Background

Cheryl Woodin is a partner at our Toronto office. Ms. Woodin was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1998. She graduated from the University of Toronto Law School in 1996. She then clerked for Mr. Justice Allen Linden at the Federal Court of Appeal.

Cheryl has a Bachelor of Arts from Queens University at Kingston.

Areas of Practice

• A civil litigator who practices in the areas of municipal liability, police liability, products liability, class actions, professional negligence, personal injury and occupiers liability.
• Provides insurance coverage advice to insurers with respect to liability policies.

Professional Experience

• Has appeared in the Ontario Superior Court, Ontario Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada.
• Has acted as lead counsel on motions, trials (jury and non-jury) and appeals in a broad range of matters.
• Lead class actions counsel for institutional clients.
• Has significant mediation experience in all areas of her practice and a track record for delivering results through effective use of mediation.
• Municipal liability practice includes defence of personal injury claims, construction disputes, road and parks design, automobile claims, building inspections, public health and nursing home claims.
• Police liability practice includes defence of negligent investigation, false arrest, malicious prosecution, use of force, negligent training and supervision claims.
• Advises clients with respect to interpretation and application of Occupiers' Liability Act, Negligence Act, Insurance Act, Police Services Act and related legislation, Public Authorities Protection Act, Limitations Act, Sale of Goods Act and automobile legislation.
• Experienced in issues relating to statutory and common law privileges relating to the protection of institutional records.
• Provides coverage advice in relation to commercial general liability policies, homeowners' policies, directors and officers' policies, professional negligence policies.

Professional and Community Activities

• Member of the Canadian Bar Association of Ontario and the Advocates' Society
• Selected BLG Mentor of the Year (2008/2009)
• Author of numerous papers and articles including:
• Author of paper entitled: “Catastrophic Injury Claims - 2009 Report”
• Author of Chartered Insurance Professionals Society materials on Directors and Officers Liability and Insurance (2008)
• Case comment: Manitoba Securities Commission v. Crocus Investment Fund (2008)
• Author of paper entitled "Tripartite Insurance Relationship" for the March 2005 issue of the Canadian Insurance Magazine
• Co-author of paper entitled "Bar Orders: The New Frontier in Settlement of Multi-Party Claims" (2001)
• Co-author of paper entitled "Indemnification and Insurance" (2001)
• Author of paper entitled "The Enforceability of Contracts by the Rules of Professional Conduct" for the Spring 1999 Edition of Law for Accountants Update
• Co-author of paper entitled: "Duty to Defend Where There Are Claims That Are Covered And Not Covered", (1999) 22:2 The Advocates' Quarterly 133
• Co-author of paper entitled "Assessing Directors' and Officers' Risks" (1998)
• Co-author of paper entitled "The Law of Occupiers' Liability In Ontario: Understanding and Anticipating the Liability" (1998)
• Assisted in research and publishing of the 6th Edition of text Canadian Tort Law