MacKenzie Barristers
1 lawyer · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 794 handling Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution.
About MacKenzie Barristers
MacKenzie Barristers is a small litigation practice based in downtown Toronto, concentrating on civil appeals and questions of professional responsibility and liability. The firm's principal, Gavin MacKenzie, was called to the Ontario bar in 1977 after earning a B.A. from Western University and an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School. Other lawyers and law firms often bring the firm in as independent counsel, co-counsel on an appeal, or an expert witness on standard of care in solicitors' negligence cases, rather than as the only counsel running a file from start to finish.
MacKenzie has appeared as counsel in over 200 reported cases before every level of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Ontario Court of Appeal. A four term Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario, MacKenzie was elected Treasurer, the Society's highest office, three times between 2006 and 2008, and later received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the Law Society of Upper Canada. MacKenzie wrote Lawyers and Ethics: Professional Responsibility and Discipline, now in its sixth edition from Thomson Reuters (Carswell), and teaches legal ethics as an Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. Since January 2021, MacKenzie has also worked as a member arbitrator at Arbitration Place, handling commercial and partnership disputes.
Milestones & recognition
- Called to the Ontario bar in 1977 and has since appeared as counsel in over 200 reported cases, before every level of court up to the Supreme Court of Canada.
- Served four consecutive four year terms as a Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario, then was elected Treasurer, the Society's highest office, on three occasions between 2006 and 2008.
- Received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the Law Society of Upper Canada in 2010.
- Wrote Lawyers and Ethics: Professional Responsibility and Discipline, published by Thomson Reuters (Carswell) and now in its sixth edition.
- Named a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2000 and a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America in 2011.
- Has held Martindale-Hubbell's highest ('AV') peer review rating since 1993, and has been listed in Best Lawyers in Canada across seven practice areas since 2012.
- Serves as a member arbitrator at Arbitration Place, a role held since January 2021.
In the community
- Former Director and Board Chair of York Region Rose of Sharon, a charity that has provided free education, parenting, and counselling support to pregnant and parenting youth since 1985.
- Past Director of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice.
- Past Director of The Advocates' Society.
- Past Director of the Medico-Legal Society of Toronto and past Chair of LibraryCo Inc.
- Completed 13 consecutive Boston Marathons between 2002 and 2014.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleWho handles what
The neighbourhood
MacKenzie Barristers' office is on Bay Street in Toronto's financial district, an area whose name doubles as shorthand for the city's big business law firms. The building at 311 Bay Street opened in 2012 as Trump Tower and was later rebranded the St. Regis Residences, a 65 storey tower in the heart of that district.
The address sits in the same downtown core as Osgoode Hall at 130 Queen Street West, the building that houses the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Divisional Court, and the Law Society of Ontario. That's a fitting neighbour for this particular firm: Gavin MacKenzie served four consecutive terms as a Bencher of the Law Society and was elected its Treasurer three times between 2006 and 2008, and the firm's practice today is built almost entirely around appeals and the regulation of the legal profession.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of legal work does MacKenzie Barristers do?
- The firm concentrates on civil appeals and questions of professional responsibility and liability. It has argued cases before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Ontario Court of Appeal, and it advises on conflicts of interest, disqualification motions, and other ethics questions facing lawyers and other regulated professionals.
- Can MacKenzie Barristers take over an appeal another lawyer already started?
- Yes. The firm regularly works alongside other lawyers, either behind the scenes, as co-counsel on the file, or by taking over the appeal entirely, depending on what the client and the existing lawyer need.
- Does the firm give expert opinions in lawyer negligence cases?
- Yes. MacKenzie Barristers is regularly retained to provide expert reports and testimony on the standard of care in solicitors' negligence litigation.
- Is Gavin MacKenzie available to arbitrate a business or partnership dispute?
- Yes. Since January 2021, MacKenzie has served as a member arbitrator at Arbitration Place, taking on commercial and partnership arbitrations.
- What kinds of appeals has the firm argued?
- Civil appeals covering areas such as medical malpractice, commercial disputes, employment law, arbitration awards, and professional discipline, argued before all levels of court up to the Supreme Court of Canada.
- Where is MacKenzie Barristers located and how do I reach the firm?
- The office is at 311 Bay Street, Suite 4704, in downtown Toronto, and can be reached at 416-304-9295.
Where to find them
311 Bay Street Suite 4704 Toronto ON, M5H 4G5 · 416-304-9295
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