Mr. James Hodgson

This comprehensive oral history interview documents the career of prominent Toronto litigator James Hodgson. Born into modest circumstances in 1947, Hodgson overcame early financial hardships to earn scholarships to the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School. After graduation in 1972, he began his career at Blake Cassels & Graydon, where he developed expertise in commercial litigation, construction law, product liability, and corporate disputes. His notable cases included V.K. Mason Construction v. Bank of Nova Scotia (Supreme Court of Canada), the YBM Magnex International securities litigation, and various high-profile commercial matters.

The interview extensively chronicles Hodgson’s involvement with The Advocates’ Society, where he served as a director from 1992 and later as president from 1999-2000. His contributions included establishing the fall convention in international locations (beginning with the Bahamas), addressing legal education issues, and promoting access to justice initiatives like contingency fees. The discussion covers significant legal developments during his career, including the evolution of summary judgment rules, mandatory mediation, and the modernization of legal practice. Hodgson later moved to boutique practice before returning to large firm practice at Ogilvie Renault, reflecting on how technological changes transformed litigation practice over his career.

This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.