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 fields of construction law and insurance and, since 2007, has been on the National Post's list of the "The Best Lawyers in Canada: Construction Law and Insurance".
Michelle Gibbs (née Brodey) is a partner at Gibbs & Associates. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario (B.A.) and the University of Toronto Law School (LL.B.), 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 (health professionals, brokers, accountants, financial planners etc.), 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 professional liability and health law. She has extensive experience in handling a wide range of health-related claims, from defending hospitals, healthcare professionals, and regulators in malpractice-type litigation, to defending professionals in licensing, complaints, incapacity (including mental health and addictions issues), and discipline matters before their respective regulatory colleges. Amongst the various health professionals she represents, Michelle has acted for acupuncturists, chiropractors, chiropodists, dental hygienists, dentists, dietitians, massage therapists. medical laboratory technologists, medical radiation technologists, naturopaths, nurses (RPNs, RNs and NPs), occupational therapists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, social workers, speech pathologists, veterinarians, and others. Michelle also defends regulators, professional associations, and employers in civil actions and human rights proceedings.
In addition, Michelle practises in the areas of employment law and institutional abuse (defending public and private bodies against claims for sexual and physical 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 a number of class actions on behalf of various municipalities, colleges, conservation authorities, corporations and health professionals.
Michelle is a member in good standing of the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Ontario Bar Association (Health Law and Insurance Sections). She sits on the Executive of the OBA Health Law Section (since 2008) and is co-editor of the OBA Health Law Section's Newsletter, "Health Matters". Michelle has been selected by her peers to be included in the 2008-2012 editions of "The Best Lawyers in Canada" in the specialty of Health Care Law.
Outside of her legal practice, Michelle is co-Chair of the Board of Directors of George Herman House in Toronto, a charitable organization that provides transitional housing and supportive programming to women with mental health issues. She also sits on the Board of Directors of the Harold and Grace Baker Centre, a long-term care home and retirement residence.
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.
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.
Harpreet S. Khukh joined Gibbs & Associates in October 2010. A 2009 call to the Ontario Bar, Harpreet earned his Law degree from the University of Victoria in British Columbia. He also holds an Honours degree in Commerce from McMaster University. Harpreet's practice is focused on insurance and commercial litigation, primarily in the area of construction law and engineering defence.
Carina Lentsch is a graduate of Queen's University (B.A. Honours) and the University of Windsor (Juris Doctor). She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2011 after completing her articles at McCarthy Tetrault LLP in Toronto. During her articles, Carina dealt with a wide variety of professional discipline, regulatory and administrative tribunal matters. She joined Gibbs & Associates in November 2011 and maintains an insurance defence litigation practice with a core emphasis on professional discipline and health law.