It Matters How It Ends.
Mediation for complex, high-stakes and sensitive civil disputes across Canada.
Serious disputes are rarely about money alone.
Behind every complex claim are questions of risk, credibility, reputation and relationship, and people who will live with how it ends. Founded by Cliff Hendler, one of Canada’s most experienced commercial mediators, HMI is retained by leading counsel, insurers and institutions when the stakes are high and the path to resolution is not obvious.
Why Counsel Choose HMI
Clarity where it counts.
We help parties make well-informed decisions, weighing certainty against risk, so counsel and clients can assess their options with confidence and move toward resolution.
Litigation, understood.
As experienced counsel and mediators, we understand the relationships between parties and counsel, the pressures of litigation and the expectations of clients and insurers, and where mediation fits within your broader strategy.
Persistence by design.
For counsel, mediation is a strategic conversation about risk. For clients, it is often deeply personal. We give both their due and bring the patience and resolve to keep negotiations moving.
A process, not an event.
If a matter does not resolve on the scheduled day, our involvement does not end there. Where a productive path remains, we stay engaged until it has run its course.
OUR MEDIATORSDistinct Experience. The Same Standard.
FOUNDER AND MEDIATORCliff Hendler
More than 36 years. Thousands of mediations. Co-founder of the International Academy of Mediators. Cliff is retained in some of Canada's most complex commercial, class action, product liability, aviation, defamation and professional negligence disputes.
MEDIATORSusannah Margison
A former trial lawyer and in-house medical malpractice counsel, Susannah mediates serious medical malpractice, professional negligence, defamation, class action, aviation and institutional disputes, where legal risk, credibility and reputation are bound tightly together.
Our Practice Areas
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Claims involving physicians, hospitals, nursing and long-term care, where clinical complexity meets profound personal consequences.
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Disputes involving lawyers, dentists and other regulated professionals, where reputation and professional identity are often at stake.
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Matters in which credibility and public narrative are at issue, and discretion matters as much as resolution.
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Multi-party resolutions that depend on careful process design, staged negotiation and complex settlement structures.
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Sensitive claims against institutions, handled with care for survivors and an understanding of institutional realities.
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Losses arising from aviation incidents, often involving multiple parties, insurers and jurisdictions.
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Claims involving manufacturers, distributors and insurers, frequently with technical evidence and multiple defendants.
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Matters where the losses are profound and every decision carries lasting consequences.
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High-value commercial, contractual and coverage disputes.
BEYOND THE MEDIATION ROOMAdvisory and Education
Conflict Advisory & Leadership
Independent, confidential perspective for leaders and professionals facing a consequential conflict.
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Training & Speaking
Negotiation and conflict education for legal, insurance and healthcare audiences.
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Have a matter in mind?
Tell us about your file, your preferred mediator and any proposed dates.