Thomson Blackburn Lane Lefebvre LLP
3 lawyers · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 202 handling Insurance Law.
About Thomson Blackburn Lane Lefebvre LLP
Thomson Blackburn Lane Lefebvre LLP, which does business as TBLL Advocates, is a small litigation firm with an office in the DBRS Tower at 181 University Avenue in Toronto's financial district. The firm's LinkedIn company page lists a 2020 founding year. Four lawyers carry the firm's name: James P. Thomson, Janice E. Blackburn, James R. Lane and Julia L. Lefebvre, though Blackburn has since retired from active practice.
The practice concentrates on defending professionals and the insurers who cover them. Its lawyers act for accountants, engineers, architects, financial advisors and health practitioners in professional liability claims and in disciplinary hearings before regulators such as the Law Society of Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and Professional Engineers of Ontario. The firm also handles insurance coverage disputes, media and defamation matters for news organizations and publishers, and marine and transportation claims for shipowners, insurers and freight forwarders.
Appellate work is a particular focus. The firm's advocates appear regularly before the Court of Appeal for Ontario and have argued cases at the Supreme Court of Canada. In one professional liability matter, the firm represented design professionals over the structural design of the Rogers Centre stadium dome roof.
Milestones & recognition
- The firm's health law practice has represented facilities before the Ontario Review Board on the detention of mentally disordered accused since 1992.
- James P. Thomson is listed in Best Lawyers in Canada.
- Julia L. Lefebvre is ranked by Lexpert in media and defamation law.
In the community
- Janice E. Blackburn taught post-graduate forensic psychiatry trainees at McMaster University and the University of Toronto's medical school, and lectured at Queen's University and Osgoode Hall Law School.
- Janice E. Blackburn also trained Assistant Crown Attorneys handling Ontario Review Board proceedings.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleLawyers 3
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1984–2011 · median 35 years in practice 3 of 3 lawyers
- Law schools
- Osgoode Hall Law School, Queen's University, Université de Montréal 3 of 3 lawyers
- Languages on the roster
- French
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
The firm's office is in the DBRS Tower at 181 University Avenue, one of two buildings in the Adelaide Place office complex in Toronto's financial district. The building connects directly to the PATH, Toronto's underground pedestrian network, linking it to nearby transit, hotels and retail.
University Avenue itself runs north from the financial core past a cluster of major teaching hospitals, including Toronto General, Mount Sinai and The Hospital for Sick Children, a stretch long nicknamed 'Hospital Row.' It's a fitting corridor for a firm whose health law work involves hospitals, psychiatric facilities and health professionals, alongside a litigation practice built around courtroom and tribunal work across the city.
Frequently asked questions
- Does TBLL Advocates represent individuals, or only institutions?
- Both. Alongside hospitals, insurers and professional bodies, the firm acts for individual professionals such as accountants, engineers, architects and physicians facing liability claims or discipline before their regulatory college.
- Can TBLL Advocates help with a defamation or media law matter?
- Yes. The firm handles defamation litigation for media groups, corporations and individuals, on both the plaintiff and defendant side, along with pre-publication advice, anti-SLAPP motions and cyber libel claims.
- Does the firm handle insurance coverage disputes?
- Yes. TBLL Advocates advises domestic and international insurers and insureds on coverage matters across lines including professional liability, marine, directors and officers, and property and casualty, and represents both sides in coverage litigation.
- What kind of health law work does TBLL Advocates do?
- The firm represents hospitals, psychiatric facilities and regulated health professionals, including before the Consent and Capacity Board, the Ontario Review Board and Coroner's inquests, and in disciplinary proceedings before health colleges.
- Does TBLL Advocates appear at the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court of Canada?
- Yes. Appellate advocacy is one of the firm's core areas, and its lawyers have appeared before the Court of Appeal for Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as on judicial review applications heard by the Divisional Court.
- Where is TBLL Advocates located and how do I reach the firm?
- The office is at 181 University Avenue, Suite 2200, in Toronto, and can be reached at 416-982-3802.
Where to find them
Thomson Blackburn Lane Lefebvre LLP 181 University Avenue Suite 2200 Toronto ON M5H 3M7 · 416-982-3802
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