Assessing Loss of Competitive Advantage; Head Over Heels for Slip and Falls; A Blast from the Past: The Judges on Damages

Brenda Hollingsworth is a lawyer and shareholder at Auger Hollingsworth where she leads the firm’s personal injury practice. A lawyer since 1997, Brenda gained significant litigation experience at a Bay Street firm both before and after her call to the Bar. She then practiced plaintiff and defence-side personal injury and class-action law at a Toronto firm. Brenda co-founded Ottawa’s Auger Hollingsworth in 2005 with her husband Richard Auger. Together, their mission was to create a personal injury law firm for Eastern Ontario that is unrivalled in the province for customer service and legal expertise. Brenda is often quoted as an expert and has appeared in media outlets such as CTV, The Globe and Mail, National Post, Ottawa Citizen, Sun Media, CBC, Toronto Star, Montreal Gazette, CFRA and many legal publications. As part of the eight-member Federal Judicial Advisory Committee, Brenda spent three years volunteering her time to evaluate federal judicial appointment candidates. She has served on advisory panels for The Advocates Society and the Ontario Bar Association. Brenda loves to write and frequently publishes articles, blogs and essays about all aspects of law and practice. She is a strong believer in community, activism and social justice and is a regular sponsor of and attendee at local fundraisers for the rehabilitation community. A proud mother of two sons, Brenda’s family time is often spent cheering at the hockey rink, football field or rugby pitch. Brenda lives in Ottawa with her husband Richard Auger and their two boys, Zach and Jordy.

Justice Roger, from Hearst, Ontario, served as Case Management Master of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa from 2010 to 2015, sitting in civil and family matters. Previously, he was a partner with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Ottawa from 1991 to 2010, where he practised health law, insurance law, libel and defamation litigation, personal injury litigation, and professional negligence litigation. Justice Roger received a Bachelor of Commerce (Cum Laude) in 1986 and a Bachelor of Laws (Magna Cum Laude) in 1989, both from the University of Ottawa. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1991.His Honour was appointed as a judge of the Superior Court on June 26, 2015.

Justice Robert Smith graduated from Queen’s University in 1977, called to the Bar in 1979 and appointed to the Superior Court in Ottawa in 2002. He co-authored the Costs Compendium Update for the East Region of Ontario published in 2010 and 2012, has written many costs decisions and spoken on Costs at the County of Carleton Law Association Montebello Conference and This Hour Has 22 Judges. He is designated as one of the Class Action Judges for the East Region and member of the Commercial Panel. He was successful counsel on a lengthy class action during the 10 years before appointment, which included a 16-month trial, over 30 defendants and appeals. He practiced in areas of commercial law, civil litigation and some family and criminal law in previous years and was elected to the executive of both the County and District Law President’s Association and the Ontario Bar Association for many years, as well as involvement with other legal and charitable organizations.