William C. McDowell

William C. McDowell

Partner at Lenczner Slaght
(416) 865-2949
(416) 865-2850
130 Adelaide St W, Suite 2600, Toronto, ON
Year called to bar: 1988 (ON)
Will is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. His wide-ranging practice has included many landmark cases, most notably in the Supreme Court of Canada. He appears in commercial litigation, libel and public law cases. From 2005 to 2008, he was Canada’s Associate Deputy Minister of Justice, with responsibility for civil litigation, national security and issues involving central agencies. He acted for the Chief of Police of Toronto, the Chief Adjudicator of the Independent Assessment Process of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and as amicus to the Superior Court in relation to Aboriginal land occupations in Brantford. In August 2017, he was named Chief Commission Counsel to the Long-Term Care Homes Inquiry. Will’s work in resolving the landmark Maher Arar v. Canada case was honoured by a Department of Justice National Award. Will was elected in May 2023 to serve his third term as a Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario.
William C. McDowell is a featured Leading Lawyer in:
Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
Most Frequently Recommended
Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
Most Frequently Recommended
Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
Most Frequently Recommended
William C. McDowell is also listed in the following publication(s)
Read more about William C. McDowell in ...
Toronto's top professional liability lawyers in 2021
These are Toronto, Ontario's top professional liability lawyers based on the results of Lexpert’s annual peer survey
Leading regulatory and public law litigators in Toronto
These are the leading regulatory and public law litigators in Toronto based on the results of Lexpert’s extensive yearly peer review
Toronto’s leading professional liability lawyers
These are the leading Toronto-based professional liability lawyers based on Lexpert’s annual peer survey