Cornish Margolis Boyd Mediation & Arbitration

What Cornish Margolis Boyd Mediation & Arbitration does

Cornish Margolis Boyd Mediation & Arbitration is a Vancouver-based alternative dispute resolution (ADR) partnership founded in 2017 by Barbara Cornish, K.C., Simon Margolis, K.C., and Mary Ellen Boyd. The firm provides mediation and arbitration services to businesses, insurers, public institutions, Indigenous communities, and individuals across commercial, insurance, employment, construction, professional liability, estate, real estate, and rights-related disputes in British Columbia and nationally across Canada. Its roster of eight mediators/arbitrators includes the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, a former justice of that court, multiple King's Counsel appointees, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, supported by two legal assistants.

The firm delivers two core services: facilitated mediation (led primarily by Cornish, Boyd, Lyall, and Derby) and binding arbitration (provided by Margolis, Short, Lindsay, and Bauman), with engagements billed per case or on an hourly basis. Operations run on a low-technology stack — a website-based online scheduling system, Zoom/Teams for virtual mediation, and standard office systems — with no proprietary platform, software products, or technology monetization. Distribution is driven by professional reputation, peer referrals within the BC legal community, Best Lawyers and Who's Who Legal rankings, and listings on institutional arbitration panels such as the Canadian Transportation Agency and the BC International Commercial Arbitration Centre.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The firm has remained an independent private partnership throughout, with no external investment, parent company, or M&A activity. Growth has been organic and incremental, executed through the lateral hiring of senior neutrals (Richard Lindsay in 2021, Elizabeth Lyall in 2022, Robert Bauman in 2023) and modest service-line extensions into ADR training, system design, and virtual mediation.

Name

Cornish Margolis Boyd Mediation & Arbitration

Legal name

Cornish Margolis Boyd Mediation & Arbitration

Website

https://cmbmediation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cornish Margolis Boyd is a Vancouver-based partnership providing mediation and arbitration services across commercial, insurance, employment, construction, and Indigenous disputes in British Columbia and Canada, delivered by a roster of eight senior neutrals including a former Chief Justice of the BC Supreme Court.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Mediation Services: Professional mediation services billed on a per-case or hourly basis for resolving disputes between parties outside of court proceedings
2. Arbitration Services: Arbitration services provided by Simon Margolis, Kerry Short, Richard Lindsay, and Robert Bauman for commercial dispute resolution, billed per case or matter

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CMB provides mediation and arbitration services to resolve commercial, civil, insurance, construction, employment, and other disputes outside of court. Mediation is delivered by Barb Cornish, Mary Ellen Boyd, Elizabeth Lyall, and Winton Derby, while arbitration is led by Simon Margolis, Kerry Short, Richard Lindsay, and Robert Bauman. The firm also offers ADR training and system design to organizations and conducts online mediations via Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

Product overview

Cornish Margolis Boyd is a dedicated mediation and arbitration firm based in Vancouver, Canada. The core offering consists of mediation services (led by Barb Cornish, Mary Ellen Boyd, Elizabeth Lyall, and Winton Derby) and arbitration services (provided by Simon Margolis, Kerry Short, Richard Lindsay, and Robert Bauman). The firm provides online scheduling through their web platform and offers ADR training and system design as supplementary services. The mediators have adapted to offer online mediation via Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Services span multiple sectors including insurance, commercial, employment, construction, and indigenous disputes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mediation Services Facilitated negotiation and dispute resolution services delivered by Barb Cornish, Mary Ellen Boyd, Elizabeth Lyall, and Winton Derby to help parties resolve conflicts outside of court proceedings. Includes online mediation delivery via Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
• Arbitration Services Formal arbitration proceedings where neutral arbitrators (Simon Margolis, Kerry Short, Richard Lindsay, and Robert Bauman) render binding decisions on commercial disputes, including matters on rosters such as the BC International Commercial Arbitration Centre and the Canadian Transportation Agency.
• ADR Training and System Design Conflict management training and alternative dispute resolution system design services provided by CMB members to a broad range of organizations, complementing the firm's hands-on mediation and arbitration practice.

Quantifiable outcome

• Less time-consuming, costly, stressful and unpredictable than going to court
• +3 more outcomes

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Academy of MediatorscoreOthersBarb Cornish serves as Distinguished Fellow and Governor. Multiple team members are members or fellows of this prestigious international organization of mediators.
• International Academy of MediatorscoreOthersMary Ellen Boyd is a Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators. Simon Margolis is a Distinguished Fellow.
• Canadian Academy of Distinguished NeutralscoreOthersMary Ellen Boyd, Simon Margolis, Barb Cornish, Elizabeth Lyall, and Kerry Short are charter members of this academy of distinguished neutrals.
• British Columbia International Commercial Arbitration CentreminorOthersKerry Short is a panel member of BC International Commercial Arbitration Centre for commercial arbitrations.
• Canadian Transportation AgencyminorOthersRichard Lindsay is listed on the Canadian Transportation Agency's list of arbitrators for arbitrations under the Canada Transportation Act.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of British ColumbiacoreOthersRichard Lindsay is a member of the Board of Directors of ADRIC (ADR Institute of British Columbia). Barb Cornish is a chartered mediator and arbitrator with this institute.
• Chartered Institute of ArbitratorscoreOthersRichard Lindsay is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators since 2017.
• BC Unclaimed Property SocietyminorOthersRobert Bauman served as Board of Directors and Vice Chair of BC Unclaimed Property Society from 2018-2024.
• Access Pro Bono BCcoreOthersRobert Bauman serves on the Board of Directors of Access Pro Bono BC from 2024-present, continuing his passion for access to justice.
• Canadian Bar AssociationminorOthersElizabeth Lyall received a Canadian Bar Association Community Service Award in recognition of her years of charitable service.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• JAMS: The largest private ADR provider globally, offering mediation, arbitration, and other dispute resolution services across the US and internationally. Comparable in core service offering but materially larger, with broader geographic reach and a much bigger roster of neutrals.
• Fasken: Major Canadian law firm with a significant international arbitration and dispute resolution practice; the firm from which CMB's Elizabeth Lyall transitioned. Comparable as a provider of sophisticated ADR services, with CMB representing a specialized boutique alternative to in-firm ADR groups.
• Borden Ladner Gervais: One of Canada's largest full-service law firms with an established commercial litigation, arbitration, and mediation practice. Comparable as a competitor for high-value dispute resolution mandates in Canada, though ADR is one of many service lines.
• McCarthy Tétrault: One of Canada's largest full-service law firms with a prominent national and international arbitration practice. Comparable as a provider of high-end commercial arbitration and mediation, though ADR is one offering within a much broader legal services portfolio.
• Norton Rose Fulbright: Global law firm with a leading international arbitration practice; successor firm to Bull Housser & Tupper where CMB co-founder Simon Margolis was formerly managing partner. Comparable as a provider of sophisticated arbitration services across commercial, insurance, and infrastructure disputes.

Direct peers

• Arbitration Place: Toronto-based independent arbitration and mediation institution with a roster of senior neutrals handling complex domestic and international commercial disputes. Directly comparable as a Canadian ADR-focused institution with similar professional-service delivery.
• ADR Chambers: Canadian mediation and arbitration chambers offering a roster of distinguished neutrals for commercial and civil disputes. Directly comparable to CMB as a specialized ADR firm operating in the Canadian market with similar service offerings.

Regional players

• Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel + Fehler: Vancouver-based law firm with a strong construction, insurance, and dispute resolution practice. Comparable as a regional competitor for ADR mandates in BC, particularly construction and insurance disputes, but ADR is embedded within a broader litigation practice.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornish_margolis_boyd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cornish Margolis Boyd Mediation & Arbitration