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Cynthia (Cindy) Clarke

National Group Head, Clients, Sectors & New Services

Toronto
CClarke@blg.com
416.367.6203

Expertise

Yvette Uribe

Executive Assistant

Toronto
YUribe@blg.com
416.367.6749
416.367.6000

Renee Clarke

Practice Assistant

Toronto
rclarke@blg.com
416.367.6709

Cindy is one of BLG’s senior leaders and sits on the National Management Committee. Widely recognized for her knowledge, experience and commitment to her clients, she acts as a liaison and relationship manager for major clients at the firm.

As the National Group Head, Clients, Sectors & New Services, Cindy uses her extensive management, legal and business experience to ensure that all clients benefit from BLG’s unconditional commitment to providing the highest level of service. Clients trust Cindy to act as their advisor. She liaises with the client’s general counsel and assembles the best representation within the firm to handle their needs.

In her practice, Cindy represents hospitals and health organizations with all manner of complex issues and she has a class action defence practice focused on defending actions alleging improper claims were made about the health effects of a product or pharmaceutical. Cindy is regularly recognized by colleagues as outstanding in her field by ranking bodies including Chambers Canada, Benchmark Litigation, Lexpert, Best Lawyers and many more.

Testimonials

Chambers Global

“Clients value ‘the interpersonal skills, the problem-solving skills and mediating skills she brings.’ Other sources note: ‘She’s very practical. She’s very direct. She just has a wide base of knowledge to draw from.’”

Chambers Global

"Clients highlight her ‘incredibly practical approach’ and also note that ‘she adapts to the audience,’ making ‘people feel comfortable and confident around her.’"

Lexology Client Choice Awards

"Cindy finds ways to present solutions that are effective at de-escalation and problem resolution where possible and when that is not possible, she’s the person you want representing you in court!"

Lexology Client Choice Award

“A unique capacity to see beyond the law and provide advice that is practical and assists her clients in achieving their preferred end result.”

Lexology Client Choice Awards

“Her ability to distill key elements of the law into critical, understandable elements is truly exceptional.”

Experience

  • Acts as defence counsel multiple hospitals in defence of complex, multi-million dollar medical malpractice actions.
  • Acts as defence counsel in a multi-million dollar class action and two of Canada’s healthcare costs recovery actions, including representation of Purdue Canada in various class actions initiated across Canada.
  • Defending Trillium Gift of Life Network and University Health Network in application seeking declaration of a Charter violation due to management of wait list for liver transplants and in injunction brought by individual seeking urgent placement on the transplant list after declaration he was not eligible for a transplant.
  • Acts as defence counsel in a multi-million dollar class action and two of Canada’s healthcare costs recovery actions.
  • Ceretti v. Hamilton Health Sciences-McMaster Children's Hospital - Represented a Regional Autism Program run by Hamilton Health Sciences in a Judicial Review Application by a family seeking to prevent the Program from discharging a child from its services.
  • El Roubi/Lopez Inquest - Represented the Central CCAC in the only inquest in Ontario to investigate the long-term care sector, which inquired into the deaths of Mr. Lopez and Mr. El Roubi following an assault by another resident.
  • King/Bertrand Inquest – Represented Purdue Pharma in inquiry into the use and misuse of OxyContin arising from the deaths of Mr. King and Ms. Bertrand.
  • Assists senior hospital leadership and Medical Advisory Committees on physician privileges issues.
  • Advises hospital leadership on managing disruptive physician behaviour and quality of care issues.

Beyond Our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Ontario Bar Association, Health Law and Civil Law sections
  • Member, The Advocates' Society
  • Member Medico Legal Society of Toronto
  • Former Adjunct Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, Professional LLM – Health Law, Health Facilities Course
  • Former Program Director, Certificate in Health Law, Osgoode Hall Law School
  • Former Advisor/Instructor, M.Sc. in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, University of Toronto; Instructor, Risk Management
  • Member of the Holland Group

Community Involvement

  • Advisor, Pro Bono Law Ontario and Sick Kids Legal Clinic
  • Past President of Volunteer Board, Canadian Mothercraft Society
  • Member of Women United – Advocate level

Awards & Recognitions

  • Recognized in the 2022 and previous editions of Chambers Canada – Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business (Healthcare: Contentious - Nationwide).
  • Recognized in the 2022 and previous editions of The Best Lawyers in Canada® (Administrative and Public Law, Health Care Law, Medical Negligence, Personal Injury Litigation).
  • Recognized in the 2021 edition of Lexpert Special Edition: Health Sciences.
  • Recognized in the 2020 edition of Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation
  • Recipient of a 2018 Lexpert® Zenith Award – Celebrating Mid-Career Excellence.
  • Recognized in the edition of Benchmark Top 25 Women in Litigation in Canada.
  • Recognized in Benchmark Canada - The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys as a "Local Litigation Star: Ontario" (Construction, Health, Product Liability).
  • Recipient of the Women's Executive Network (WXN) Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award.
  • Exclusive winner of the Lexology Client Service Award in the Healthcare & Life Sciences category in Canada and Ontario.
  • Recognized in The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Class Actions, Medical Negligence).
  • Named one of Lexpert®'s Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40.
  • Recognized as a 2019 Acritas Star

Bar Admission & Education

  • Ontario, 1999
  • LLB, University of Western Ontario, 1997
  • BA, Philosophy, University of Western Ontario, 1993

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