Your advantage, in and out of the courtroom.

Admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1984

Practice Highlights

Richard’s practice is exclusively civil litigation with particular emphasis on medical malpractice cases on behalf of the patient and auto accident cases on behalf of the injured party.

Richard is immediate past President of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association. Richard is also the current chair of the Ontario Bar Association Working Group on Auto Insurance Reform. As a member of the Board of Directors of OTLA, he has been heavily involved in advocating for the rights of innocent accident victims and for reform to auto insurance. He has made numerous presentations to members of the Ontario Legislature on auto insurance reform.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts, University of Toronto (1979)
• Bachelor of Laws, University of Windsor (1982)
• Masters of Law (Civil Litigation), Osgoode Hall Law School (1998)

Practice Areas

• Medical Malpractice Claims
• Motor Vehicle Accident Claims
• Other Personal Injury Matters

Professional Activities and Affiliations

• Ontario Trial Lawyers Association
• The Canadian Bar Association
• The Advocates' Society
• American Association for Justice
• Past President of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (2007 - 2008)
• Member of the No-Fault Working Group of the Canadian Bar Association
• Chair of the Automobile Insurance Working Group of the Ontario Bar Association

Presentations

Richard has been very actively involved in continuing legal education. In the past he has been a seminar leader in civil litigation for the Bar Admission Course. He has delivered presentations for the National Judicial Institute, OTLA, the OBA, the Law Society, Insight, Canadian Institute and other organizations on topics including trial advocacy, auto insurance claims, physician and hospital liability, medical malpractice and medical-legal issues in obstetrics. Richard was a guest instructor for a number of years at the Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop at Osgoode Hall Law School.

Papers presented to continuing legal education seminars include:

• Medical Malpractice: Legal Causation and Obstetrics
• Crossing the Threshold
• Demonstrative Evidence
• Post-Operative Care
• Making Effective Use of Health Care Experts
• Litigating Auto Insurance Claims
• Reducing the Risk of Obstetric Malpractice
• Preventable Adverse Events: Medical Malpractice Litigation and Patient Safety
• Civil Procedure and Evidence
• The Plaintiff’s View of Auto Insurance Reform
• Expert Reports

Publications

Richard C. Halpern, Medical Malpractice Damages Guardianship Issues, presented at the Insight Information's Medical Malpractice and Liability Conference on April 14 & 15, 2008
   - Paper
   - PowerPoint Presentation

Richard C. Halpern, Shoulder Dystocia, presented at the University of Toronto's 4th Annual Obstetrical Malpractice: A Survival Guide for 2008 Conference on January 19, 2008

Richard C. Halpern, Hanke v. Resurfice "But For Is Back", presented at the Advocates' Society: Tricks of the Trade 2008 - Practical Strategies for Winning Jury Trials Conference on January 18, 2008

Richard C. Halpern and Jill K. Van Vugt, Expert Reports: Preliminary Discussions and Draft Reports, presented at the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association on May 25 & 26, 2007

Richard C. Halpern and Jill K. Van Vugt, Automobile Insurance in Ontario, presented at the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association May 25 & 26

Richard C. Halpern and Jill K. Van Vugt, Medical Malpractice: Legal Causation & Obstetrics, presented at The Canadian Institute on February 28, 2007

Richard C. Halpern and Michael L. Bennett, Crossing the Threshold, presented at the National Judicial Institute on May 3, 2006

Richard C. Halpern, Demonstrative Evidence, presented at the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association on January 27, 2006

Richard C. Halpern, Post-Operative Care, presented at The Law Society on December 12, 2005

Richard C. Halpern, Making Effective Use of Health Care Experts, presented at The Canadian Institute on November 28, 2005

Richard C. Halpern, Review of the Proposed DAC Regulations, presented at the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association on October 29, 2005

Richard C. Halpern, Litigating Disability Insurance Claims, The Canadian Institute November 4, 2005 (Cancelled)

Richard C. Halpern, Protecting Accident Victims in the Future, a Work-Able Presentation for September 20, 2005

Richard C. Halpern, Litigating Auto Insurance Claims, presented at The Canadian Institute June 9 & 10, 2005

Richard C. Halpern, Civil Procedure and Evidence, presented at The Canadian Institute April 21 & 22, 2005 (Cancelled)

Richard C. Halpern, Reducing the Risk of Obstetric Malpractice, presented at The Canadian Institute April 5 & 6, 2005

Richard C. Halpern, The Lawyer’s Organization of the Examination, presented at the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association April 1, 2005

Richard C. Halpern, Litigating Personal Injury Damages - Maximizing or Defending against Family Law Act Damages, presented at The Canadian Institute February 24 & 25, 2005

Richard C. Halpern, The Plaintiff’s View of Auto Insurance Reform, a CIP Society Seminar on January 19, 2005

Richard C. Halpern, Litigating Auto Claims for the Plaintiff, presented at The Canadian Institute on December 15, 2004

Richard C. Halpern and Aleks Mladenovic, Preventable Adverse Events: Medical Malpractice Litigation and Patient Safety, presented at Insight Information Co. on November 24 & 25, 2004

Richard C. Halpern, FLA Fatality Claims Updated, presented at the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association on October 23, 2004

Richard C. Halpern and Veronica Rossos, Recovery in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents, 2004

In the Media

Automobile Insurance Review Faces Rough Road
The Toronto Star Article - May 01, 2008

Consumer Groups Call for Changes to Insurance Rules; Say Firms Profiting on the Backs of Consumers
Brockville Recorder and Times - April 30, 2008

Walker's Slip-and-Fall a Lawyer's Pick-me-up
Globe and Mail Article - February 15, 2008