Practice Focus
Family Law
I specialize in Family Law. My practice covers custody and access, obtaining and resisting applications for child and spousal support, property division, questions arising out of the removal of children from the Province of Ontario or from other countries into the Province of Ontario, negotiation of Separation Agreements/Marriage Contracts and asserting/resisting claims based on trust law.
Of my 42 reported decisions, most have been in the area of Family Law. Some of my more significant cases include obtaining an order permitting a mother to relocate with her children to British Columbia (despite the contrary recommendation from the Office of the Children’s Lawyer – Jarrett v. Jarrett); obtaining a Declaration that a wife held an apartment building merely in trust for her ex-husband (contrary to the assertions of the wife’s lawyer and the trustee in bankruptcy – Nussbaum v. Nussbaum); assisting Police and the Children’s Aid Society in apprehending a 4 year old girl who had been kidnapped by her mother and, as a result, obtaining a custody award in favor of the father – Paul v. Paul); and resisting an application by a mother to force a father to return his daughter to the United States, under the Hague Convention for the Prevention of International Abduction of Children – O’Brien v. O’Brien).
Personal Injury Cases
I have successfully negotiated millions of dollars in settlements for persons who have suffered personal injuries. My work in this area is limited to slip and fall injuries.
In 2001, I changed the law (Myshrall v. City of Toronto) when the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that a lawsuit could continue against the City of Toronto despite the plaintiff’s notice letter being “defective” (special notice rules apply when commencing an action against a Municipality for slipping and falling on ice). The City appealed all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, but its appeal was rejected. I was interviewed for a listener’s call-in show on CFRB radio and The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star and the Ontario Lawyer’s Weekly each published extensive articles over the Myshrall case. You can find some of the articles on the media link to my website.
In other instances, I have settled personal injury cases with the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force, the North York Board of Education, various shopping malls and insurance companies. If I see liability in a slip and fall case, I will not back down.