My Story

I started out as a graduate of Business and Law from the University of British Columbia.

While at law school I received distinctions for the oral presentation of my moots. The partners in the established Vancouver firm where I started my career were clearly impressed. I knew I was destined for a successful litigation career when my first Supreme Court trial involved defending a dog that had allegedly bitten an elderly woman. I am happy to report that I was able to convince the judge of the dog's innocence.

For fourteen years I was on top, impressing colleagues, bosses and clients alike. I was a serious multi-tasker… managing it all. I practiced law, had a family and started and managed two successful businesses. No wonder my friends and family say, "I do chaos well." There are many things that I love about the practice of law including the challenge of a great courtroom battle, yet the adversarial environment was taking its toll on me. Where could I go from here? What else could I do? It was obvious to me… as a lawyer, was I not an expert in conflict resolution?

I began to devour armloads of information, filling a large suitcase full of skills and abilities, including becoming a certified executive coach and training in Advanced Negotiations and Mediation at Harvard Law School. I knew I was on the right path! I was right… really! I was right everywhere, just ask my husband! So now what was my challenge? The skills I had learned so critical to my success in the courtroom, constantly persuading others that my position was "right" is a skill that I now know does not work well in other aspects of life.

"I discovered that being right does not work at the negotiating table, being right is destructive at the office and being right is devastating to personal relationships."Diane A. Ross

The good news... with practice we can become more more confident in having difficult talks and be able to handle anything that comes our way.

Sincerely

Diane A. Ross
B. Comm. (honours), LL.B, CEC