making everyone rethink their contracts.
Canada and the U.S. have been hitting tariffs back and forth like a couple of caffeinated baseball pros. One day it’s steel, the next it’s aluminium, and don’t even get started on softwood lumber.
It turns out, most contracts weren’t written with a “tariff apocalypse” in mind. But now the scramble is on to figure out if they cover these new headaches or if they need to add a “tariff tantrum” clause for next time. Is a tariff a force majeure event? Is it a change in law? Or is it just another reason to renegotiate the price and hope nobody notices the fine print?
The advice: add risk allocation clauses, price adjustment clauses, and maybe an early warning system and mitigation strategy in the future so everyone can panic together when the next tariff hits. And if all else fails, just renegotiate, terminate, or pray for free trade.
Lessons Learned from Complex Multi-Party Construction Arbitrations
A group of legal and technical experts, each with more credentials than a Swiss Army knife, gathered in Vancouver to discuss the wild world of construction arbitration. This is what I enjoyed and learned:
Drafting Arbitration Clauses
- Rule #1: Make sure everyone knows what the clause is for. Is it mandatory? Optional? Written in Klingon?
- Rule #2: Check your jurisdiction. You don’t want to end up arbitrating in Quebec when you thought you were in Ontario.
- Rule #3: Consistency is key. If your contracts are a patchwork quilt of rules, expect chaos.
- Rule #4: Don’t just copy and paste from the internet. That is how you end up with four different dispute processes in four different countries and a headache that even the best arbitrator can’t fix.
Choosing Rules and Institutions
- Institutional rules can bring order, but sometimes you want the flexibility to run for the hills (or at least to another forum).
- Once you pick an institution, you’re stuck with it—like a gym membership you can’t cancel.
Experts: Early Birds or Late Arrivals?
- Bring in experts early, and they’ll help you keep your ducks (and documents) in a row.
- But beware: if your expert gets too cozy with the team, they might lose their independent badge and become just another member of the project’s group chat.
- The ideal? Two experts: one for advice, one for testifying. But unless the client is made of money, good luck with that!
Arbitrator Selection
- Lawyers love lawyers, but sometimes you need someone who knows what a hard hat is.
- For complex disputes, a panel of three might be better—think of it as assembling the Avengers, but for construction law.
- Pick arbitrators who can actually show up (not just in spirit) and who can keep the process from spiralling into a months-long saga.
Virtual vs. In-Person Hearings
- Virtual hearings are fine—unless you need to stare someone down to see if they’re lying.
- Some witnesses are better live, especially if they have a thick accent and a killer PowerPoint.
- Lawyers love to draft witness statements, but sometimes the witness reads them and says, “Wait, I said that?”
Experts Galore
- Too many experts? Prepare for a domino effect of delays and last-minute panic.
- Joint reports and hot-tubbing (expert conferencing, not a spa day) can help, but don’t expect everyone to suddenly agree and sing Kumbaya.
Why You Should Attend Next Year
Beautiful Venue
If this year’s venue is anything to go by, then ADRIC put on a “good do,” and there’s even time to go out and sample the local restaurants and bars.
Charming Company
I mean, who doesn’t want to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and get the inside information on how to get onto the new roster?
Networking Olympics
Where else can you balance a tiny plate, a drink, and a questionable spring roll while trying to remember everyone’s name? And it’s the only place where upside-down name badges are a fashion statement.
Legendary Speakers
You’ll hear tales of legal reform, cross-examination, and why judges get special treatment in elevators. Plus, you’ll learn that resolving disputes doesn’t have to turn every disagreement into a courtroom drama.
If you want to survive in the wild world of ADR, draft carefully, pick your team wisely, and always check who’s in the penalty box before dinner. And remember: what happens in Vancouver stays in Vancouver—unless it’s too funny not to share.
Building Resilience into Agreements: The Power and Nuances of Progressive Dispute Resolution 
