McCarthy Hansen: Justice Alison Harvison Young Joins, Offers ADR

• Justice Alison Harvison Young, a former Ontario Court of Appeal judge, has joined McCarthy Hansen & Company LLP as counsel and mentor.
• She offers mediation and arbitration services as part of her role at McCarthy Hansen, which are available to external parties and counsel.
• Her new role and practice leverage nearly two decades of experience on the Ontario bench, including service on the Superior Court and Court of Appeal.
• Justice Harvison Young previously served as Dean of Queen's University Faculty of Law and clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada.
• Her services offer a highly experienced and respected option for Ontario dispute resolution, particularly for complex family law matters.

The availability of a former Ontario Court of Appeal judge for alternative dispute resolution offers parties and counsel an exceptionally experienced and respected option.

The Honourable Alison Harvison Young, a distinguished former Ontario Court of Appeal judge, has joined McCarthy Hansen & Company LLP, a prominent Canadian family law counsel firm. Her new role will see her serve as both counsel and mentor, bringing her extensive legal acumen to the firm. Concurrently, Justice Harvison Young offers mediation and arbitration services as part of her role at McCarthy Hansen, making her considerable expertise available not only to clients within McCarthy Hansen but also to external parties and their legal representatives. This move leverages nearly two decades of her experience presiding over cases on the Ontario bench. Justice Harvison Young expressed her admiration for McCarthy Hansen, noting the "energy, dynamism, and creativity" that impressed her about the boutique family law firm. She also highlighted the complementary leadership demonstrated by the firm's name partners, indicating a long-standing observation of their work. Her decision to join the firm and launch her alternative dispute resolution practice marks a significant development for legal professionals seeking highly experienced arbitrators and mediators in Ontario.

Justice Harvison Young's career trajectory is marked by significant contributions across the judiciary and academia. Before her tenure on the Court of Appeal, she served on the Ontario Superior Court until 2018. Her journey into law began at McGill University, where she enrolled as a young mother to a three-year-old daughter, famously borrowing funds for childcare from her brother. Driven by intense motivation, she set a personal deadline to prove her aptitude, aiming to be in the top half of her class by Christmas of her first year. Her academic success quickly made law school financially viable through scholarships, leading to her graduation in 1983. Following her graduation, and by then a single parent, she secured a prestigious clerkship with Justice Willard Estey at the Supreme Court of Canada. After two years in legal practice, she pursued graduate studies at Oxford, earning her B.C.L. in 1988. Her academic career then flourished at McGill, where she taught for a decade and held the position of Associate Dean from 1993 to 1995. Subsequently, she accepted an opportunity to serve as Dean of Queen's University Faculty of Law from 1998 to 2004, before ultimately moving to Toronto to commence her judicial service. Her professional path, which she humorously describes as being "dragged west along the 401" from Montreal to Kingston and then Toronto, consistently led her to new and fulfilling roles, despite initial reluctance to leave previous positions.

The availability of Alison Harvison Young's mediation and arbitration services represents a significant enhancement to Ontario dispute resolution services, especially for complex family law matters. The availability of a former Ontario Court of Appeal judge for alternative dispute resolution offers parties and counsel an exceptionally experienced and respected option. Her nearly two decades on the Ontario bench, including service on both the Superior Court and the Court of Appeal, provide an unparalleled foundation for navigating intricate legal disputes outside of traditional litigation. This depth of judicial insight is invaluable for achieving fair and efficient resolutions. Her career philosophy, which she often shares with junior lawyers, underscores the commitment required for success in the legal field. She emphasizes that there is no shortcut to the hard work demanded, particularly in the initial years of practice, and advises giving a role sufficient time — perhaps a year or two — to ensure genuine engagement. This dedication to thoroughness and understanding, honed over decades of legal and judicial service, will undoubtedly characterize her approach to Alison Harvison Young mediation arbitration, offering a robust and thoughtful pathway for resolving disputes.

Lawyers in Ontario should note the availability of former Court of Appeal Justice Alison Harvison Young for mediation and arbitration services through McCarthy Hansen. This offers a highly experienced and respected option for alternative dispute resolution, particularly in complex family law matters.

Source: Original reporting via legal sector news.