Katharine Byrick

Partner

Toronto
[email protected]
416.367.6012

Katharine defends health care organizations and their employees in civil claims.

She also works directly with health care organizations in responding to adverse events, ALC issues, dealing with complicated consent issues including end-of-life, issues involving substitute decision makers, discharge planning and mental health law issues.

Katharine has dealt extensively with matters involving the Health Care Consent Act, Substitute Decisions Act, Mental Health Act, and Coroner's investigations and reviews.

Katharine also works with clinical care teams to provide legal support in challenging situations involving all of the above, as well as with individuals in leadership roles to provide general-level continuing education and support to staff.

Katharine has appeared before the:

  • Superior Court of Justice
  • Divisional Court
  • Court of Appeal for Ontario
  • Consent and Capacity Board
  • Ontario Review Board

She has also participated in mediations and negotiations and assisted with responses to Health Services Appeal and Review Board and the Information and Privacy Commissioner.

Katharine joined BLG in 2001. She previously articled with and practised at a firm in London, Ontario.

Experience

  • Health care organizations and community based health care organizations in medical malpractice actions.
  • Acute care, complex-continuing care, long-term care facilities and community-based organizations to support the development and implementation of patient-centred strategies to deal with situations in which there are challenges relating to discharge planning, end-of-life and treatment and acute treatment and care.
  • Health care providers before the Consent and Capacity Board and on appeals from the decisions of this Board.
  • Health care organizations on the management of adverse events, including disclosure, quality of care review and Coroner's investigations/inquests.
  • Health care organizations in the development and review of policies and procedures on a range of topics including consent, end-of-life, use of restraints, the Quality of Care Information Protection Act, disclosure of adverse events and critical incident management.

Beyond Our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Member, The Advocates' Society
  • Member, Medico-Legal Society of Toronto
  • Member, Ontario Bar Association, Health Law Section

Awards & Recognitions

  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2016) of The Best Lawyers in Canada (Health Care Law, Medical Negligence, Personal Injury Litigation).
  • Recognized in the 2024 edition (and since 2015) of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Medical Negligence) and 2024 (Personal Injury).
  • Recognized in the 2021 edition of Lexpert Special Edition: Health Sciences.
  • Recognized in the 2020 and 2019 edition of Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation.

Bar Admission & Education

  • Ontario, 1999
  • LLB, University of Windsor, 1997
  • BA (Hons.) in History, University of Western Ontario, 1994