Mr. Wendell Wigle

Wendell Wigle provides a comprehensive account of his legal career spanning from 1957 to the late 1990s, focusing primarily on his work in negligence and insurance litigation. Born in Windsor in 1930, Wigle articled with Wilson, Thompson before joining Hughes, Amys in Toronto, where he became managing partner by age 30. His practice evolved from handling hundreds of small motor vehicle cases to complex, multi-million dollar litigation involving pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and environmental issues.

The interview extensively covers Wigle’s presidency of The Advocates’ Society in 1977, detailing the organization’s founding in the early 1960s, the financial crisis surrounding Campbell House, and the Society’s role in legal education and advocacy. He describes the transformation from a small negligence bar organization to a broader advocacy group, including international conferences and legislative lobbying efforts.

Wigle discusses several landmark cases, including Davidson v. Connaught (rabies vaccine), Rothwell v. Raes (pertussis vaccine), and Kolesar v. Jeffries (hospital negligence). He reflects on changes in litigation practice, from the era of numerous small trials to complex, lengthy proceedings involving extensive discovery, pre-trials, and mediation, illustrating the evolution of Canadian civil litigation over four decades.

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