William C. McDowell

Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP

Tel: 416-865-9010

Fax: 416-865-9010

E-mail: wmcdowell@litigate.com 

William McDowell is a partner at Lenczner Slaght. He has a broad-ranging practice, and has appeared as counsel in a number of important cases in the areas of criminal law, professional discipline and commercial litigation and linguistic rights. He is well known as a libel and media lawyer, a field in which he is a leading practitioner, having acted for both plaintiffs and defendants in numerous noteworthy cases. Mr. McDowell has acted as counsel to York University and has represented the Queen's Faculty of Law. From May 2005 to January 2008 Mr. McDowell was the Associate Deputy Minister of Justice of Canada responsible for civil litigation, national security and central agencies issues.

Mr. McDowell is a Director of the Advocates' Society, and of the Laskin Moot, a national bilingual competition for law students. He was from 2000 to 2003 a director of the Alliance Frangaise de Toronto. A graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law (1986) and Queen's University (Political Studies), Mr. McDowell has been extremely involved in the affairs of the University of Toronto. He was awarded the University of Toronto Arbour Award in 1999 for his volunteer contributions to the University. He is the joint recipient of a Department of Justice National Award for his work in resolving the Maher Arar v. Canada case.

Professional organizations have frequently called upon Mr. McDowell to speak and write for conferences. He has taught trial advocacy at Queen's University and Osgoode Hall Law Schools.