Background
Stephen, a Toronto native, did his undergraduate work at the University of Toronto and received his LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1980. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1982. He was a partner with Blaney, McMurtry LLP from 1988 until his retirement in June of 2022. He practised law for over forty years.
While practicing he was designated by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a certified specialist (civil litigation) beginning in 2000. He was rated in the Canadian Lexpert Directory as repeatedly recommended in both the areas of Litigation-Commercial Insurance and Personal Injury-Represents Defendants. He was recognized in the Best Lawyers of Canada directory, was listed in the Expert Guides’ Guide to the World’s Leading Insurance & Reinsurance Lawyers and ranked as a leading litigation lawyer in the Lexpert Special Edition-Canada’s Leading Litigation Lawyers.
He was appointed an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School in 2022 where he teaches the Legal Process II course to first year law students.
He has previously served as a director of Progressive Casualty Company of Canada, the High Park Curling Club (where he was President in 1997-8) and on the Board of his condominium corporation for over fifteen years.
He has completed the Stitt Feld Hendy ADR and Advanced ADR Workshops.
Stephen’s practice was largely restricted to mediation and insurance. His main practice areas were bodily injury claims, coverage concerns and automobile insurance regulatory compliance. He handled motor vehicle accident, governmental liability, product liability, professional errors and omissions and directors’ and officers’ liability, medical malpractice and sexual abuse claims.
Stephen provided coverage expertise on automobile, property, professional errors and omissions, directors’ and officers’ errors and omissions and CGL policies. He was the outside automobile coverage counsel for a major insurer for over a decade.
He assisted automobile insurers in designing innovative automobile insurance policies which solved coverage issues for those operating in the gig economy. He provided advice and assistance to automobile insurers and brokers with respect to automobile insurance regulatory issues including automobile rate filings. He assisted brokers and agents in their dealings with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario.
He has acted as a mediator since 2011 in a wide variety of disputes.
He has authored numerous papers addressing a variety of insurance and personal injury issues. Since 1996 he has lectured and written extensively on Bills 59 and 198 (Ontario’s automobile tort reform legislation) including authoring chapter 5A in the Oatley-McLeish Guide to Motor Vehicle Litigation. From 2006 until his retirement he was one of the province’s leading commentators on Bill 18 which re-wrote the vicarious liability rules for leased and rented vehicles.
He was a member of the Canadian Bar Association (Ontario), the Advocates Society, the Metropolitan Toronto Lawyers’ Association and Canadian Defence Lawyers.
To relax Stephen travels, golfs and scuba dives.
Court and Tribunal Appearances
Stephen has appeared as trial counsel before the County Court, the Supreme Court of Ontario, the Ontario Court of Justice and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. He has argued appeals before both the Ontario Divisional Court and the Ontario Court of Appeal. He has also appeared before the Federal Court of Canada.
Stephen has appeared before and made written submissions to a number of tribunals including the Complaints and Discipline Committees of the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and the Ontario Insurance Rate Board.
He has represented numerous clients in private arbitrations mandated by the Insurance Act.
Publications and Conferences
Stephen has authored or co-authored numerous papers. He has chaired several continuing legal education conferences. Stephen has presented over 50 papers and a complete list of his publications is available on request.
Teaching
In addition to lecturing extensively through such continuing legal education providers as the Law Society of Ontario, The Ontario Bar Association, Osgoode Hall Law School Professional Development and Canadian Defence Lawyers.
Stephen is currently teaching the Legal Process II course at Osgoode Hall Law School, where he is an adjunct professor. He conducted mock mediations and discoveries as a guest lecturer from 2014 through 2021. He also led a seminar for upper year students on ethics in the mediation process.