Mr. Richard Shibley

This oral history interview chronicles the distinguished legal career of Richard Shibley, from his early life as the son of Lebanese immigrants in Port Colborne, Ontario through his emergence as one of Toronto’s leading litigation lawyers. Born in 1929, Shibley graduated from University of Toronto (BA 1949) and Osgoode Hall Law School (1953) as bronze medallist. His early career included articling at Hughes, Agar and a formative partnership with the brilliant but financially troubled Mike Chitty, where he gained extensive trial experience while managing both the practice and Chitty’s affairs. Shibley taught civil procedure at Osgoode Hall Law School from 1959 alongside Arthur Martin while building his practice.

In 1964, Shibley established his own firm (Shibley, Righton, Scane & McCutcheon) with prominent counsel including Senator McCutcheon and Justice McTague. His practice encompassed major commercial litigation, including the landmark Hydrogate inquiry in 1973 investigating Premier Bill Davis, the Central Area Plan litigation defending Toronto’s official plan, high-profile cases involving the Reichman family, CN Railway, and various corporate clients. Notable cases included a multi-year Mt. Sinai Hospital arbitration resulting in a $3.5 million award and Supreme Court appearances in cases like Global Insurance Co. v. Finlay & Laying and MNR v. Sheridan Geophysics. Shibley served as a Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada from 1975-1987, working on various committees including Compensation Fund and Practice and Insurance, during the tenures of Treasurers George Finlayson, Laura Legge (the first woman Treasurer), and Pierre Genest.

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