Todd J. Burke

About Todd J. Burke

Todd J. Burke is a partner in Gowling WLG's Ottawa office, handling complex commercial litigation, insurance defence, professional liability work and crisis management. Burke co-leads the firm's International Arbitration group and is one of the six people on its International Board. Clients have included national and international companies in fields such as technology, pharmaceuticals, transportation and nuclear energy, and Crown corporations and agents and national not-for-profit associations regularly turn to Burke for advice.

Burke was called to the Ontario bar in 1992 and added an Alberta call in 2023. Earlier roles at the firm included heading its National Commercial Litigation Group and its US and European initiatives, along with serving as lead trustee of its Canadian Board of Trustees. Today Burke runs a national team that answers professional liability claims for Lloyd's of London insurers, and co-leads the firm's client service team for that market.

Burke recently served as lead counsel through a class action trial that ran seven weeks, and has long acted for professionals in many disciplines facing regulators, court proceedings or investigations. When four taxi brokers and hundreds of plate owners sued the City of Ottawa over its handling of Uber's arrival, Gowling WLG represented the city and Burke gave the defence's closing arguments in November 2023.

Reputation is a recurring theme. Speaking to CBA National in 2019, Burke said a lawyer whose standing is in trouble needs a communication plan, and that ignoring the problem is the worst response. Clients picked Burke for Lexology's Client Choice Award for litigation in Ontario in 2018 and across Canada in 2021. Away from the office, there's a seat on the board of the Hnatyshyn Foundation, an arts charity, and plenty of time at the rink: Burke volunteers in minor hockey and cheerfully admits to being a below average player.