John J. Morris  

John Morris is National Coordinator for the Health Law Group. He has had a diverse career in litigation. He has served as counsel in cases involving claims of professional negligence, construction disputes and general commercial litigation.

In recent years, John has focused principally on health law, medical negligence and alternative dispute resolution. He and other members of the Health Law Group act for over 100 facilities in Ontario. Borden Ladner Gervais LLP is counsel to the Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada.

John has appeared before all levels of Court in Ontario, as well as the Coroner's Office and numerous health-related administrative tribunals. He was a member of the Advisory Committee to the Enquiry on Mental Competency commissioned by the Minister of Health in 1989. In February 2007, he received the designation of Certified Specialist (Health Law) from the Law Society of Upper Canada. Today he is one of only 12 lawyers to hold this designation.

• Regularly acts as counsel for numerous health facilities and health professionals throughout Ontario involving malpractice and product liability claims.
• Advises CEOs, Board Chairs and senior leadership on a variety of health law issues, such as risk management, privacy, substitute decision-making, quality of care and reporting of adverse events, mental health law, regulated health professionals, consent and capacity, and health records.
• Frequently consults to the Ontario Hospital Association on health law issues.
• Serves as lead counsel to the Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada.

• Moderated Keynote Panel Speaker, “Can Law Meet Global Health Challenges? Perspectives from Medicine and Politics,” 2012 National Health Law Conference: Global Health Challenges & the Role of Law, May 2012.
• Panellist, “Who To Sue: Who Are The Proper Parties,” Ontario Bar Association Conference: Medical Malpractice: A How To Guide, March 2012.
• Speaker, “What to Expect in a Credentialing Board Hearing,” Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) Credentialing for Health Care Providers and Trustees Conference, March 2012.
• Panellist, “At What Gestational Age Should We Deliver Twins?” Mount Sinai Hospital’s 8th Annual Obstetrical Malpractice Conference: A Survival Guide for 2012, January 2012.
• Speaker, “The Board’s Role in Quality & Safety of Care,” OHA Annual North West Sub-Region Conference – Health Care System Navigation and Performance – Achieving Success for a Truly Strong North, April 15 & 22, 2010.
• Guest Speaker, “Moving Forward New Hospital Initiatives,” OHA/BLG Medical Staff Management Conference – Reporting: Medical Staff and the Media, February 2010.
• Author, Law for Canadian Health Care Administrators, 2nd Edition, LexisNexis, 2011 (with C.D. Clarke).
• Author, “Ahmed v. Stefaniou – Is the Sky Really Falling?” Journal of Ethics in Mental Health, 2007.
• Consulting Editor, Canadian Health Law Practice Manual, Butterworths, 2000.
• Author, Canadian Nurses and the Law, 2nd Edition, Butterworths, 1999 (with Margot Ferguson and Mary Jane Dykeman).

• Recognized in the 2012 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Medical Negligence).
• Selected by peers for inclusion in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada® (Personal Injury Litigation).
• Martindale-Hubbell® BV® Distinguished™ 4.4 out of 5 Peer Review Rated.