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Alfred Kwinter
Founding Partner, Lawyer
Key Practice Area: Personal Injury, Property Loss, Medical Malpractice, Civil Litigation and Insurance Law
Bar Admissions: Ontario, 1972
Memberships: Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, Advocates’ Society, Canadian Bar Association, Ontario Bar Association, American Association for Justice, American College of Trial Lawyers, Toronto Lawyers Association, & Medico-Legal Society.
Contact:
akwinter@singerkwinter.com
(416) 961-2882
Alf Kwinter is recognized as one of Canada’s premier legal experts in the practice of personal injury and insurance law and is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Civil Litigation. Alf earned his law degree from the University of Toronto in 1970. In 1974 Alf and his classmate Morris Singer founded the firm of Singer Kwinter, which has been named by Canadian Lawyer magazine as a top personal injury firm in Canada.
Alf has appeared as counsel at all court levels including The Supreme Court of Canada, where he appeared on behalf of the successful plaintiff in the landmark decision of Oldfield v. Transamerica Insurance Company. Alf has achieved some of Canada’s largest jury awards for punitive damages against an insurer. Singer Kwinter is the only law firm in Canada to obtain four punitive damage awards against insurers. He acted for the plaintiff in the milestone case of Kamin v. Kawartha Dairy, which reduced the onus on plaintiffs in establishing liability in slip and fall claims. He obtained the highest award in Canada for chronic pain in Degennaro v. Oakville Trafalgar Hospital.
Alf is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Civil Litigation. He is a past director of The Advocates’ Society (TAS) and Medico-Legal Society. He is a member of OTLA, TAS, TLA, CBA, OBA, ABA and the AAJ. Alf is an Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall. He has taught trial practice in the Bar Admission Course and has been invited to speak and chair numerous programs.
Alf is consistently ranked as a “most frequently recommended” leading legal practitioner in Canada by his peers in the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory and Best Lawyers in Canada®. He was recognized as the Best Lawyers® Personal Injury Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Toronto for 2016. In May 2004, Alf was awarded the H. Bruce Hillyer Award by OTLA in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the cause of civil justice. He was the recipient of the 2015 OBA Award for Excellence in Insurance Law.
In 2018, Alf became a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the leading legal associations in North America. This well-deserved recognition is awarded to only one percent of the total lawyer population in Ontario or other provinces/states. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility, and collegiality.
+ EDUCATION
- BA from the University of Toronto, 1967
- Law degree from the University of Toronto, 1970
+ PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS
- Alfred has appeared at all court levels, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
- Only lawyer in Canada who has won, on three separate occasions, punitive damage awards against insurance companies for the manner in which the insurers treated their policyholders.
- Appearing as the plaintiff’s counsel, Alfred was awarded the largest verdict for punitive damages ($2,500,000) against an insurance company in the history of the Canadian courts (Pereira vs. Hamilton Township Farmers Mutual Insurance Company).
- Obtained a punitive damage award ($350,000) which is still the highest punitive award against an insurer upheld by the Ontario Court of Appeal (Plester vs. Wawanesa).
- Successfully argued in the Supreme Court of Canada, leading to the ground-breaking decision that the rights of innocent beneficiaries of insurance policies should stand even when the deceased has died in the course of committing a crime (Oldfield vs. Transamerica).
- Lead counsel on an Ontario Court of Appeal decision that helped establish the liability of dog owners for dog attacks (Wong vs. Arnold).
- Appeared as counsel on a number of other ground-breaking cases, including Kamin vs. Kawartha Dairy which changed the law on trip and fall; and Degennaro vs. Oakville-Trafalgar Hospital, the largest award in Canada for chronic pain.
+ INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
- Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers
- Instructor at the Bar Admission Course
- Adjunct Professor teaching trial practice at Osgoode Hall Law School.
- Director for the Medico-Legal Society
- Dean’s Advisory Board – Humber College
- Frequent speaker at the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association, the Advocates’ Society and the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association
- Keynote speaker at the Spring Convention of the Atlantic Provinces Trial Lawyer Association in St. John’s, Newfoundland
- Appointed as Director of the Advocates’ Society in 2004
- Served as the Advocate Society’s Representative on a committee headed by Court of Appeal Justice Karen Weiler to establish regulations for access to courthouses in Ontario for people with disabilities
- Member of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association
- Member of the Advocate’s Society
- Member of the Canadian Bar Association
- Member of the Ontario Bar Association
- Member of the Toronto Lawyers Association
- Member of the American Association for Justice
- Member of the Canadian Institute Insurance Law & Litigation Journal Board
+ INDUSTRY AWARDS
- August 2015, named Best Lawyers® 2016 Personal Injury Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Toronto
- June 2015, received Award of Excellence in Insurance Law from the Ontario Bar Association
- June 2012, received Award of Excellence for Teaching from the Advocates’ Society during their End of Term Dinner
- November 2008, named Leader in the Field of Personal Injury Law, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Personal Injury Bar, by the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association at the Celebration of the Personal Injury Bar
- H. Bruce T. Hillyer Award by the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the cause of civil justice and for exemplifying the spirit of OTLA in fearlessly advancing the cause of individual rights by the effective use of trial advocacy
+ WINS
David slays Goliath after 12 year quest
“Repeat Offender” – Wawanesa Insurance Found Liable for $100,000 in Punitive Damages
$1.8 million settlement for boy severely injured in go-kart accident
$3.5+ Million Judgement for Chronic Pain
$7 Million Settlement for Ski Accident Victim
+ RECENT ARTICLES
What to do if you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident (November 2, 2021)
To know them is to love them (August 23, 2021)
Bucking the trends: the gentle way to fierce advocacy (August 19, 2020)
Did you know?
Alfred is a man with an exciting storyline. A child of refugee parents from Austria, Alfred travelled with his parents at two years of age, leaving behind Austria for the new adventures of Toronto. His father had a store in Kensington Market – the source of which he learned many important skills. Alfred has worn many hats along his career, selling hotdogs and serving as a taxi-cab driver in his youth. Alfred has a passion for boating, photography and classical music.
