Expertise
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Practice Areas:
Bar Admissions:
Education:
- University of Western Ontario (1994) LLB
- University of Toronto (1989) BSc (Psychology)
Details
- Bio
- Cases
- Associations
- Blog Posts
- News & Media
- Publications & Presentations
- Recognition
Risa M. Kirshblum
Balancing skillful strategy with seasoned counsel, Risa represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of litigation matters. A significant portion of her practice is focused on professional liability and employment. She has acted as prosecutor, defence counsel and independent legal counsel in the administrative law context.
Risa regularly provides real-time risk management advice to both employers and employees on workplace issues. In the employment area, she has acted extensively in cases of discrimination, harassment and other human rights workplace issues as well as all issues arising from termination of employment. She is also experienced in dealing with the legal aspects of unfair competition and solicitation, theft of corporate opportunities and notice requirements when multiple employees are leaving simultaneously.
Risa frequently presents in continuing legal education programs for organizations such as the Law Society of Upper Canada and The Advocates' Society. She has also presented in continuing education programs for a variety of medical organizations.
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Counsel to the defendant physician in a jury trial regarding the quantum of damages in a medical negligence relating to the management of shoulder dystocia.
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RBC Dominion Securities Inc v Merrill Lynch Canada Inc
Counsel to RBC on injunction, trial, appeal and at the Supreme Court of Canada in respect of an action against departing investment advisors for a competitor.
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IMP Group Ltd v Skyservice Business Aviation Inc
Counsel to a group of employees in a dispute with their former employer in relation to their resignations and subsequent employment with another company.
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McCarthy v Canadian Red Cross Society
Counsel to the Trustee of the settlement fund created following the settlement of a class action brought against the Red Cross Society surrounding tainted blood.
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Counsel to the appellants in an appeal from a trial decision in which the trial judge refused to deduct statutory severance under the Employment Standards Act from an award of damages for wrongful dismissal. The appellant was successful in overturning this aspect of the judge's decision, and this became a leading case on this issue.
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The Advocates' Society
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Canadian Bar Association
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Ontario Bar Association
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Who’s to Blame? Apportioning Liability in Civil Jury Trials
When one person negligently causes an accident, the law is clear about their responsibility. But when negligence acts on the part of a number of different parties combine to create a single accident, how should responsibility for that accident be apportioned between them? This was recently addressed by the Ontario Court of Appeal in its recent decision in Parent v Janandee Management Inc.
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The Complexities of Summary Judgment under Simplified Procedure
Rule 76 of the Rules of Civil Procedure provides a set of simplified rules for use in smaller and, in theory, less complicated matters. However, exactly how those rules apply in certain contexts is not always apparent. In Singh v Concept Plastics Limited, the Ontario Court of Appeal recently addressed the challenges of summary judgment motions in the context of the simplified rules.
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Lexpert Recognizes Lenczner Slaght’s Professional Excellence
An increasing number of the firm’s lawyers have been ranked by their peers as leading practitioners in their field.
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Lenczner Slaght Ranked Among the Best
Almost half of the leading litigation firm’s lawyers are recognized in the Best Lawyers in Canada.
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Lenczner Slaght Shines in 2017 Lexpert Rankings
Lenczner Slaght’s litigators continue to be recognized by their peers as leading practitioners in their fields according to the 2017 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory.
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Lenczner Slaght Lawyers Ranked Best
Nearly half of the firm’s lawyers recognized among Canada’s foremost practitioners
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23 Lenczner Slaght Lawyers Ranked in 2016 Lexpert Directory
This year, the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory increased the number of Lenczner Slaght lawyers ranked among the best in Canada to 23, up from 20 in 2015.
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Lenczner Slaght Lawyers Repeatedly Ranked Among the Best
Half of the firm's lawyers are ranked as leading practitioners and three named "Lawyer of the Year" in the latest Best Lawyers Directory.
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20 Lenczner Slaght Lawyers Recognized in 2015 Lexpert Directory
Recognized by Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory as leading practitioners.
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23 Lenczner Slaght Lawyers Ranked Among the Best
Nearly half of the firm's 49 lawyers are ranked as leading practitioners and two named "Lawyer of the Year" in the latest Best Lawyers Directory.
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Lenczner Slaght Increases Rankings in 2014 Lexpert Directory
Canada's leading litigation practice continues to add new names to the list.
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Lenczner Slaght Lawyers Ranked Among the Best
Canada's leading litigation practice has 22 professionals in the 2014 Best Lawyers list.
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Pleadings Should Be Useful and Not Pro Forma
Risa Kirshblum will speak at the Law Society of Ontario's Best Practices in Medical Malpractice Litigation day on the "Pleadings Should Be Useful and Not Pro Forma " panel.
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Matthew Sammon and Risa Kirshblum will be speaking at the 2018 National Conference & World Summit. This panel of employment litigators and experienced in-house counsel will share practical tips on topics including non-competition and non-solicitation provisions, confidentiality obligations, employees duties’ to former employers and steps to respond to and manage improper departures.
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Successful Advocacy in Insurance Mediations
Risa Kirshblum demonstrated mediation advocacy approaches by video on the panel "Advocacy at the Mediation, Part 2 (After the Opening: Crucial Turning Points and Breaking Impasses)".
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The Advocates' Society's Health Law Litigation Program
Risa was a faculty member at the Advocates' Society's Health Law Litigation program. She provided her expertise while speaking on the "Hot Topics in Medical Malpractice Litigation" panel.
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38th Annual Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop
Monique Jilesen, Risa Kirshblum, Jaan Lilles, and Dena Varah taught at Osgoode Professional Development's 38th Annual Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop on July 9-15, 2017.
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Successful Advocacy in Tort and Personal Injury Mediations
Risa Kirshblum spoke as a panelist on Your Relationship With the Mediator during the two-day program. -
36th Annual Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop
Peter Osborne, Lawrence Thacker, Risa Kirshblum, Monique Jilesen, Eli Lederman, Matthew Sammon, Rebecca Jones, Jaan Lilles and Dena Varah were among the... -
The Osgoode Certificate in Clinical Risk, Negligence and Claims Management in Health Care
Risa Kirshblum will be speaking on Clinical Negligence, Liability Claims and Litigation on February 10, 2015.
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35th Annual Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop
Peter Osborne, Lawrence Thacker, Risa Kirshblum, Monique Jilesen, Eli Lederman, Matthew Sammon, Rebecca Jones, Jaan Lilles and Dena Varah were among the... -
Examining and Cross-examining Expert
Risa M. Kirshblum acts as a skills instructor at The Advocates' Society's workshop on Examining and Cross-examining Experts.
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Best Lawyers (2014-2018)
Health Care Law, Medical Negligence
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Best Lawyers (2017) – Lawyer of the Year in Medical Negligence
Medical Negligence, Professional Liability
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Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (2012-2018)
Medical Negligence (Most Frequently Recommended), Professional Liability (Repeatedly Recommended)