Overview

Eric is the 2019 recipient of the Canadian Defence Lawyers (CDL) Lee Samis Award for distinguished service, named for the founding President of the CDL. The award recognizes Eric's exceptional contributions and achievements over his career to the legal profession in general, to the development of the law of insurance in Canada including through jurisprudence, and to the positive impact he has made to the CDL, the legal profession, and the insurance industry. Eric and his partners founded the firm Zarek Taylor Grossman Hanrahan LLP in 1997, as a six lawyer firm, and today, is 50+ lawyers strong. ZTGH was recognized by Canadian Lawyer Magazine as one of Canada’s top ten insurance defence boutiques. Eric has appeared as counsel at mediations, pre-arbitration hearings, arbitrations and appeals before the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and on private arbitrations on countless occasions. He has also appeared at the License Appeals Tribunal of Ontario. He has appeared in defence of these claims on judicial review at Divisional Court, Court of Appeal, and was fortunate to have won a decision at the Supreme Court of Canada, securing a decision from the Bench at the time of oral hearing, in Zurich v Chubb [2015] 2 SCR 134, in April 2015. Eric has been called upon to speak, make presentations and lead workshops at Advocates' Society, Ontario Bar Association, Metropolitan Toronto Lawyers’ Association, Osgoode Hall Law School, and other professional associations regarding the law and mechanics of the OMPP, Bill 164, Bill 59 and Bill 198. He has chaired presentations and training sessions for the adjusting and supervisory staff of the firm’s insurance clients regarding the mechanics, practical difficulties and the law in respect of the OMPP, Bill 164, Bill 59 and Bill 198. Eric is a past Chair of the Bar-Dispute Resolution Group Forum of the Financial Services Commission of Ontario. He is also a past Chair of the Accident Benefits Section of the Canadian Defence Lawyers organization. He is on the Advisory Committee to the Superintendent of Insurance at FSCO. Eric has been called upon to make submissions to the government on various contemplated and draft legislative changes and continues to do so when invited, both personally, and on behalf of The Advocates’ Society and Canadian Defence Lawyers. He has served on an advisory committee to the Ontario government on the Auto Insurance Dispute Resolution System, in its mandate to transition from FSCO to the LAT.

Practice Areas

• Civil Litigation
• Insurance Law

Bar Information

Called to the bar: 1989 (ON)