Joseph W.L. Griffiths

As an associate with Flaherty Dow Elliott & McCarthy, Joseph's practice focuses primarily on insurance defence and personal injury litigation. Joseph has and continues to litigate a wide range of insurance and personal injury claims involving automobile liability, statutory accident benefits, life, disability, health, fire, fidelity, marine, aviation, property loss, occupiers' liability, commercial general liability, construction and property defect liability, builders' risk, manufacturers' liability, sexual abuse and exploitation and professional negligence

Beyond his insurance and personal injury practice, Joseph is routinely retained by corporations, non-profits, individuals and government to represent their interests in simple and complex litigation. His clients' engagements have allowed Joseph to litigate disputes in a variety of legal fields including privacy law and access to information issues, technology law, intellectual property, government procurement, government expropriation, shareholder rights, corporate and commercial law, environmental law, estates and elder abuse law, contract law, medical negligence and professional malpractice law.

Joseph has a proven track record of protecting or advancing his clients' interests, appropriately managing their risk and containing their legal costs so that they can achieve the maximum possible advantage, regardless of whether they are engaged in litigation voluntarily or not.

To ensure the highest possible care and best representation, Joseph has acquired extensive experience acting for clients before the courts and other administrative tribunals and agencies and also through various privately funded dispute resolution forums. Whether before a judge, jury or arbitrator, in court or out, Joseph has consistently and fiercely advocated on behalf of his clients and their interests and has never been fearful of taking their causes to judgment.

In fact, since being called to the Ontario bar in 2002, Joseph has argued and/or defended clients in the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Divisional Court, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Justice, the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, the Competition Tribunal, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Tribunal, the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board, the Health Services Appeal and Review Board, the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner’s Office, the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Environmental Review Tribunal, the Social Benefits Tribunal, the Landlord Tenant Board (formerly the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal), the College of Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Committee and multiple private arbitrations across the Province of Ontario.

Joseph actively promotes legal education and the training of the next generation of lawyers, paralegals and law clerks in Ontario. Joseph teaches trial advocacy at the University of Ottawa Law School and also teaches Civil Procedure to law clerks and Tribunals: advocacy, practice and procedure to the paralegals at Algonquin College.

Joseph has also written a number of articles for various legal and non-legal publications including lawyers' weekly and 55+ magazine. Joseph has been a frequent guest on the weekly Ottawa radio show Legal Talk and has had the privilege speaking on air on behalf of his clients to several local and national media organizations including CBC television and CTV news. In addition, Joseph has provided legal interviews and commentary to several print and trade publications including the National Post and the Globe and Mail.

Joseph is a graduate of the University of Ottawa law school and Carleton University and presently sits on the Board of Directors for Third Wall Theatre. He is a member of the Advocates Society, the Canadian Defence Lawyers, the County of Carleton Law Association and the Canadian Bar Association. He regularly volunteers his time through the Law Help Centre at the Ottawa Courthouse and actively participates in municipal, provincial and federal politics.

(613) 565-1231
Joseph.griffiths@fdemlaw.com