Melissa Miller

Melissa Miller is a partner at Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP and one of Ontario’s most recognized legal voices in elder law and nursing home negligence. She holds the Ontario Bar Association’s 2022 Award for Excellence in Elder Law, the Osgoode Elder Law Certificate (2018), the Lexpert Rising Stars 2021 designation, the OTLA Distinguished Service Award 2021, and the Canadian Law Awards 2021 Litigator of the Year Excellence Award. She founded Canadians4LTC and Lawyers4LTC – national advocacy organizations that have reshaped the conversation about long-term care in Canada – and is the subject of the National Film Board of Canada documentary “Stolen Time.”

Called to the Ontario Bar: 2010

Melissa is a long-term care system failures lawyer, elder abuse lawyer, product liability lawyer, hospital negligence lawyer, and long-term disability lawyer– areas where vulnerable people are often the least able to advocate for themselves. She is Certified in Elder Law (Osgoode Elder Law Certificate, 2018) and teaches in that program at Osgoode Hall. She chairs the OBA Elder Law Update and has presented to the Ontario Nurses’ Association and at Western Law. She testified before the Parliamentary Justice Committee on proposed Criminal Code reforms to better protect seniors – taking her advocacy into the legislative process.

She has appeared on The Social (CTV), CBC News, Zoomer Radio, and Classical FM. She is a current member of the OTLA Board of Directors and previously served as Past-Chair of the OTLA New Lawyers Division. She holds an LLB from the University of Windsor and a BA (Honours, With Distinction) in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Toronto, St. Michael’s College.

Practice Areas

• Nursing home negligence lawyer – pressure sores, falls, medication errors, abuse 
• Elder abuse lawyer – physical, psychological, and financial
• Long-term care system failures and COVID-19 related claims
• Product liability; hospital negligence lawyer
• Long-term disability; motor vehicle accidents; accident benefits (SABS) lawyer

Awards and Recognition

• Ontario Bar Association 2022 Award for Excellence in Elder Law
• Lexpert Rising Stars 2021 – Leading Lawyers Under 40
• OTLA 2021 Distinguished Service Award
• Canadian Law Awards 2021 Litigator of the Year Excellence Award
• Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory – Consistently Recommended in Personal Injury Law lawyer
• Listed in the annual peer-reviewed Canadian legal directory – Personal Injury Category
• OTLA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award (2014)
• Top Personal Injury Law lawyer Firms in Canada – Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP (Canadian Lawyer Magazine, annually since 2011)

Teaching, Speaking, and Media

• Osgoode Elder Law Certificate – Instructor; OBA Elder Law Update – Chair
• Ontario Nurses’ Association – Presenter; Western University Faculty of Law – Elder law lecturer
• Parliamentary Justice Committee – Testified on Criminal Code reforms to protect seniors
• Led Canadians4LTC demonstrations across Canada
• NFB documentary “Stolen Time” – Subject
• Media: The Social (CTV), CBC News, Zoomer Radio, Classical FM

Community Involvement

• Canadians4LTC – Founder and National Advocate; Lawyers4LTC – Founder
• Plan Canada “I Am a Girl” – Child Sponsor; Certified Yoga Instructor

Professional Memberships

• OTLA Board of Directors (Current); Past-Chair, New Lawyers Division
• OBA Elder Law COVID-19 Working Group; CBA; Medico-Legal Society
• The Advocates’ Society; WLAO; Young Women in the Law

Education

• Osgoode Elder Law Certificate (2018); Called to the Ontario Bar: 2010
• LLB – University of Windsor, Faculty of Law (2009)
• BA (Honours, With Distinction), Philosophy and Political Science – U of T, St. Michael’s College (2006)