Halfnight & McKinlay Professional Corporation

The firm was founded in 1974 by one of Toronto's leading insurance litigators, John J. Fitzpatrick Q.C., and his junior associate, Harvey Poss. Known as Fitzpatrick & Poss, this four-lawyer firm quickly developed a reputation for quality and effectiveness in the representation of insurers, particularly in larger, more complex cases. In 1977, Jamieson Halfnight joined the firm upon his call to the bar and has remained with the firm throughout his career. The team evolved further in 1981 when Sheila McKinlay became a junior associate upon her call to the bar. Almost completely devoted to insurance practice, the firm's lawyers handled the then-typical full range of insurance cases including motor vehicle personal injury, professional malpractice, commercial liability, all types of property coverages, fidelity and surety and accident and health. Involvement in such prominent cases as Buda v. Pacific Ins Co. (successful arson defence), Fenn v. Peterborough (negligence and contribution, in the Supreme Court of Canada), Kolesar v.