Thank You, Glenn Smith!

After more than 45 years of exceptional achievement in the practice of law, and 29 years developing Canada’s leading litigation firm, Lenczner Slaght says farewell to Glenn Smith.

“Lenczner Slaght was, is and will continue to be not only about providing exceptional advocacy for our clients but, also about “us”. By us, I mean the community created by each and every one of us,” says Glenn Smith. “While we are too big to be called a small boutique (never small in heart), our new larger community continues to foster informality and inclusivity. It is this supportive community that has backstopped me and allowed me to grow. It has been my pleasure to have helped build and to have played on the Lenczner Slaght team.”

“In the last 29 years, each of our Founders contributed something very special to our tremendous Firm” said Managing Partner, Tom Curry. “What Glenn brought was a spirit of innovation and collaboration. He developed the idea that led to our Innovation Hive, continuously thinking of new ways to deliver legal services to our clients. And with a keen interest in technology, Glenn directed our earliest efforts to manage the growing amounts of electronic information in legal practice. All the while, Glenn maintained a successful practice as a leading member of the insurance Bar. We are profoundly grateful for the contribution Glenn has made to the success of the firm. We wish him the very best in his new adventures.”

As one of the premier insurance lawyers in Canada, Glenn’s practice has largely focused on complex insurance coverage disputes, including around product liability, D&O liability, and environmental claims. He has been retained on some of the most significant insurance law cases in Canada, notably the Mississauga train derailment, the E. coli outbreak in Walkerton, Ontario and Alie v Bertrand et al. In 2019, Glenn was recognized for his significant contributions with the OBA Award of Excellence in Insurance Law.

Glenn has also been recognized for his role in advancing e-Discovery in Canada. He was on the Ontario Task Force for implementing the Ontario e-Discovery Guidelines as well as on the editorial board of Sedona Canada, which drafted the Sedona Canada Principles Addressing Electronic Discovery. He argued the first case before the Court of Appeal to be presented using electronic data and evidence.

For decades, Glenn has made it a priority to train the next generation of expert litigators. In his long-standing association with University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Glenn lectured since 1981 and was head of the Trial Practice Program from 1988 to 1992. He also taught civil procedure and trial advocacy at Osgoode Hall Law School, the Law Society of Ontario, and the Advocates’ Society.

Thank you, Glenn!