About

Provided by Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP

Gowling WLG's Medical Defence & Health Law Group has many years of experience across a broad range of health law areas.

Nearly 50 members strong, our team understands the unique needs of health care practitioners whose reputation and standing are at risk. Our extensive experience allows us to effectively analyze potential risk and exposure and arrive at an appropriate resolution for our clients.

We act as counsel on many professional liability cases, and have significant experience in medical legal issues, including:

  • Defending professionals in litigation arising from medical treatment and care
  • Representing professionals in proceedings before provincial professional licensing bodies
  • Hospital privileges matters
  • Coroner's inquests or other types of inquiries
  • Advising our clients on other administrative and regulatory health law issues.

Gowling WLG is also involved in additional areas of the health care sector, including through PPP work on hospital projects and via IP, regulatory and M&A transactions with innovative pharmaceutical companies and other participants in the life sciences sector.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers
Healthcare: Corporate/Commercial & Regulatory - Nationwide - Canada
3
Band 3
What the Team is Known For

Gowling WLG is an eminent law firm in the Canadian healthcare sector, renowned for its activity on behalf of the CMPA. The medical defence and health law team enjoys a strong reputation for its representation of physicians in medical malpractice cases in Ontario, Alberta and Nunavut. The group also acts as trusted counsel on regulatory and policy concerns at federal and provincial levels, as well as acting for health organisations and non-profits across the spectrum of corporate and commercial issues.

Work Highlights

Provided by Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP
  • Gowling represented two physicians of the CMPA in a medical malpractice trial relating to the neurological injuries and ultimate death of a child due to alleged delays in diagnosis.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers
Domenic Crolla
Domenic Crolla
Star Individuals

Ottawa-based Domenic Crolla is an eminent lawyer in the healthcare market and well known for his leadership of the firm's CMPA-dedicated team. He has particular experience in topical matters such as virtual care and the rise of AI in the healthcare sector.

"Dom has been an absolute pleasure to work with. His experience in the health association sector is invaluable to us and means that he understands the landscape we are dealing with."

"Dom is an outstanding general counsel with deep and broad expertise, a high level of availability and commitment to high-quality service. He is an award-winning defence lawyer."

"Dom is an outstanding GC and brings a great deal of sophistication and thoughtfulness to the work."

"He is the head of everything that happens in the medical field in Canada, around the country, everywhere. He is involved in all the important issues."

"The top of his class."

Robert Sheahan
1
Robert Sheahan
1
Band 1

Ottawa-based Robert Sheahan is a skilled health law practitioner who represents individual physicians in malpractice lawsuits. He also regularly provides counsel on disciplinary and misconduct reviews.

"Rob is a dedicated GC and he works through complex issues in a careful and impressive manner."

"Very much involved in the important issues. We see him and interact more and more with him. Extremely knowledgeable in all the important issues."

"A strong leader of the Bar."

"Rob is exceptionally responsive and creative in dealing with complex medico-legal issues and provides great leadership to his team."

Donald Dow
2
Donald Dow
2
Band 2

Donald Dow leads the firm's medical defence practice group and has considerable experience representing clients in a broad array of contentious cases, from malpractice to genetic testing. He is licensed to practise in both Ontario and Nunavut.

"Donald is a committed trial lawyer and pays excellent attention to detail."

"Extremely strong lawyer."

Maureen Murphy
2
Maureen Murphy
2
Band 2

Maureen Murphy is an up-and-coming partner based in Ottawa who frequently acts for the CMPA as part of the General Counsel team while also assisting with corporate, privacy, technology and governance matters.

"Maureen is exceptionally responsive and creative in dealing with complex medico-legal issues."

"Maureen has provided excellent corporate and governance legal advice. I look forward to seeing her grow in her role and share more with us as to her vision on how to evolve GC services."

Adriana Cargnello
3
Adriana Cargnello
3
Band 3

Adriana Cargnello demonstrates strength in advising clients on matters concerning medical negligence issues. Her practice is based in Ottawa.

"Adriana is a very strong lawyer, very strategic and practical. She is very good at assessing the risk of every type of litigation matter that we handle together."

"Excellent counsel on very complex cases."

"Adriana is exceptionally responsive and creative in dealing with complex medico-legal issues."

Donna MacKenzie
3
Donna MacKenzie
3
Band 3

Donna MacKenzie of Gowling's Ottawa office focuses her practice on professional liability and medical defence work, and frequently assists the CMPA in the defence of claims against its members.

"Donna is an amazing GC and she brings high energy to all of her files. She is fantastic to work with."

"Donna is very strong and is great in thinking about strategy. Very responsive, very helpful. Very strong lawyer."

"Donna is the most aware lawyer. Excellent to deal with."

"Donna is terrific. No matter what time of day or night, if I have an emergency with a doctor that needs help, she will get back to me like that."

Daniel Boivin
4
Daniel Boivin
4
Band 4

Daniel Boivin of Gowling's Ottawa office has extensive experience within the healthcare space, with a particular focus on issues concerning medical assistance in dying.

"Excellent counsel and particularly helpful working through ethical issues including medical assistance in dying."

"Daniel provides excellent support for our Québec members. In Canada, we have medical aid in dying legislation and he has become an expert in that field."

Ranked Lawyers at
Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP

Provided by Chambers
Filter by
Band

Nationwide - Canada

Healthcare: Contentious

Domenic Crolla
Domenic Crolla
Star Individuals
Robert Sheahan
1
Robert Sheahan
1
Band 1
Donald Dow
2
Donald Dow
2
Band 2
Adriana Cargnello
3
Adriana Cargnello
3
Band 3
Donna MacKenzie
3
Donna MacKenzie
3
Band 3
Daniel Boivin
4
Daniel Boivin
4
Band 4
Healthcare: Corporate/Commercial & Regulatory

Domenic Crolla
2
Domenic Crolla
2
Band 2
Maureen Murphy
2
Maureen Murphy
2
Band 2

Members

Provided by Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP

Industries

Provided by Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP

Commercial & Professional Services

Food & Beverage Producers

Government

Health Care

Insurance

Life Sciences & Pharmaceuticals

Technology, Hardware & Electronics