James R. LANE

Admitted to Bar, 1991, Ontario

James has been a partner at BJCTB since the firm was founded in 2005. He practices commercial litigation with particular focus on advising and representing professionals, and defending claims under appointment by liability insurers. He acts for firms of chartered accountants ranging from the largest through to sole practitioners. He frequently defends commercial and residential design professionals in liability claims. He acts for accountants, lawyers and financial advisors in disciplinary and licensing matters. His experience also includes litigation involving directors’ and officers’ liability, shareholder remedies, employment law, surety claims, financial institution liability, municipal liability, commercial fraud and general commercial litigation.

EDUCATION

University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University (B.A., 1986); Osgoode Hall Law School (LL.B., 1989)

SELECTED EXPERIENCE

- has developed detailed familiarity with industry practices and the regulatory framework for Chartered Accountants in Canada based on conduct of a number of trials and involvement in cases involving extensive documentation covering multi-year engagements for public and private corporations
- has acted for over 40 individuals and firms in dealings with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, including cases involving investigations, attendances before the Professional Conduct Committee, contested applications for admission and re-admission, defence of charges before the Discipline Committee, and appeals
- has represented numerous professional engineers in the defence of liability claims alleging negligence in the design and development of large commercial properties
- successful in obtaining recovery of loss of corporation whose Chief Financial Officer misappropriated close to $2 million through a variety of concealed schemes
- successfully defended insurance broker in multi-million-dollar claim which turned on establishing the likelihood that key documents had been falsified
- obtained substantial recovery for group of investors from a major Canadian mutual fund dealer
- routinely acts for insurers in respect of coverage matters and monitoring of complex litigation
- involved in both prosecution and defence of professional misconduct charges before the Law Society of Upper Canada

- represented the provincial electrical utility in an extended review of its operations and planning process.

PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT

- Advocates’ Society
- Ontario Bar Association
- CBAO Insurance Law Executive (2000, 2001)
- Legal Officer to the Board of Directors of Médecins Sans Frontières Canadaa
- Past President of the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture

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