Sara Baker

Plaintiff – Baker vs. Blue Cross

Sara Baker was the Plaintiff in the precedent-setting Baker v. Blue Cross case. A former Director at Humber River Hospital in Toronto, she suffered a brain bleed in 2013, which prevented her from working. Initially, her claim for disability benefits was approved by Blue Cross, recognizing that she could no longer work. However, the insurance company later reversed this decision, leading to a lengthy trial and subsequent Court of Appeal for Ontario case. Alongside the Thomson Rogers team that represented her, this is the first time she’s publicly talking about her ordeal & the landmark decision that led to the largest punitive damages award against an insurer in Canadian history.

Robert Ben

Partner, Thomson Rogers

Robert Ben is a Partner at Thomson Rogers. He represents victims of traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, serious orthopedic injury, and those who have suffered wrongful death in their claims for compensation. He’s appeared as counsel in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Divisional Court, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, and the Supreme Court of Canada. As a Martindale-Hubbell Ranked Lawyer, Rob is also recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and Best Lawyers in Canada 2024 for Personal Injury Litigation. In the early part of his career, Robert was an insurance defense lawyer, and a social worker, which makes him a highly effective advocate for his clients.

Stephen Birman

Partner, Thomson Rogers

Stephen Birman is a Partner at Thomson Rogers. His practice focuses on personal injury litigation, long-term disability and class action litigation. He prides himself on his ability to help clients understand and feel informed and in control throughout the various stages of the litigation process. Stephen is a Certified Litigation Specialist by the Law Society of Ontario. He’s recognized as a leading lawyer in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Best Lawyers and was recently nominated among Canadian Lawyer Magazine's Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers. Stephen has earned the highest peer rating of AV Preeminent® in Martindale-Hubbell® for his legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards.

Lindsay Charles

Partner

McLeish Orlando

Lindsay Charles, Partner at McLeish Orlando, joined the firm after completing her law degree at Queen's University. Her practice focuses on plaintiffs' personal injury and wrongful death cases, including motor vehicle collisions, medical negligence, and disability claims. Lindsay regularly appears at the Superior Court of Justice and the License Appeal Tribunal and has co-counseled precedent-setting cases. She frequently speaks at conferences for the Law Society of Ontario, Ontario Bar Association, and healthcare professionals. Lindsay also contributes to legal publications, co-editing the Oatley-McLeish Guide to Personal Injury Practice and writing for Lexis Nexis and other guides.

Jane Enright

Award Winning Author, Inspirational Speaker, Wellness Expert

Jane Enright is an accomplished, humorous, inspiring, and empowering, international keynote speaker, and award-winning Canadian author with an extraordinary life story. In 2017 Jane survived three life-alternating events within 365 days, including an unforeseen brain injury that left her almost speechless. Jane's moving and discerning lived experience as an entrepreneur, strategic planner, kindergarten teacher, university lecturer, and now author with a triumphant reinvention after catastrophic change captivates audiences and has been called “food for the soul”. Her passionate keynote addresses resonate deeply with all ages, providing uplifting, thought provoking, actionable ideas that offer profound insights about overcoming adversity, cultivating a positive mindset, building resilience, compassionate, dynamic leadership, and creating new beginnings with a healthy outlook.

Lucy Jackson

Partner, Thomson Rogers

Lucy Jackson is a Partner at Thomson Rogers. Her practice involves helping people who have been seriously injured in motor vehicle collisions, fall accidents, assault and battery, as well as medical device and product liability claims. Her class action practice involves claims of institutional abuse, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of the Consumer Protection Act. She also represents individuals whose claims for Long-Term Disability benefits have been denied by their insurer. Lucy has successfully appeared as co-counsel before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. She was recently recognized in Best Lawyers Ones to Watch in Canada™ 2024 for her work in Personal Injury Litigation.

Dr. Carolyn Lemsky

PhD, CPsych ABPP-CN

Clinical Director, Community Head Injury Resource Services

Dr. Carolyn Lemsky is a board-certified neuropsychologist with over 25 years of experience working in rehabilitation settings in the U.S. and Canada. She is the Clinical Director at Community Head Injury Resource Services (CHIRS) of Toronto—a Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care funded agency designed to promote community re-integration of persons living with the effects of acquired brain injury. She is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Lemsky is the director of the Substance Use and Brain Injury Bridging Project, a research and knowledge transfer initiative funded by the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation. Along with her partners at the Center for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH), she has provided over 70 workshops and webinars for addictions and ABI providers across the US and Canada. Products of the SUBI project include the Brain Injury Tool Kit, a resource funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Technology Transfer Centers. A second edition of the SUBI manual, new for 2022 was released in January.

In addition to frequent conference presentations, Dr. Lemsky has contributed book chapters and articles to the neuropsychology and brain injury literature. She receives frequent invitations to provide training and conference and conference presentations on the SUBI project across Canada and the US.

Adam Little

Partner

Oatley Vigmond

Adam R. Little is a distinguished personal injury lawyer at Oatley Vigmond. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto in 1996 and graduated from Queen’s University Faculty of Law in 2000. Called to the bar in 2002, Adam initially practiced on Bay Street, representing doctors in medical malpractice claims. He later transitioned to personal injury law, driven by a passion for helping individuals navigate complex legal challenges. Adam is a frequent presenter at industry conferences and co-authors chapters on "Catastrophic Impairment" in the Oatley, McLeish Guide to Personal Injury Practice in Motor Vehicle Cases³.

Dr. Dawn M. Neumann

PhD, FACRM

Associate Professor

Dr. Neumann is a tenured Associate Professor at University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine in the Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair. She has her PhD in Rehabilitation Science from the University at Buffalo, SUNY, and a Masters in Cognitive Psychology from Rutgers, NJ. Dr. Neumann’s research aims to understand and treat problems with social cognition and emotion dysregulation after traumatic brain injury (TBI). She has received several recognitions from the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine for her work, including the Deborah L. Wilkerson Early Career Award, Mitchell Rosenthal Mid-Career Award in 2018, and the Joshua Cantor Scholar Award. Finally, Dr. Neumann serves on the Editorial review board for the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation.

Dr. Therese M. O'Neil-Pirozzi

ScD, CCC-SLP; ASHA Fellow

Associate Professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northeastern University; Research Faculty, Spaulding-Harvard Traumatic Brain Injury Model System, Boston Massachusetts

Dr. Therese O’Neil-Pirozzi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northeastern University and is research faculty in the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Harvard Medical School Traumatic Brain Injury Model System in Boston Massachusetts. Dr. O’Neil-Pirozzi is a skilled and experienced speech-language pathologist and clinical researcher who has worked with individuals with neurological disorders for more than 25 years. She is known internationally as the author/co-author of numerous peer-reviewed publications, spanning a broad range of topic areas including assessment and treatment of cognitive-communication deficits post-acquired brain injury, care for caregivers, neuroplasticity, and brain health. Dr. O’Neil-Pirozzi has contributed to a number of evidence-based practice guidelines supported by the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders & Sciences, is a frequent collaborator of the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, and is a Commonwealth of Massachusetts Brain Injury Council member.

Adrienne Patterson

Educator, Consultant and Administrator

“The scars you share become lighthouses for other people who are headed to the same rocks you hit”, a quote by Jon Acuff, has become a way of being for Adrienne Patterson. After a number of professional events, stresses, traumas, and injuries, that have impacted her physical and psychological health, she has been on a recovery journey for a number of years.

Adrienne Patterson has been and Ontario Educator for over 25 years with experience as an Elementary School Teacher, Consultant, and Administrator. Her career centered on adolescent aged students, vulnerable student populations, with specialization in Special Education and Behavioural Supports. In the course of her work, she was assaulted repeatedly over a period of time by special needs’ students and sustained 2 head injuries a few months apart from each other which led to a number of diagnoses as the symptoms did not resolve. This has resulted in Adrienne being on long term disability where her emphasis is on managing all aspects of her health on a daily basis. Having been on an extensive healing recovery journey through Traumatic Brain Injuries and PTSD for the last decade, she has gained a great deal of insight into how difficult recovery can be and what enormous resilience, dedication, work, and support it takes to achieve even small gains.

Over the years, Adrienne’s determination, tenacity, and adhering to treatments and strategies has led to improvements in her recovery. She has learned a great deal through this arduous journey of pain and trauma and the number of years it took to find what works best for her. Utilizing support, information and treatments from medical providers, Adrienne uses these to research and dig for links, commonalities, and treatments and strategies that enhance wellness and management of her daily physical and psychological care. Her current research and advocacy are in the areas of Brain Injury and Trauma, Neuroplasticity, PTSD, Empathic Stress (Compassion Fatigue), Self-Care, strategies to manage chronic illnesses and injuries, invisible disabilities, and trauma informed and supported medical care.

Her passion is giving back so that others who have been impacted by Brain Injuries and PTSD can learn that when our physical, mental, and emotional health suffers, that it is not a reflection of who we are. It is not a character flaw or a source of shame to struggle with our brains and the associated negative feelings, but that it gives us an opportunity to recover our brain health through self-care, self-compassion, and utilizing skills and strategies to lead a more grounded, balanced, and healthy life…even in the face of continued pain, symptoms, and adversity. Learning to live life differently with these diagnoses and health challenges has been paramount for her to being able to experience joy and connection once again. Adrienne shares her story openly and gives specific relatable examples of how she was able to move through very challenging circumstances and to gain insight that can be shared with others that serve as a warning, much like a lighthouse, of what can happen when injuries that happen beyond our control can alter our lives so deeply. Knowing that there are many injured and struggling people, Adrienne hopes her story acts as a beacon to help light the way for others to find their path through recovery and that her advocacy with systems and providers will result in better health outcomes for patients and workers, and thus stronger systems of care.

Hilary Pearson

MEd

Social Justice Education, University of Toronto – Doctoral Student, Disability Studies – Brain Injury Society Toronto

Hilary Pearson, MEd, is a doctoral student at the University of Toronto, Social Justice Education Department. Hilary’s research makes use of an interpretive disability studies perspective to explore cultural perceptions of disability through critical narrative inquiry.

Hilary’s articles appear in the following publications: Disability & Society, the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, Brain Injury Society Toronto, and the Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA) Review.