Biography
Joni is the principal lawyer at MD Lawyers. Joni represents people across Ontario who are seriously injured through medical malpractice. Joni takes an agile, but no-nonsense approach to litigation. She believes an injured person deserves a strong advocate who will go the full distance to obtain fair results. Every day, Joni is inspired by her clients’ approaches to their challenges. She strives to ensure they understand all aspects of their cases, lending her strength to them as they navigate the legal world.
Medical Malpractice
Joni is drawn to medical malpractice as a challenging and fulfilling area of law. The medical malpractice cases she litigates include surgical errors, stroke, delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis, infectious disease and birth injuries.
Practical both in her roles as a litigator and in her personal life, Joni raises chickens, and grows fresh organic produce.
Bio Cont.
- Strong, determined advocate and litigator
- Twenty plus years of legal practice
- Medical malpractice focus
Experience
Over her 20 years of practice, Joni has become known as practical and results-focused medical malpractice and personal injury lawyer. She has represented clients at trial and on appeal. She has been recognized by her peers for her skill in medical malpractice and personal injury.
Education
Called to the Ontario Bar, 2001
Bachelor of Laws, The University of Western Ontario, 1999
Associations
Ontario Trial Lawyers Association
The Advocates’ Society
Middlesex Law Association
Western University, Faculty of Law
Leadership in the Legal Community
The Advocates’ Society
Director 2023-present
Western University, Faculty of Law
Guest Presenter, Capstone Litigation Class 2020 – 2023
Middlesex Law Association
Mentor, annual Mentoring Dinner 2016-2022
Ontario Trial Lawyers Association
Coach, OTLA Cup
Community Involvement
Joni supports mental health and wellness initiatives at St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital Foundation and St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation. She has also supported the Children’s Health Foundation in London through a firm partnership.
Joni was a member of the Board of Directors from 2013 to 2016 and the Vice President of Parents of Technologically Dependent Children of Ontario. This organization supports children who are medically fragile or dependent on technology as a result of illness, accident or a genetic condition.
In the past, Joni was an active volunteer with the Brain Injury Association of London and Region Editorial Committee, London Lawyers Feed the Hungry, London Block Parent Program, and the Neighbourhood Watch Program.
Publications and Speaking Engagements
“Building Up by Tearing Down: Deconstructing Defence Future Care Reports”, 2023 OTLA Fall Conference, October 2023
“Issues at Trial; Top tips to manage effectively”, panel presenter, 2022 OTLA Medical Malpractice Conference
“Giving Voice to Persons Who Sustain Harm While Receiving Healthcare in Canada”, panel member, CBA Coffee in the Times of Covid Series, June 2022
“Getting your Infant Settlement Motions Approved: Tips and Tricks, panel member, OTLA Virtual Roundtable, April 2022
“The Child Plaintiff: In Their Best Interests”, panel moderator, OTLA Virtual Fall Conference, October 2021
“Letting Them Go: When, How & Why to Release Co-Defendants”, OTLA Virtual Fall Conference, October 2021
“Medmal 101 for Future Plaintiff Lawyers:”, Litigation Capstone Class, Western University, Faculty of Law, January 2020 to 2022
“Pierringer Agreements: The Windfall Question Revisited”, OTLA Spring Conference, October 2019
“Effectively Using Surveillance Evidence at Trial: Demonstration and Commentary” The Advocates’ Society, Tricks of the Trade, January 2019
“Simplifying the Complicated Medical Negligence Trial: A behind the scenes review of the behind the scenes work” (Co-writer), The Litigator, September 2018
“Efficient Legal Argument at Trial” Middlesex Law Association Personal Injury Conference November 2017
“Perfecting the Causation Analysis”, OTLA Medical Malpractice Round Table, June 2016
“Medmal 101: Understanding the Medical Negligence Case”, The Litigator, June 2016
“A-typical Presentation of Myocardial Infarction: aka – I think I’m having a heart attack!”, It’s All About the Medicine, OTLA Medical Malpractice Conference, February 2016
“Damages Panel”, The Ninth Annual Personal Injury Conference, Middlesex Law Association, December 2015
“Salt in the Wound – Proving the Retrospective Hypothetical”, OTLA Medical Malpractice Roundtable, July 2014
“Brave New World – Perfecting the Causation Analysis”, Canadian Bar Association New Brunswick, Tricks of the Trade, October 2013
“Special Circumstances: Understanding its Applications and Limits”, OTLA Medical Malpractice Conference, April 2013
“Summary Judgment: Where are we Now?”, Middlesex Law Association, December 2012
“You Can’t Be a Little Bit Pregnant: How the Paisley Snail Saved Ontario’s Mothers-to-Be from Cross Border Shopping for Care”, The Paisley Snail International Conference, Scotland, May 2012
“Lauden v. Roberts and Bedard v. Amin: Implications for Mary Carter and Pierringer Agreements”, The Fifth Annual Straight from the Bench Litigation Conference, Middlesex Law Association, April 22, 2010 (also presented at OTLA Spring Conference, May 2010)
“Assessing Claims in Colon or Rectal Cancer Cases: Could it, Should it, Would it be Prevented”, The Litigator, June 2009
“Dazed and Confused: Use and admissibility of medical records at trial”, OTLA Medical Malpractice Round Table, January 2008
“Developing Your Bad Faith Claim in Accident Benefits Litigation”, OTLA Fall Conference, October 2008
“Update of Medical Negligence Law: New and Not so New Developments over the Past Six Months”, OTLA Guide to Medical Negligence Practice VI, Spring 2007