Leslie E. Maerov is an independent commercial arbitrator in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto and the University of Alberta, he is a barrister and solicitor in British Columbia, and a solicitor of England & Wales.

He was in private practice in Vancouver for 22 years, initially as a commercial litigator and then as a corporate and commercial solicitor, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of the U.K. His practice is focused on being an independent neutral arbitrator in commercial disputes, both as sole arbitrator and as panel member, in domestic Canadian and international disputes.

Between 2001 and 2014, Mr. Maerov was Chief Executive Officer and President of a public-listed telecom company. Between 2014-2018 he was Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel of the company, until the business was sold. As CEO he leveraged his commercial law expertise to develop and implement the company’s strategic growth plans, and was responsible for financing the company’s operations, mergers and acquisitions, all contractual negotiations and regulatory compliance. As CFO for several years, he was responsible for all financial reporting and public disclosure of management strategy and financial analysis.

Mr. Maerov is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and Qualified Arbitrator of ADR Institute of Canada, and maintains a dedicated continuing professional development interest.

Mr. Maerov has been named to the rosters of ADRBC (ADR Institute of BC), the ICC Canada Arbitration Committee, VanIAC (Vancouver International Arbitration Centre), ICDR (International Centre for Dispute Resolution), FINRA (U.S. Financial Industry Regulation Authority) and NFA (U.S. National Futures Association), and is the immediate past Chair and long time director of VanIAC.

He has been a presenter at numerous arbitration symposia on topics ranging from institutional rules to arbitration ethics.

Leslie Maerov has a reputation for fairness, respect for party autonomy while controlling the arbitration process to achieve a just, speedy, and economical determination of a dispute on its merits.

Going beyond understanding the principles of contract remedies and calculation of damages, Mr. Maerov has a deep understanding of organizational principles, objectives of parties entering into contractual relationships and their motivations to resolve disputes quickly and cost-effectively, and brings that understanding to the dispute resolution process. He possesses the formal credentials of major domestic and international accrediting bodies and applies case driven procedural management.

Leslie Maerov\'s Strength is His Breadth of Experience

General litigation counsel with emphasis on civil and commercial construction.

Corporate and commercial solicitor for a wide range of clients, from one-person entrepreneurs to multi-national corporations, involved in their critical decision making as a trusted advisor.

Executive with a regional telecom contractor, developing its business plan to become a national contractor.

Chief Executive Officer, president, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel with a public listed telecom company.

Principal of a corporate governance consultancy.

Independent neutral commercial arbitrator, as sole arbitrator and panel member, party-appointed and appointed by Canada’s and United States administering institutions, in domestic and international disputes.

Director for 10 years and Chair of Vancouver International Arbitration Centre, leading the centre to modernization and stability, establishing strong liaison with the B.C. Department of the Attorney-General, and guiding the institution through the development of leading edge domestic commercial arbitration rules, and establishment of the second UDRP domain name dispute resolution administering institution in the Western Hemisphere.

Areas of Expertise​

Commercial business transactions
Unravelling complex ownership hierarchies
Securities, broker duties
Debt and equity financing
Cross-border transactions
Agency
Telecommunications
Business acquisitions & divestitures, including disputes over breaches of representations and warranties, non-competition and non-solicitation
Corporate organization & structure
Family business disputes
Shareholder disputes
Franchising & licensing
Commercial real estate financing, development and leasing
Regulatory
Corporate governance​​
Contract remedies