Personal bio
Robert brings an intimate and extensive understanding of litigation and dispute resolution to his mediation and arbitration work.
Robert’s background as a lawyer has focused primarily on insurance and personal injury litigation, with an emphasis on motor vehicle and medical malpractice cases. He brings more than 30 years of experience in representing both injured claimants and insurers and other institutional clients. He has represented clients before all levels of courts in Ontario, and has conducted trials on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants, before judges alone and juries. He has appeared numerous times before various administrative and adjudicative tribunals throughout Ontario, and he has frequently represented clients in Alternative Dispute Resolution proceedings, and in particular, private mediations and arbitrations.
In March 2006, Robert was appointed as a Deputy Judge of the Small Claims Court, a division of the Superior Court of Justice, for the Central East Region, and since then he has presided over hundreds of trials, motions and settlement conferences.
After graduation from McGill University’s Faculty of Law in 1989, Robert was called to the bar in Ontario in 1991. Prior to that, Robert obtained his Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Toronto in 1986.
Robert has completed both the Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop and the Advanced Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop through the University of Windsor / Stitt Feld Handy Group, Toronto. He regularly participates in continuing education in the area of dispute resolution, including coaching and role playing with JADE Mediation Practice Group. He is an active member of the ADR Institute of Ontario (ADRIO), from whom he has received the designation of Qualified Mediator (Q.Med).
Robert is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Toronto Lawyers Association, the York Region Law Association, the Canadian Bar Association, and the Ontario Deputy Judges Association (of which he is currently President).