Nicholas John De Domenico

Designations 

Currently

• Vice-President, Commercial Mediators Association
• Member of the BC Mediator Roster (Civil)
• Cert. Conflict Resolution through the Justice Institute of BC

Formerly

• Chartered Insurance Professional through the Insurance Institute of Canada
• Sitting Member, Roster Committee, MediateBC

Areas of Interest 

• Tort resolution of personal injury claims, automobile and general liability with a particular interest in fatal accident claims
• Estate Litigation matters
• Contractual disputes in the insurance area, especially accident benefits and sickness coverages
• Conflicts in the strata corporation environment

Work Experience

Domenico Mediation Inc  –  August 2000 – Present

• Initiated a career as a mediator, apart from my activities as an independent adjuster, through completion of a practicum through the Alternate Dispute Resolution Centre (August 2000) and the Certificate in Conflict Resolution Program at the Justice Institute of BC (December 1999 to December 2001). The combination of this formal training and my acceptance generally by both the plaintiff and defense bars and various involved insurers have led to my completing over 2,500 mediations where I have acted as the sole mediator.

Domenico Adjustment Services  –  Oct 1989 – Aug 2000

• Specializing in the non-litigated resolution of personal injury claims in both the general insurance and ICBC environment. At one time the company had 14 employees and three partners including myself. In addition to automobile losses my experience includes significant products liability and occupier’s liability claims investigation and settlement exposure. I have also handled some commercial liability claims in  excess of $250,000.00. I was able to settle the last of these files while at the same time building up my mediation practice.

Chairperson of Strata Councils – April 1997 – Present

• In all cases we worked on a consensus basis
• In all cases we overhauled both the assessment and contractor relationships, including redefining the relationship with one property management company.
• With the second and third strata corporation, our financial management was redefined more in accordance with the Strata Property Act

Insurance Corporation of BC  –  June 1982 – October 1989

• Examiner in Out of Province 1982 to 1984 – Handled claims from over 15 jurisdictions, primarily Ontario, Alberta, Washington, California and Arizona.
• Bodily Injury Adjuster 1984 to 1986 – Litigated caseloads.
• Claims Unit Manager 1986 to 1989 – Supervised material damage and then bodily injury adjusters for the four years prior to resignation from ICBC to start my own business as an independent adjuster.

Island Adjustment Services LTD –  July 1981 – June 1982

• As an Independent Adjuster and Partner in the company, I investigated and settled of a wide variety of personal injury and property damage claims.

Morton-Ellis Adjustment Services LTD –  February 1981 – June 1981

• As an independent Adjuster, I investigated and settled a wide variety of personal injury and property damage claims under the supervision of one of the finest claims person I have ever come across, David Morton.

Self Employed –  February 1977 – January 1981

• Charter Fishing, home construction, and part time employment with ICBC as relief adjuster in the Campbell River area. 
• I was one of several partners in a entrepreneurial group that purchased a 120 foot boat converted to a floating hotel which followed the salmon runs from Port Hardy to the Queen Charlotte Islands. This facility was augmented by a dozen smaller boats for actual fishing and a float plane owned and operated by one of the partners for transport from the airport in Port Hardy to various anchorage points of the hotel-ship. My role was promotional and administrative in the mid stages of the development of the business.
• At the same time I built my own home without involvement of outside contractors.
• I also worked on an as needed basis for ICBC when one of their adjusters was away on maternity leave or other extended but temporary absences or to deal with unusual volume situations.

Insurance Corporation of BC –  November 1973 – January 1977

• As the Staff Adjuster in the Campbell River and Courtenay areas and Resident Adjuster for North Vancouver Island, I handled my own case load of the more serious claims. In addition, I managed a small office, including supervision of two staff members, and represented ICBC’s interests with respect to liaison with local contractors, (body shops, towing companies, medical practitioners, etc.), and authorities such as the RCMP, Coroner etc. During this time, I handled every level of automobile claim.
• Before going to Port Hardy, I was employed in the complete range of adjusting positions at different claim centres on Vancouver Island as well as a Public Information position at the Head Office in Vancouver in the early stages of the Corporation’s start up.

Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation  –  November 1971 – January 1973

• I began my career in personal injury claims settlement as a Staff Adjuster in entry level to intermediate positions in the North Winnipeg Claims Centre.

Various Positions  –  June 1967 – November 1971

• Ranging from deck hand on an oil tanker on the Great Lakes to clerk at Manitoba Telephone.

Education

• The future of resolution – miles mediation and arbitration podcast march 2020
• The Sunday edition interview of two mediators 19 December 2019
• Foundations of negotiation CLE November 2018
• Ethical dilemmas for mediators JIBC April and May 2017
• Family Violence: Impact on Separation and Divorce, Justice Institute of BC 2014
• Estate Litigation Seminar, TLABC 26 April 2013
• The Neurophysiology of Conflict, Justice Institute of BC 2013
• Continuous reader of Case Law in my field as well as publications related to mediation as well as regular subscriber to webcast seminars through the CLE web site
• Formerly Instructor at the Insurance Institute of BC
• Guest lecturer for Masters Degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty of Education, Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology & Special Education at UBC
• Presenter at the ICBC Head Office Claims Department Seminar of paper entitled “If A Tree Falls in the Forest …. Guarding Against the Mind’s Fifth Column of Cognitive Dissonance”.
• 10 Mar 2014 – JIBC course Family Violence: Impact on Separation and Divorce
• 26 April 2013 – TLABC course Estates Litigation
• 14 Mar 2013 – JIBC course The Neurophysiology of Conflict
• 2 November 2012 – CLE course Estate Litigation Basics
• 2002 – Completion of ‘Beyond Advanced Civil Mediation’ through the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, Gordon Sloan and Sally Campbell as instructors
• 2001 – Completion of Certificate in Conflict Resolution from the Justice Institute of BC
• 2001 – Completion of Time Value of Money through the Insurance Institute of Canada
• 1994 – Obtained first level Scuba diving qualification through PADI
• 1989 – Present – Self taught in business process and computers, including Excel, Word, Wordperfect, Act Contact Management, Timeslips, Simply Accounting,  Internet Explorer, Outlook 98, Microsoft OneDrive and associated programs, photoshop, Sketchup, Quickbooks etc.
• 1989 – 1991 – Taught Automobile Insurance for the Insurance Institute o B.C. (one learns when teaching)
• 1989 – Completed six of ten FIIC courses in a management oriented major prior to starting my own business, mainly through SFU Downtown Campus
• 1985 – Associateship of the Insurance Institute of Canada (now called Chartered Insurance Professional)
• 1982-1989 – Professional Development, management-oriented courses provided internally through the Insurance Corporation of BC
• 1977 – Completed first year of BA Program through North Island Community College in Courtenay BC
• 1973 – 1977 – Professional Development, technical courses provided internally by the Insurance Corporation of B.C.
• 1971 – 1973 – Professional Development, technical courses provided internally by the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation
• 1967 – Graduated with full academic certificate from St. Paul’s High School in Winnipeg Manitoba

Memberships

Currently

• Commercial Mediators Association
• Member of the BC Mediator Roster (Civil)

Formerly

• Governing Council of the Insurance Institute of B.C.
• B.C. Insurance Adjusters Association
• Member of Big Brothers Association
• Editor of the Adjusters’ Quarterly (BCIAA)

Other Activities

• Ongoing mentoring of associate members of the mediatebc roster since 2012
• Various articles published in the verdict
• Ongoing blog on linkedin, facebook and my web site www.njd.ca