In this edition of the OBA Health Law’s Section Insider, we spoke with the 2025 recipient of the Susan Davidson Memorial Award for Excellence in Health Law, Valerie Wise. Here’s what she had to say.
- Tell us a little bit about your background. Where did you grow up and go to school? How did you end up with a career in health law?
I grew up in a small town in Southwestern Ontario and was the first person in my family to go to university. My family was supportive, but I was largely on my
own to navigate my path.
I was interested in becoming a lawyer since high school – specifically a court room lawyer (I didn’t know the word “litigator” back then). I was drawn to the drama of it and loved to argue. I also knew I wanted to get out of my small town and live in a larger city.
I went to Osgoode because I was very interested in criminal law, and they had a criminal intensive program. Through that program, I was placed with the Crown’s office in Old City Hall for a semester. That was a fantastic experience.
I then had the amazing opportunity to clerk for Chief Justice Lamer at the Supreme Court of Canada. Given his passion for criminal law, most of the cases I worked on were criminal.
Had I stayed in Ontario, I likely would have pursued a career in criminal law. But, instead, I went to UCLA and completed my Master of Laws – focused on constitutional law and evidence. Because I was not an American citizen, I could not work for the DA or as a public defender and so instead practiced civil litigation (entertainment litigation) for a few years before coming home in 1995.
I originally planned to partner with another former clerk in a criminal law practice in Toronto but met my husband completing the Bar Admission Course and so stayed in London, Ontario. I got a job with McCarthy Tetrault in London (I had worked as a summer student in their Toronto office before) and that was my introduction to health law.
The CMPA was a major client and I was introduced to medical malpractice litigation and defending physicians at the CPSO. I loved learning the medicine and it was a practice involving people (as opposed to, for example, commercial litigation).
Since then, I have worked in a few different firms, with my moves motivated by wanting to devote more and more of my practice to health law – specifically litigation.
Finally, in 2013, I struck out on my own and founded Wise Health Law – a boutique litigation firm that defends health professionals either in civil litigation or at their regulators.
- Your nomination speaks of your prowess in College matters. What drew you to this area of focus?
I think the reason I was drawn to this work relates to my original love of criminal law. For my clients, the stakes can be higher than if they were facing some minor criminal charge.
Chief Justice Lamer instilled in me a deep appreciation for procedural fairness and I am passionate about pursing fairness for my clients. I can better accept a finding against my client if the process was fair.
I only defend. I do not work for any Colleges. I obviously know a lot of the lawyers who work on the other side (ie., College counsel) and sometimes they ask me how I can defend certain clients. I do not feel conflicted about that because I believe that everyone has the right to fair process. I am not the decision maker. I am just making sure the process is fair and forcing the College to prove its case before imposing any punishment on my client.
I respect the Colleges and their role. I am just drawn to defending the underdog.
I may discharge a client if they break trust with me. And sometimes the relationship breaks down because a client has an unreasonable expectation of outcome. But I do not feel conflicted about defending someone just because of the nature of the allegations against them.
The pressure can be immense because of the consequences the client could be facing. But it is very rewarding to help people through what is often the most difficult time in their lives – regardless of the outcome.
- Your nomination also speaks about your mentorship and generosity of time—particularly for young girls and women. Why is this important to you?
I didn’t have a lot of women mentors throughout my career. Most of the senior people I worked with were men and the law firms were primarily run by men. Developing as a lawyer in that environment shaped my priorities and my view of what it meant to be a successful lawyer.
I have always been interested in teaching and mentoring younger lawyers – regardless of gender. However, I think that as I have moved through the seasons of my life, I have seen and understood how much more challenging a career in law can be for women.
First, I don’t think we’re as good at promoting ourselves and the positive self-talk that sometimes it takes to defeat the imposter syndrome. So I love being able to give opportunities to women to challenge themselves and then celebrate their accomplishments and victories.
Second, as driven as I have always been, my other roles in my personal life (in my case, as a wife and mom) have also been really important to me. And I think many women feel that struggle to find balance.
I want to inspire young people, regardless of gender, to dream big and follow their passions. But for women in particular, I want to encourage them that they can be successful and have a rewarding career and still also carve the personal path they want – whatever that looks like.
- You have had your own firm for almost 15 years now. What have you learned along the way? Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
Having my own firm has been wonderful. It has given me the freedom to tailor my practice to precisely what I want to do and to take on files I am passionate about – even if they are not lucrative. I also love the creativity and entrepreneurship involved in building a firm.
The most significant thing I have learned along the way relates to managing and supporting people. When I started the firm, my only experience was at firms that were competitive and demanding. I had the mentality that, because I had come up through that system and had suffered as a younger lawyer, that process was inevitable.
But I have learned. My children are now 20 something’s and I have watched them follow their career paths. I want to treat my team the way I would want my children to be treated by their superiors. So that’s been part of it.
But I have also done a lot of self-education and reflection. And I have learned from my mistakes.
I am still demanding in terms of standards and quality of work and there are certain business realities when you sell time. But I think I am a better and more compassionate leader now than I was in the beginning.
My last birthday ended in a zero and so – where do I see myself in 5 to 10 years – is a big question for me. I plan still to be practicing. But I also hope that I am surrounded by a team including partners that are sharing in decision-making about the operation and future of the firm. That process has started already and it is very exciting and I welcome it.
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