About Nick de Koning

Nick de Koning is a partner at Deutschmann de Koning Law, acting for people hurt in car crashes or injured on someone else's property, and for people with long-term disability claims. Nick's name shows up in reported rulings of the Superior Court of Justice, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, FSCO and the Licence Appeal Tribunal.

Nick's career began on the insurers' side. After starting at Miller Thomson in 2002, Nick was licensed by the Law Society of Ontario in 2003 and made partner there in 2009, defending auto insurers as well as life and health insurers, with an emphasis on accident benefit and long-term disability disputes. One example: in a 2015 priority dispute between two insurers, decided by Arbitrator Philippa Samworth, Nick argued the case for Dominion. In 2018 Nick left to join Rob Deutschmann, and became a partner in the firm in 2024. Since joining in 2018, Nick's appearances at arbitration in catastrophic impairment disputes have been on behalf of applicants.

Law Times asked Nick to explain the 2024 Court of Appeal ruling in Morrissey v. Wawanesa, which settled two questions under the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule. The practical result, as Nick put it, is that someone catastrophically injured before 2010 can claim attendant care by showing a genuine need for help. There's no requirement to prove they're paying an arm's length housekeeper or personal support worker.

Waterloo Region has been home since 1992, apart from law school in London from 1999 to 2002. Much of Nick's childhood was spent in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and after a move to Brantford, Nick's high school years were at Brantford Collegiate Institute. Away from work, Nick travels in Canada and further afield, tries new restaurants, and cheers for the Kitchener Rangers and the KW Titans. Nick's also a keen motorcyclist who rides in the Motorcycle Ride for Dad, a fundraiser for prostate cancer research and awareness.

Practice areas

Personal Injury

Motor vehicle claims and catastrophic impairment

Nick handles both the tort lawsuit and the accident benefits claim that can follow a crash. That work includes numerous catastrophic impairment disputes at arbitration, most recently Nguyen v TD Insurance Meloche Monnex (2023) and Harbin and Echelon Insurance (2024) for the applicants.

Slip and fall claims

Nick takes on occupier liability claims, including slips, trips and falls on someone else's property.

Long-term disability claims

Long-term disability claims were a focus in the Miller Thomson years and are still part of Nick's work at Deutschmann de Koning Law.

Education & credentials

  • Honours Bachelor of Arts, Economics, University of Waterloo (1998)
  • Law school (1999 to 2002), Western University (2002)
  • Diploma in General Arts and Sciences, Conestoga College
  • Lawyer and member of the Law Society of Ontario, Law Society of Ontario (2003)

Notable cases

  • Morrissey v. Wawanesa Insurance Company, 2024 ONCA 602

    Nick (listed as Nicholaus de Koning) represented the appellant. The court allowed the appeal and set aside the Divisional Court's order, holding that an attendant care claim made under the 1996 Schedule isn't subject to how the 2010 Schedule defines "incurred".

  • Smith v. Taylor, 2024 ONCA 223

    Nick represented the appellant in a dispute over the meaning of a Personal Excess Liability Policy endorsement in a homeowners policy. The appeal was allowed, the order set aside and the motion dismissed.

  • Sprowl v. First Capital, 2025 ONSC 3628

    With Alexander David, Nick acted for a plaintiff who fell in the Bridgeport Plaza parking lot in Waterloo in January 2020. The judge found for the plaintiff.

Decisions where Nick de Koning appeared as counsel, from public court records. Past cases don't predict future results.

Publications & speaking

  • Bill 15 reforms and the transition to the Licence Appeal Tribunal, Canadian Insurance Claims Managers' Association seminars (2015)
  • Handling catastrophic impairment claims (Crash Course seminar, Bingeman's, Kitchener), Multi-disciplinary seminar (2015)

Memberships & affiliations

In the community

  • Nick serves on the board of a local neighbourhood association.
  • From 2012 to 2020 Nick sat on the board of the Clay and Glass Gallery on Caroline Street in Waterloo.
  • For several years Nick volunteered as a panel member on the City of Waterloo's Licensing Appeals Committee, which hears appeals and minor variance applications under a number of city by-laws.
  • Nick has volunteered as a mediator and arbitrator in the local Better Business Bureau's dispute resolution program, which gives consumers and businesses an alternative to Small Claims Court.

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This listing was generated by AI from public sources in October 2026. It may contain errors, and we can’t guarantee it’s accurate or complete. Before you rely on anything here, verify it on their firm’s website. Confirm Nick de Koning’s licence and standing in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗

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