Kaitlyn MacDonell

Kaitlyn MacDonell is a partner at Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP and the 2021 recipient of the OTLA Martin Wunder Q.C. Outstanding New Lawyer Award. Her is a  motor vehicle accidents lawyer, accident benefits disputes lawyer, medical malpractice lawyer, long-term disability lawyer, and brain injury claims lawyer – with a depth of personal commitment to brain injury cases that goes beyond professional expertise.

Called to the Ontario Bar: 2013

Kaitlyn’s father sustained an acquired brain injury following a serious assault. That experience shapes every brain injury file she handles – the patience she brings, the attention she gives to what the injury means for the client’s family, and the genuine care that distinguishes her approach. She holds a JD from Windsor Law and a BSc in Forensic Science from Trent University, and received the 2012 Rueter Scargall Bennett LLP Prize in Legal Ethics from the Chief Justice of Ontario’s Advisory Committee on Professionalism.

She teaches at the Osgoode Hall Law School Motor Vehicle Accident Law Certificate Course, served as past editor-in-chief of the OTLA Long Term Disability Section newsletter, serves on the OTLA Practice Direction Committee (drafting policy documents that affect accident victims province-wide), has presented at the Law Society of Ontario Motor Vehicle Litigation Summit, and has published on court practices. As President of the Brain Injury Association – Peterborough Region for over ten years, her commitment extends well beyond her legal practice.

Practice Areas

• Accident benefits (SABS) lawyer – disputes and denials
• Motor vehicle accidents lawyer – car, truck, bus
• Brain injury claims lawyer – traumatic and acquired
• Medical malpractice lawyer; long-term disability
• Catastrophic injury claims lawyer; wrongful death

Awards and Recognition

• OTLA 2021 Martin Wunder Q.C. Outstanding New Lawyer Award
• 2012 Rueter Scargall Bennett LLP Prize in Legal Ethics – Chief Justice of Ontario’s Advisory Committee on Professionalism
• Listed in the annual peer-reviewed Canadian legal directory – Personal Injury Category
• Top Personal Injury Law Firms in Canada – Canadian Lawyer Magazine, annually since 2011

Teaching, Speaking, and Publications

• Osgoode Hall Law School MVA Law Certificate Course – Instructor
• LSO Motor Vehicle Litigation Summit – Presenter
• OTLA Practice Direction Committee – Member; Past editor-in-chief, OTLA LTD Section Newsletter
• Published on court practices

Professional Memberships

• OTLA; The Advocates’ Society; OBA; TLA; Ontario Brain Injury Association; Young Women in the Law; Medico-Legal Society

Community Involvement

• Brain Injury Association – Peterborough Region, President (10+ years on Board of Directors)

Education

• Called to the Ontario Bar: 2013
• JD – University of Windsor, Faculty of Law (2012)
• BSc, Forensic Science – Trent University (2009)