After 43 years of commercial and related litigation experience, I joined Mann Lawyers in 2020 as General Counsel and Director of Practice Management. While I continue to be involved in complex commercial disputes, providing advocacy support and strategic advice, I am predominantly involved in supporting the development of our lawyers and their practices, including the recruitment and retention of associates, mentorship in enabling our associates to reach their professional goals, and the provision of structured training programs. In these roles I enjoy the opportunity to reflect and write, under the heading Practice Management, on the importance of supporting junior lawyers.
After completing an honours degree at Carleton University in 1973, I completed my law degree at Windsor Law School in 1975 and an M.A. in political studies in 1976. I was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1977. Since 1977, I have appeared at all trial, judicial review and appellate levels in Ontario, as well as at the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Alberta Queen’s Bench, the Alberta Court of Appeal, the Quebec Superior Court and the Quebec Court of Appeal. In addition to my commercial trial and appellate experience, I have regulatory experience and have acted on forensic investigations including an interesting engagement as senior counsel to the Independent Investigation into the 2008 Listeriosis Outbreak. Out of these latter experiences I am pleased to offer guidance to the firm’s corporate clients in Risk Avoidance and Strategic Advice and to assist corporate needs in the conduct of Third Party Investigations (whistle blower and commercial fraud).
In addition to my commercial dispute practice, I have been involved throughout my career in education and training, instructing at the Bar Admission Course as it then was commencing in 1980, as Director of Practice Skills at the Course subsequently, at Carleton University in the Department of Law and the School of Public Administration for many years, in CLE programs, or in lecturing on advocacy or civil procedure at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. I have spoken at numerous programs and authored as many papers on various subjects throughout.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have served as a trustee of the board of the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group (the Royal) for 9 years and as Chair of the board for 4 of those years, and as a former Chair of the board of the Centre of Excellence on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Related Mental Health Conditions, now the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families.
I am pleased to have been recognized over the years in my practice:
- Named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers for Corporate and Commercial Litigation Law, Ottawa (2019)
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada as one of Canada’s leading lawyers in Corporate and Commercial Litigation Law (2011–2023)
- Recognized by Benchmark Litigation as a Local Litigation Star (Ontario) in the area of Litigation and Dispute Resolution (2012–2015) and as a Litigation Star (2016)
- Repeatedly recommended by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (2014–2017) as one of Canada’s leading lawyers in the area of Litigation – Corporate Commercial Law
- Martindale-Hubbell BV Distinguished Peer Review Rating
My wife and I enjoy our family time with our sons and grandchildren in Ottawa and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
