Verlyn Francis is an arbitrator, mediator, and conflict prevention specialist in Corporate/Commercial, Civil, Estates, Family, Disability, and Cultural disputes. She is the Principal Consultant, and the Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist at ISIKO (isikoresolutions.com) (ē/sē/kō) Dispute Resolution Consultants Inc. In addition to her international independent arbitration and mediation work, Verlyn is a roster arbitrator and mediator on the Global and General Commercial panels of the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR) Panels of Distinguished Neutrals, Cayman International Mediation and Arbitration Centre (CI-MAC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the National Bar Association-ADR (NBA-ADR). Prior to devoting herself exclusively to ADR, she practised law in Ontario for over 20 years. 

Ms. Francis lectures on Advocacy and ADR at Lincoln Alexander School of Law – Toronto Metropolitan University. She is a professor of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) at Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, and Centennial College, Toronto, Canada; visiting professor of Advanced Negotiation in the Master of International Business program at La Salle EMCI in Lyon, France; and guest lecturer in the LL.M. Dispute Resolution Program at Osgoode Hall Law School. She publishes and presents on Ethics in ADR, the Impact of Culture on Conflict, Diversity and Inclusion in ADR, Conflict Prevention, and Process Design. Her most recent publication is Ethics in Arbitration: Bias, Diversity and Inclusion (2020-2021) 51:2 Cumberland Law Review 419. 

Verlyn holds J.D. and LL.M. (ADR) degrees from Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto. 

She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), the President’s Circle of ADR Institute of Ontario, ADR Institute of Canada, Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators (SOAR), American Bar Association (ABA), National Bar Association (NBA), Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL), and Women’s Law Association of Ontario (WLAO). She has served on the boards of numerous organizations including Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Osgoode Hall Law School Alumni Association, CABL, WLAO, Toronto Board of Trade, and Ontario Arts Council.