LogoutMs. Philippa Samworth
This oral history interview with Philippa Gower Samworth, conducted on August 3, 2011, covers her distinguished career as an insurance lawyer in Ontario. Born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec in 1952 to British and Welsh parents, Samworth was educated at Havergal College and Queen’s University before graduating from Queen’s Law School in 1977. Her legal career was primarily spent at Lee, Fireman & Regan from 1983-2000, where she specialized in accident benefits law and handled landmark cases including Cook v. Ipp and July v. Neal.
Samworth played a significant role in Ontario’s auto insurance policy development, working extensively with government bodies including the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) on designated assessment systems and no-fault insurance implementation. After partnership disputes, she moved to Dutton Brock in 2000, transitioning into arbitration and mediation work. Her professional recognition includes Fellowship in the American College of Trial Lawyers and active involvement in The Advocates’ Society, where she witnessed significant organizational changes under presidents Ron Slaght and Bruce Carr-Harris, including the introduction of civility initiatives and restructuring of practice committees.
This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.
References
The following are a selection of topics discussed in this oral history.
- FSCO
- Ontario Court of Appeal
- Ontario Insurance Commission
- Supreme Court of Canada
- Queen's Law School
- University of Toronto
- University of Windsor Law School
- Financial Services Commission of Ontario
- Ministry of Finance
- OHIP
- auto insurance reforms
- Bill 59
- introduction of no-fault insurance
- Justice Cory taskforce report
- OMPP implementation
- paralegal regulation reform
- England
- Ontario
- Quebec
- Sudbury
- Thunder Bay
- Timmins
- Toronto
- Whitby
- Blaney, McMurtry, Pasternak, Smela & Watson
- Davies, Ward & Beck
- Dutton Brock
- Lee, Fireman & Regan
- McGarry, McKeon
- Cook v. Ipp
- July v. Neal
- Women Lawyers
- Bob Franklin
- Brian Brock
- Bruce Carr-Harris
- Charlie McKeon
- Jack Fireman
- Jim Flaherty
- Jim Regan
- Joe Oliver
- Justice Cory
- Paul Lee
- Philippa Gower Samworth
- Ron Slaght
- Terry Collier
- American College of Trial Lawyers
- Canadian Bar Association
- Canadian Defence Lawyers Association
- Defence Research Institute
- Law Society of Ontario
- The Advocates' Society
- 1950s
- 1960s
- 1970s
- 1980s
- 1990s
- 2000s
- accident benefits
- Arbitration
- auto insurance
- catastrophic impairment
- Civility
- Insurance Law
- Mediation
- Medical Malpractice
- mentoring
- No-Fault Insurance
- Paralegal Regulation
- Tort Law
Some of these references were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Archive Details
File consists of oral history records documenting the life and career of Ms. Phillipa Samworth (b. 1952). This interview concerns her personal and professional history. File includes six audio cassette recordings and a transcript (181 p.). This interview was recorded on August 3, 2011.