Derry was elected as the Treasurer (President) of the Law Society of Upper Canada (governing body for Ontario lawyers and paralegals) on June 26, 2008 and May 29, 2009, and served as Treasurer from June 26, 2008 to June 29, 2010. Derry is the fourth partner in the history of the firm to have this honour bestowed n him.

In more than 41 years of practice, and as partner with the firm from 1978 to 2015, Derry has developed a well-earned reputation as a senior counsel in a ide variety of areas of the law. Derry’s practice includes Aviation, Commercial, Estates, Environmental, Insurance, Products Liability, Intellectual Property and Real Estate. Derry has dealt with complex commercial, environmental, aviation, products liability and estate cases. Derry has acted in class actions for both plaintiffs and defendants and has acted in a variety of class actions as counsel to class counsel on issues arising in the proceedings, including fee approval motions.

Derry’s skill as an advocate was recognized when he was elected in 2001 as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Derry is also a Fellow of the  Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Derry has appeared in all levels of courts in Ontario, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada and the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He has appeared before various administrative tribunals, including the Environmental Appeal Board, Ontario Municipal Board, Workers Compensation Appeal Tribunal, Anti-Dumping Tribunal, Ontario Energy Board, and Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. He has also appeared before Municipal Councils and Boards.

Derry has acted as an arbitrator on commercial, oppression, partnership, intellectual property, telecommunications, construction and real estate cases, as mediator on commercial, oppression, estates, environmental and insurance cases and as a decision maker on police dicipline and professional discipline cases. He has acted as an arbitrator for domain name disputes under the Canadian Internet Registration Authority domain name disputes. Derry is on the arbitration and mediation panels for ADR Chambers, and the arbitration panel of the British Columbia International Commercial Arbitration Centre. Derry is a public member of the Central Panel of the Mutual Funds Dealers Association.

Derry acted as Chair of Boards of Inquiry established under the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force Complaints Act, 1984 and the Police Services Act from 1985 to July 1996 to hear complaints against police officers.

As a bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada, Derry was a chair and member of the hearing and appeal panels on many cases involving complaints against lawyers.

Derry clerked with Mr. Justice Ritchie of The Supreme Court of Canada, 1971-1972.

• LL.B., Dalhousie University, 1971
• B.A., University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus, 1966

• The Advocates' Society
• Ontario Bar Association/Canadian Bar Association
• Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers
• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
• Toronto Lawyers Association
• ADR Institute of Ontario
• Panel Member, ADR Chambers
• Panel Member, British columbia International ommercial Arbitration Centre
• Panel Member, Mutual Funds Dealers Association
• The Osgoode Society
• Defense Research

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