35 Years, 35 Voices highlights the members who have contributed to the Ontario Trial Lawyers Associations (OTLA) growth, strengthened access to justice and supported a collaborative plaintiff-side community across Ontario over the past 35 years.
Meet Alf Kwinter, member since 1992.
Member Profile
Name: Alfred (Alf) M. Kwinter
Firm: Singer Kwinter
Year called to the bar: 1972
Joined OTLA: 1992
We asked Alf to reflect on his time with OTLA, the role the association has played in his career and what being part of the OTLA community means to him.
What motivated you to join OTLA?
For many years, I, along with a number of other plaintiff lawyers whose names will be very familiar to members (Oatley, Gluckstein, Hillyer, McLeish to name a few), attended an outstanding legal conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan which featured America’s leading plaintiffs’ counsel. That conference had such an impact that I later wrote an article about it in The Litigator (see Memories of Ann Arbor: A Law Conference Like No Other, September 2011). I believe that the ideas and inspiration from that conference helped lead to the creation of OTLA.
As a result, I did not require any motivation to join OTLA. I am proud to say that I have been there since the very beginning. It’s been a great ride!
If you’ve been a member for more than five years, what has inspired you to renew your membership?
As one of the early and likely original members of OTLA and having had the good fortune to have been honoured by OTLA on two separate occasions, I needed very little inspiration to renew my membership. OTLA is and always has been a terrific organization. Every plaintiff lawyer should belong.
Do you have a memorable OTLA moment or story you’d like to share?
I remember in 2004, I wasn’t sure if I would be attending the OTLA Spring Conference. My son-in-law, Shane Katz, strongly encouraged me to attend. I, therefore, decided to do so. I remember Gary Will speaking and suddenly I realized he was referring to some of my cases. A moment later, he announced that I was the recipient of the H. Bruce T. Hillyer Award. When I came down to receive the award and looked up at the audience, my entire family and staff were there. It was a truly incredible and wonderful surprise. That was, without question, the most memorable OTLA moment for me!
What is something you learned at an OTLA event that you still use in your practice today?
What I’ve learned and still use in my practice today is how important it is for we plaintiff lawyers to share our experiences (good and bad) and how vital it is for our plaintiff bar to be united. This puts us all in a better position to advance our clients’ cases against a very tough defence bar.
Have you made any meaningful professional connections through OTLA? If so, who or in what way?
As a result of attending many OTLA conferences and events as a registrant, a presenter and panelist, I have had the opportunity to meet, share and exchange experiences (and war stories of course!) with so many fellow members. I can clearly say that each OTLA event has left me wiser and better informed.
How has OTLA influenced your practice or contributed to your career growth?
I have always found OTLA’s presentations to be educational and informative. It has been a benefit to know that there are other plaintiff counsel practising in areas where I do not have familiarity but to whom I can reach out to for information and assistance.
What advice would you give to new OTLA members or lawyers just starting out?
My advice is to attend as many OTLA conferences and presentations as possible. Try to meet as many fellow members as you can. Keep OTLA advised of any decisions or verdicts you have received (positive and negative) which could be of assistance to fellow members and stay informed through OTLA’s online channels.
Get to know and keep in contact with senior counsel and find out when they are going to trial. The next best thing to doing is watching. I remember in my early years that when we heard that one of the outstanding litigators was at trial, we would run down to the courthouse to get front row seats. That is exactly what we did in Ann Arbour – we watched the best, doing their best. We watched and we learned. We really learned!
What does being part of the OTLA community mean to you?
Given the number of years that I have been practising (over 50), I believe I am in a good position to address this question. When I first began my practice, there was no organized plaintiff bar. Every lawyer was handling their battle on their own. There is no question that the insurance bar had the upper hand. That very much changed when OTLA was created. OTLA brought truth to the expression that there is “strength in numbers.” OTLA is clearly responsible for the successes that we plaintiff lawyers have enjoyed over the years. It is the knowledge and experience that counsel has passed on to our colleagues that has made this great organization what it is today. Our plaintiff bar would not be the bar it is without OTLA. OTLA, may you continue to grow, prosper and go from strength to strength.
