Gary Gibbs is the founding partner of Gibbs & Associates. A graduate of Osgoode Hall Faculty of Law, Gary was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1989. He was formerly a founding partner of Stieber Berlach Gibbs, an insurance defence law firm. For the past sixteen years, Gary has developed and maintained a thriving errors and omissions insurance defence practice, representing engineers, architects, accountants, lawyers and many other professionals, with a core concentration in the area of construction litigation. In addition to insurance defence, Gary has developed a full-service practice at Gibbs & Associates, tailored to meet the specific needs of his clients, including representing engineers and other professionals in regulatory matters and at discipline hearings before the PEO and other regulatory bodies, handling fee claims, drafting both straightforward and complex agreements, providing advice to management on human resources-related matters, and defending wrongful dismissal claims. Gary has extensive trial and appellate experience, but particularly prides himself on his strong negotiation skills and his ability to resolve costly and complex litigation in an expeditious and cost-effective manner prior to trial.
Outside of his busy legal practice, Gary proudly coaches and sponsors his son's hockey team at Victoria Village Arena in Toronto and his son's lacrosse team in the Beaches Lacrosse League. For many years, Gary has also served as the Chairman of the Board of the Toronto Wildlife Centre, an internationally respected charity that is of tremendous benefit to the wildlife and people in the Toronto region.
Gary is recognized as a leader in the field of construction law and, for the past two years, has been on the National Post's list of the "The Best Lawyers in Canada: Real Estate Law and Construction Law".
Michelle Gibbs (née Brodey) is a partner at Gibbs & Associates. A graduate of the University of Toronto Law School, she was called to the Bar in 1995. Shortly thereafter, Michelle spent two years working at The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, where she gained a keen understanding of the regulatory framework underscoring the governance of health professions in Ontario. She was formerly a partner of Stieber Berlach Gibbs until June 2005, where she had practiced for over seven years, handling a full-spectrum of insurance claims, including professional liability defence, directors and officers, commercial general liability, municipal liability claims and class actions, as well as a wide variety of coverage disputes.
Michelle's core practice is in the area of health law. She has extensive experience in handling a wide range of health-related claims, from defending hospitals and healthcare professionals in malpractice-type litigation, to defending professionals in complaints and discipline matters before their respective regulatory colleges. In addition to her busy health practice, Michelle has a thriving practice in the areas of wrongful dismissal and institutional abuse (defending institutions/public bodies against claims for abuse allegedly perpetrated by employees). She also has extensive and varied experience in coverage litigation, opinion work and class actions defence. With respect to the latter, Michelle has defended numerous class actions on behalf of various municipalities, colleges, conservation authorities, corporations and health professionals.
In July 2007, Michelle was selected by her peers to be included in the 2008 edition of "The Best Lawyers of Canada" in the speciality of Health Care Law.
Peter Mitchell is a graduate of both the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa Law School. Peter was called to the Ontario bar in 1990. He has litigated in Toronto for 15 years. Starting his career as in-house litigator and manager of legal at a Municipal Trust Company subsidiary, Peter quickly moved on to a litigation position with Ontario New Home Warranty Program (now Tarion Warranty Corporation), where he eventually became senior litigator and manager of the Program's state of the art collection department. After departing Tarion, Peter started his own litigation practice which focused on both builder and consumer construction litigation before joining Gibbs & Associates in 2005.
Jennifer Roberts-Logan is a graduate of Oxford University and Dalhousie University. She was called to the Ontario bar in 1995. Jennifer has ten years' experience as a commercial litigator. Her practice has included both plaintiff and defence litigation in professional liability claims, contractual/commercial disputes, construction-related litigation, shareholders' disputes, fraud claims, litigation involving investment dealers/brokers, intellectual property and technology litigation (including enforcement and licensing of copyright and trademark), guarantees, bankruptcy and insolvency.
Kris Hutton is a 2001 graduate of the University of Ottawa Law School. Kris' exposure to law began in 1998 while employed at the London Health Sciences Centre's Risk Management Department, where he assisted with the direction and supervision of the hospital association's medical/legal claims. During his second and third year of law school, Kris had the opportunity to work at the Department of Justice - Health Canada, where he was exposed to the government side of class action suits. During his four years with the law firm of Stieber Berlach Gibbs, Kris litigated numerous trials and motions. At Gibbs & Associates, Kris has continued to expand his civil litigation and construction practice, handling numerous errors and omissions matters and lien work.