Whelton Hiutin is a barrister-centric shop that makes its debut appearance in Benchmark this edition. The firm is somewhat unique among Toronto firms in that it splits its work among an office there as well as one of equal stature in Vaughan. With 13 lawyers total, four of them being equity partners, the firm handles commercial litigation and some medical malpractice. The firm rides high on a wave of peer and client support.
“We refer clients to them quite often,” declares one peer and source of work. “Most recently, they successfully defended a loan dispute for a client who had recently sold a business. Another recent matter is assistance on a construction lien. They are incredibly skilled advocates, and we have no hesitation referring our corporate clients.” One such client testifies,
“Whelton Hiutin have provided expert legal guidance through complex construction litigation involving 30 litigants,” testifies one client. “After many years of fighting, the case has recently been settled for a fraction of the original amount claimed through a creative settlement agreed to by all parties.” Name partner
Maureen Whelton is arguably the firm’s most recognized court presence in Toronto. “She is well known for appeal work, a versatile litigator with a broad range of experience,” claims one Bay Street peer. “She has significant experience in civil injunction matters. She is practical and gets results for her clients.” One such client confirms, “Maureen offered valuable second opinions on many of the most contentious issues with well considered advice on the probable outcomes guiding our approach. She was also very effective in examination for discovery.” Younger partners are also developing their profiles. “Daniel McConville was my lawyer on a massive $6m cash fraud and managed to get us a Mareva injunction within weeks of retaining him, enabling us to bring justice to the defendant in a system that I thought would be impossible. He was like working with a magician,” raves one client. Another testifies, “Dan is fantastic strategist and negotiator. He made sure I didn't make mistakes, and he predicted the other side would make mistakes before they had acted and he was correct. While our bank account was closed (during my vacations) with days before payroll, Dan was able to schedule an emergency hearing with a judge and file a court document within days and get the bank opened within days of its closure due to the shareholder dispute with a court order.” Neil Wilson is respected for his “good judgment and subject-matter knowledge, especially in real estate disputes,” by a client who appreciates Wilson’s “good practical approach to cases. In any proceeding which I have been a part of with Neil, he remains calm under pressure and extremely professional with all parties involved. Neil's friendly demeanor and practical approach make him a pleasure to deal with on any of these matters. And he’s not afraid to litigate!” Operating from the Vaughan office, name partner
Ed Hiutin is cheered by a client who notes, “Ed was the lead lawyer on our case. He provided sage advice on strategy, risk mitigation including transfer of risk to other parties, and worked well with counsel for the other defendants and the plaintiff. Ultimately, after nearly 10 years of litigation, a creative approach to a settlement brought this litigation to an end for a much-reduced cost with most of the costs borne by the other defendants.”
