Mr. Martin Teplitsky

This oral history chronicles the career of Martin Teplitsky, a prominent Toronto lawyer who practiced from the 1960s through the 2000s. Born in 1941 to Ukrainian immigrant parents, Teplitsky attended University of Toronto Law School and was called to the Bar in 1966. He began his career in civil litigation at Feigman & Chernos, where he developed expertise in civil procedure and handled a diverse practice including criminal law, personal injury, and family matters.

In 1975, Teplitsky left full-time practice to teach at Osgoode Hall Law School for three years, though he maintained a limited practice as counsel to Shiff, Gross. He returned to practice in the late 1970s and became a pioneer in alternative dispute resolution, particularly arbitration and mediation in labour disputes. He served as Chief Arbitrator at major organizations including Ontario Hydro, Air Canada, and Bruce Power, implementing innovative systems to improve access to justice through expedited hearing processes.

Teplitsky was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1980 and achieved notable success in Charter litigation, including the Supreme Court of Canada victory in Rocket v. The College of Dental Surgeons, which established commercial speech as protected expression. He also founded “Lawyers Feed the Hungry,” a charitable program providing meals to Toronto’s homeless population. Throughout his career, Teplitsky remained critical of developments in civil procedure, particularly mandatory mediation and pre-trials, arguing these innovations increased costs and reduced access to justice.

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