View PDF of Press Release

TORONTO – Deciding on the recipient of the OBA Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation is always a difficult decision, but this year the committee agreed that it was definitely going to be “tough.”    Bonnie Tough to be precise.    The senior partner of Tough & Podrebarac LLP has had an outstanding career as a litigator, educator and advocate for the profession, which made her the clear choice to receive this year’s award. 

Each year, the OBA Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation is presented to a member of the Bar recognizing their contributions and achievements in the following areas:

• Proven outstanding advocacy skills
• Professionalism, integrity and civility
• Teaching of civil litigation and practice
• Enhancement of the practice of civil litigation
• Leadership in the Civil Litigation Bar

“The choice of Bonnie Tough as this year’s recipient of the OBA Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation has been widely applauded,” said Audrey Ramsay, Chair of the OBA Civil Litigation Section. “Bonnie’s skills in oral and written advocacy, her contributions to legal education and her leadership within the civil litigation bar make her an obvious recipient.”

A graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, Ms. Tough has practised commercial litigation, class actions and insurance litigation.   Her practise in the latter area led her to become an expert both in direct and in subrogated claims as well as to teaching Insurance Law at her Alma Mater for more than a decade.

Ms. Tough has also practised in the area of health law and was counsel to the Canadian Hemophilia Society (CHS) before the Krever Inquiry into the Canadian Blood System. She remains one of four lawyers appointed by the courts to supervise the administration of the Hepatitis C settlement. She has received special recognition from the CHS for her constant efforts on behalf of the Society’s members.

Her dedication to the legal profession has been unwavering throughout her career.  She has served as a director of the Toronto Lawyer’s Association and the Advocates Society and is a past vice-chair of the Law Society Civil Litigation Certification Committee.  Currently, she serves as a Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada and vice-chair of their Professional Regulation Committee. 

The award presentation to Ms. Tough will take place at a dinner in her honour on September 29th at the Fairmont Royal York.  For ticket information, please call 1-800-668-8900 or visit www.oba.org/civilaward

The OBA is the voice of the legal profession in Ontario. As a branch of the Canadian Bar Association, the OBA represents more than 17,000 lawyers, judges, law professors and law students across the province. 

For more information:
Jonathan Clancy
jclancy@oba.org