Practice Areas

Afsana mediates a wide range of civil and commercial disputes, bringing her legal expertise and cultural fluency to every case. Whether a matter arises from a court-driven process or stems from community-based action, Afsana tailors her approach to meet the specific needs and dynamics of each client.

Civil and Commercial

With extensive experience in personal injury and insurance defence, medical malpractice, and motor vehicle accident (MVA) claims, Afsana has a deep understanding of the complexities that often underpin these disputes—both legal and emotional. Her approach emphasises clarity, empathy, and constructive dialogue, helping parties move beyond entrenched positions to reach lasting, practical resolutions.

Afsana’s background enables her to navigate multi-party and cross-cultural conflicts with skill, ensuring that each participant feels heard, respected, and engaged in the outcome. Her ability to adapt her mediation and facilitation style makes her a trusted choice for clients seeking both fairness and efficiency in dispute resolution.

Afsana will help you find creative solutions that will benefit both parties, which can then lead to a faster and cheaper resolution.

Afsana works in the following areas:

Motor Vehicle Accidents/Insurance Defence
Slip and Fall
Occupiers Liability
Assault
Contract Disputes
Construction/Renovation Disputes
Defamation
Small Business Dispute

If you would like to discuss your case with Afsana, please contact her to arrange a time. You can also book your mediation here.

Human Rights Discrimination

Afsana specializes in conducting transformative sessions catering to instances of discrimination based on the protected grounds of local Human Rights legislation. Her innate sensitivity toward understanding the repercussions of discrimination, complemented by her education and experience in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, equips Afsana to lead transformative sessions that have brought positive changes for many of her clients. Afsana uses innovative processes, designed and adapted to individual client needs. This helps engage her clients in constructive dialogue, which results in building sustainable outcomes.

Discrimination-driven conflicts have far-reaching impacts across various spheres such as workplaces, schools, and communities, affecting a substantial number of individuals annually. Amidst the evolving cultural landscape globally, numerous workplaces, establishments, and societal units are still grappling to embrace true diversity.

Anecdotal evidence underscores that marginalized and racialized communities are disproportionately impacted by unresolved conflicts. To cultivate an environment of safety and inclusivity, parties involved must engage in transformative facilitation. This process aims to validate, acknowledge, and ultimately empower individuals within their surroundings.

Afsana’s approach encompasses preliminary discussions with her clients before initiating the formal facilitation process. This preliminary phase enables Afsana to acquaint herself with the client and the underlying issues. It also lays the foundation for a trust-based relationship, an essential component of the process. During the facilitation, Afsana employs contextually relevant tools to aid the involved parties in comprehending the conflict and identifying constructive steps for progression. Afsana’s commitment extends beyond the facilitation itself; she continues to support the parties and provides coaching whenever necessary.

For a more comprehensive understanding of Afsana’s methodology in resolving conflicts arising from discrimination, please feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

Workplace Mediation/Facilitation

Workplace conflict is inevitable. When handles early and constructively, it can strengthen teams, protect reputation and restore trust. When ignored, it can escalate into formal grievances, costly litigation and reputational harm, with lasting psychological impact.

Afsana specialises in workplace conflicts that are caused by allegation of racism, genderism, ageism or other forms of discrimination under the protected grounds of local human rights legislation. She deals with, breakdown in communication, personality clashes, allegations of bullying or harassment, relationship deterioration between colleagues, cultural misunderstanding, inclusion and belonging issues and other aspects of workplace conflicts.

Workplace mediation is a voluntary, confidential process in which an independent mediator supports employees, managers, or teams to resolve conflict collaboratively.

Unlike formal investigations or disciplinary processes, mediation:

Focuses on restoring working relationships
Encourages open, structured dialogue
Promotes accountability without blame
Provides practical, forward-looking solutions
Reduces legal and reputational risk
Provides a fully confidential process

It is particularly effective in complex, multicultural, and high-emotion environments.

Feedback From My Clients

A Very Skilled Presenter

Afsana led a workshop on cultural competence in mediation for our membership of ADR professionals. She assembled a rich mixture of research, anecdotes, and interactive exercises that all worked in confluence to produce a highly effective and meaningful presentation. Our attendees used words like enriched, inspired and informed to articulate how her workshop made them feel. Beyond being a skilled presenter of complex, critical and delicate concepts, Afsana brings a level of professionalism to the collaborative planning process of the event that I most sincerely appreciate. It was a joy and honour to work with her and I look forward to our next opportunity for collaboration

Tommy Lam

Excellent

The program presented by Afsana was very informative and practical. She drew on her experience as an immigrant and trained mediator in discussing diversity issues and how to accommodate clients. Excellent.

Trish Mongeon

An Excellent Program

The program Inferences and Differences in Practicing Law should be a mandatory watching for all people working in the judicial or mediation field. An excellent program.

The Honorable B.T. Granger Q.C., Lawyer

Very Helpful

Afsana covered a very sensitive topic in an easy and helpful manner. She prompted interaction with those in attendance and caused me to do some reflection on my own biases and perceptions of others. I would recommend this to anyone who would like to learn more about the importance of being self-aware and ways to change, or at least challenge, your pre-existing beliefs.

Ron De Paola

Susan Koprich

I recently had an opportunity to use Ms. Gibson-Chowdhury’s services when a client brought a matter to me that she was scheduled to mediate. Ms. Gibson-Chowdhury is one of the finest mediators I have used. I have used mediation several times and her experience, knowledge, and charm help the parties have realistic expectations so they can get to a reasonable settlement for all parties.

Very Competent – Thank you

Afsana successfully mediated the matter to a settlement… Afsana was very competent in handling the mediation and the issues therein. She used her skills and knowledge to her best ability, which positively influenced the claim

Toronto Lawyer

Thank you Afsana!

Thank you Afsana for making my client feel at ease during the negotiation. Your help and ideas for settlement has been invaluable!

Toronto Lawyer