Skapinker & Shapiro LLP
Barristers & Solicitors
Joel Skapinker B.A., LL.B., LL.M.
904-180 BLOOR STREET WEST
TORONTO, ONTARIO
M5S 2V6
Tel (416) 214-1502
Fax (416) 214-0658
e-mail: divorcelawyer@bellnet.ca
Educational Background
Certificate of Participation, Family Mediation Skills: Theory & Practice, Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo, March 29, 2008
Bar Admission Course, Law Society of Upper Canada, 1980 - 1981
McGill University, Faculty of Law - LL.B, June, 1979
McGill University, Institute of Comparative Law - LL.M (International Commercial Transactions), June, 1979
University of London (England), University College, - LL.M, September, 1976
University of the Witwatersrand, School of Law (Johannesburg, South Africa) - LL.B, December, 1974
University of the Witwatersrand - B.A., December, 1972 major - psychology
Work Experience
Skapinker & Associates (now Skapinker & Shapiro LLP), Barristers & Solicitors, Toronto, February 1993 to present. Civil litigation, family law, professional liability and estates.
Skapinker, Blom Barristers & Solicitors, Toronto, November, 1991 - 1993 Family law and civil litigation.
Rodica David, Q.C., Barristers & Solicitors, Toronto, April, 1990 - November, 1991. Family law.
McMillan Binch, Barristers & Solicitors, Toronto, March, 1988 - April, 1990. Family law.
Joel Skapinker, Barrister & Solicitor, Sole Practitioner, March, 1985 - March, 1988. Family law, landlord and tenant and civil litigation, including numerous attendances before the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Goodman & Goodman (now Goodmans LLP), Barristers & Solicitors, Toronto, April, 1983 - March, 1985. Commercial, real estate, insurance litigation and family law.
Lang, Michener, Barristers & Solicitors, Toronto, July, 1982 - April, 1983. Experience included acting as junior counsel to Mr. Burke Doran mainly in the field of family law.
Caskie, Beck, Barristers & Solicitors, Toronto, May, 1981 - June, 1982. Experience included real estate and mortgage litigation, family law and civil litigation.
Articling clerk, MacDonald & Ferrier, Barristers & Solicitors, Toronto, 1979 - 1980. Experience included learning to draft pleadings, formulate a strategy of the case, attend at and argue motions, legal research, draft agreements, how to relate to clients and other lawyers and included attending at hearings with two of the leading family law lawyers in the country.
Reported Decisions
- Collier v. Torbar [2002] O.J. No. 2879 (C.A.)
- Woolf v. Woolf [2001] O.J. No. 3459 (C.A.)
- Connelly v. McGouran [1999] O.J. No. 3319
- Skapinker & Shapiro v. Appleyard [2001] O.J. 1313
- Lee v. Lee [1999] O.J. No. 2834
- Goodyear Canada Inc, v. Jet Centre Management Ltd. [1999] O.J. 4124
- Finkelstein v. Horlick [1998] O.J. No. 3183
- Mishra v. Ottawa (City) [1997] O.J. No. 4352
- Del Pozo v. Del Pozo 7 O.R. (3d) 591
- Rickett v. Rickett 72 O.R. (2d) 321
- Mascan v. Ponzi 64 O.R. (2d) 93 (Ont. C.A.)
- Mascan Corporation v. French 64 O.R. (2d) 1 (Ont. C.A.)
- Mascan Corporation v. Ponzi et al 56 O.R. (2d) 751 (Divl. Ct.)
- Laue v. Laue 17 R.F.L. (4th) 53 (Divl. Ct.)
- Cornblum v. Cornblum (1984) 42 R.F.L. (2d) 104
- Johnston v. Jenkins Leaside Travel Ltd. 19 CP.C. (2d) 300
- Rank City Wall Canada Ltd. v. French (1985) 50 CPC 214 (Divl. Ct.)
- Appleyard v. Appleyard [1996] O.J. No. 65
- M.T. v. J.T. [1993] O.J. No. 3379
- Mascan Corp. v. Granger [1986] O.J. No. 1903
- Foster v. Foster [1989] O.J. No. 1986 & O.J. No. 826
- Ifrah v. Ifrah [1988] O.J. 1963
- Cohen v. Cohen [1988] O.J. No. 1253
- Tormont Film Productions v. Ontario Independent Pay Television Ltd. [1984] O.J. 339
- French v. Rank City Wall Canada Ltd. [1984] O.J. 161 (Ont. C.A.); [1985] O.J. No. 179 & [1987] O.J. 1769 (Ont. C.A.)
- Estate of Niels Michael Madsen [2005] (Ont. C.A.)
- McGouran v. Connelly [2006] (Ont. C.A.)
- Brooks v. Saylor & Madsen [2007] (Supreme Court of Canada)
Professional Associations and Memberships
Advocate (Barrister) of the Supreme Court of South Africa (called 1975)
Member, Ontario Bar (called 1983)
Member, Canadian Bar Association
Former Member of Executive, Canadian Bar Association (Ont.) Family Law Section
A Founding Member, Supreme Court of Canada Historical Society
Publications
Skapinker, J and Barling, N, The South African Law of Persons through the Cases, Juta & Co., 1978 - Casebook on family law in South Africa
Specialized Research Experience
LL.M thesis, McGill University, 1978 - "Legal Aspects of Foreign Investment in Canadian Real Estate"
Research assistant to James C. MacDonald, Q.C. on paper: "Property Applications Under the Family Law Reform Act, 1978" for the Continuing Education Programme of the Law Society of Upper Canada, June, 1980
Research assistant for the Family Law Materials of the Bar Admission Course, 1980 - 1981
Teaching Experience
- Instructor, Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Advocacy) July 1991
- Instructor, Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Family Law) November 1992
- Instructor, Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Family Law) November 1993
- Instructor, Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Family Law) November 1994
- Instructor, Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Family Law) November 1995
- Instructor, Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Family Law) November 1996
- Instructor, Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Family Law) November 1997
- Instructor, Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Family Law) October 1998
- Instructor, Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Family Law) November 1999
- Instructor, Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Family Law) October 2000
- Instructor, Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Family Law) November 2001
- Instructor (standby), Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Family Law) July 2002
- Instructor, Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Family Law) July 2003
- Instructor, Seneca College, Toronto, Civil Litigation, Winter 2005
- Instructor, Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, (Family Law) August 2005
- Instructor, Seneca College Toronto, Family Law, Winter 2006
Judicial Experience
Dispute Resolution Officer, Ontario Court General Division (Family Law Section) 1995-1996
Dispute Resolution Officer, Ontario Court General Division (Family Law Section) 1997-1999
Interests
Licenced Amateur radio operator and member of Canadian Amateur Radio League, Private Pilot - Buttonville Airport
International politics, photography, computers, East - West relations and politics
References
Upon request