Biography

William McDowell is a Partner at Lenczner Slaght LLP in Toronto. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is a leading practitioner of libel law, public law and commercial litigation. From 2005 to 2008 he was Canada’s Associate Deputy Minister of Justice, responsible for national security, and civil litigation. He was appointed by the Chief Justice of Ontario to mediate questions arising from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Inquiry. He has served as Commission Counsel to the Cunningham Inquiry and to the Gillese Inquiry. 

 He received a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University and his LL.B. from the University of Toronto. 

 A Bencher from 2011 to 2019, he chaired a number of significant Committees, and sat on the LSO Tribunal.