In the Community

This spring we attended the Well Earth Collaborative Spring Wellness Fundraising Event in Hillsburgh, Ontario. We had a great day and lots of great conversations. Thanks for having us!

A big congratulations to Steven Muller who was awarded the 2023 John A. McLeish Award in 2023. Ontario Trial Lawyers Association recognized Muller for his outstanding contribution in advocating for the rights of Canadians living with disabilities. Steven’s proposed change to Bill C-22 is protecting our clients, taxpayers, and the government from having insurers profit at the expense of those with disabilities. Photo provided by OTLA.

Share Lawyers President David Share and VP Litigation Steven Muller were part of a panel roundtable leading a discussion on Federal Bill C-22 (The Canada Disability Benefits and Your LTD Practice) at the Ontario Trial Lawyer’s Association (OTLA) on Friday, March 31, 2023. Steven’s work identifying that Bill C-22 unintended consequence is a windfall for private insurers and his strategy and submissions to the Senate to amend the Bill has increased awareness to our Senators of the significant implications of Bill C-22 to clients and the disability community as a whole. Each Trial Lawyers Association in Canada has endorsed his submissions coauthored with Hart Schwartz for the Senate Committee. Share Lawyers will continue to advocate for our clients and the disability community to achieve public policy that is fair to the disabled.

David Share and Steven Muller were voted as 2023 Leading Legal Practitioners in the Lexpert directory based on an extensive peer survey process. The identification of leading practitioners and firms is based upon a comprehensive annual survey, ongoing since 1994. The selected lawyers have been recommended by their law firm leaders. They are acknowledged as leaders in their respective fields, lawyers prominent in their practice areas and professional organizations, and professionals worthy of significant recognition from their colleagues.

“It’s an honour to be added to the Lexpert directory now that Long Term Disability is being recognized as its own practice area,” explains Share. “Being recognized by the 20,094 Canadian lawyers who completed the 2023 Lexpert survey is a feather in our cap. It means we are doing something right.”

Believe it or not, our lawyers and legal staff are a bit competitive! But we didn’t let that get in the way of a good time. We had a ball bowling together to celebrate the holiday season. Strikes, gutter balls, selfie scoreboards, great food, and a whole lot of laughs.

Thanks to everyone who came out for our first Share Lawyers baseball game. The weather was perfect for our late-summer game at Tournament Park, and our staff and their families had a great time playing a casual ball game and eating hotdogs and hamburgers from a local food truck. We didn’t keep score, but we all felt like winners after spending some quality time together.

In partnership with Grounded coffee bar, a new local coffee shop near 3442 Yonge Street, Share Lawyers handed out free coffee and treats for passersby. The Share Lawyers team met many community members and hopes to continue to meet with more of our community members in Toronto and across the country.

While the Share Lawyers team has a hybrid model (work from home and in-office), we all look forward to the days when we are able to see each other in person. Every few weeks, Share Lawyers has a happy hour event where the team celebrates birthdays, anniversaries and often has special surprises show up, like a food truck or treats from a local restaurant.

In 2021, Share Lawyers participated in the Community Fridge project, a fundraising initiative that offers free food to combat food insecurity in Toronto.

The initiative takes place in 8 communities across Toronto, offering free food to anyone who needs it and is stocked by anyone who can donate. The motto is: take what you need, leave what you can.

We want to say a big thank you to Susy Goldstein who donated her time to purchase and fill fridges for 6 months of 2021. We'd also like to thank everyone who donated and helped feed someone in need.

Visit the Community Fridges Toronto Instagram Hub →

Since 2013 we have been supporting Kids Help Phone as a way to give back to the community. The choice to support this organization was based on finding a non-denominational support network that provides much-needed help for kids and teenagers in crisis. Kids who may not have anywhere else to turn and who want and need the confidentiality offered by Kids Help Phone so that they do not feel judged when airing their problems.

The Share Lawyers Community has created and participated in a number of events in support of Kids Help Phone, including:

• Kids Help Phone Walkathon
• Goodies For Giving Cookbook
• Kids Help Phone T-Shirt Fridays
• Kids Help Phone Lunches

Visit the Kids Help Phone Website →