Mr. Montgomery is a founding member
of ADR Chambers, a Toronto-based Alternative Dispute Resolution group, which
provides ADR services consisting of Mediations, Arbitrations, Early Neutral
Evaluation, Mini-Trials, Med-Arb, and Private Appeals from Arbitral Awards and
Trial Judgments.
Mr. Montgomery was appointed as a
Judge of the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Ontario in 1977. He retired
in September 1994 and joined Genest Murray DesBrisay Lamek before helping
establish ADR Chambers.
In his practice as a
mediator/arbitrator, Mr. Montgomery has been involved in all aspects of ADR. He
has presided over complex commercial disputes; construction cases; real estate
disputes; rent review disputes; all forms of insurance litigation including
insurance coverage disputes; fire loss liability disputes as well as acting as
an Umpire on valuations of loss; medical malpractice cases; professional
indemnity claims; personal injury claims; claims involving securities;
intellectual property disputes; estate matters; matrimonial asset disputes and
family business disputes.
Mr. Montgomery was the first Judge
of the Supreme Court of Ontario, as it then was, to establish the use and
procedure for Class Actions in Ontario. As a mediator/arbitrator, he has
presided over the majority of the largest Class Actions involving Ontario and
other national claimants. In addition, he has been approved as an Umpire, as
well as a member of an Appeal process panel in Class Actions. He is available
for ADR including both national and international claims.
Mr. Montgomery graduated from
Osgoode Hall Law School in 1953; was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1965. He
was a founding member of the Ferguson Montgomery Cassels & Mitchell law
firm which subsequently became Montgomery Cassels Mitchell Somers Dutton &
Winkler.
Prior to his appointment to the
Bench, Mr. Montgomery’s practice was entirely devoted to advocacy. He was
acknowledged as a leading Counsel in civil litigation, particularly in the
field of insurance law. He lectured in The Bar Admission Course for The Law
Society of Upper Canada. He was elected a Bencher of The Law Society of Upper
Canada and served on its Legal Aid and Legal Education Committees.
Mr. Montgomery was a member of a
small group of barristers who formed The Advocates’ Society and he became
its third President. In 1972, he aided in the move of the home of the former
Chief Justice, William Campbell, to its present site at Queen Street West and
University Avenue, Toronto.
While a member of the Bench, Mr.
Montgomery served on the Trial List Committee, Future of the Courts Committee
and all committees subsequent to merger that dealt with Court Integration. In
addition, he set up the Insurance Plan for Federally-Appointed Judges in
Canada.
Mr. Montgomery was born in South
Africa to medical missionary parents. He served in the Canadian Navy in WW2. He
graduated from the University of Toronto in 1949 and Osgoode Hall Law School in
1953.
Mr. Montgomery has lectured
extensively to various professional bodies, commercial organizations and law
firms on the topic of Alternative Dispute Resolution.
