James Vigmond Named 2025 Best Lawyers® 'Lawyer of the Year' in the Toronto Area
James Vigmond, Oatley Vigmond LLP managing partner
Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the "Lawyer of the Year," making this a significant and coveted accolade. These lawyers are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the peer review assessments.
Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism and their integrity.
In addition to the "Lawyer of the Year" award, James Vigmond was also listed in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada™ in the following practice areas:
- Medical Negligence
Jim Vigmond chose to focus on personal injury litigation because, as he states, “The people I am serving are among the most vulnerable in the population. When I am representing someone who has suffered a significant injury in an accident, I am not just representing one person because people do not exist independently. I represent their family, and family is the most important thing to my clients, just as family is the most important thing to me.”
About James Vigmond
Born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, Jim Vigmond is Oatley Vigmond’s founding and managing partner. Brought up in a hardworking Canadian family, Jim’s work ethic was instilled in him by his parents. His father was a tool and die maker turned teacher; his mother, a retail store manager. Jim’s father built their family home himself, and both his parents believed in setting an example for their children defined by humility, hard work and integrity. Jim attributes his ability to connect with his clients to the fact that many of them come from similarly modest backgrounds. “There’s no filter needed when you’re dealing with me,” says Jim. “I am who I am.”
Introduced to the subject of law in high school, Jim decided from an early age that he wanted to be a lawyer because he saw that it was a way to touch people’s lives and help them when they were in need. Jim attended Queen’s University Faculty of Law. While there, he focused his interest on personal injury litigation because he was moved to advocate for those rebuilding their lives. Called to the bar in 1983, Jim partnered with Roger Oatley more than twenty years ago to found Oatley Vigmond.
Today, Jim specializes in spinal cord injury, brain injury and serious orthopaedic cases. His advocacy set a precedent for the highest-ever damages award for a spinal-cord injury in the case of Morrison v. Greig (Court Case 04-B7066), in which Jim’s client was awarded damages of $12.5 million. Jim has experience as counsel at all levels of court, has published numerous articles and works (most notably contributing to The Oatley-McLeish Guide to Personal Injury Practice in Motor Vehicle Cases) and regularly presents on such topics as personal injury litigation and trial advocacy at conferences hosted by the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association and the Advocates’ Society. In an achievement that saw his career brought full circle, Jim returned to Queen’s Law school as an adjunct professor to create and teach Canada’s first Personal Injury Advocacy course.
Jim is a past president of both the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association and the Simcoe County Law Association. He has also been elected a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America (a position for which fewer than one half of one percent of eligible lawyers are selected) and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. When not advocating for his clients in the courtroom, Jim prefers to be outdoors, on the water, with his children and grandchildren in his home base of Barrie.
James Vigmond’s Accomplishments
- Past-president of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association
- Past-president of the Simcoe County Law Association
- Elected Senior Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. Less than one half of one percent of eligible lawyers are chosen.
- Elected Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Membership is limited to only those trial lawyers who are “unquestionably and eminently quality, in addition to being regarded as the best in their state/province.”
- Certified Specialist in Civil Litigation
- Listed in Best Lawyers since 2006
- Lexpert Directory Ranked as Most Frequently Recommended
- Received a lifetime achievement award from the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association
- 2017 Recipient of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association’s H. Bruce T. Hillyer Award
- 2022 Recipient of the Ontario Bar Association Award of Excellence in Insurance Law
About Oatley Vigmond
Oatley Vigmond, Ontario's leading personal injury law firm, represents clients in cases such as motor vehicle accidents, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and other serious personal injuries. Oatley Vigmond’s lawyers combine expertise and compassion to serve clients across the province, securing record-breaking settlements and allowing clients to focus on recovery while their cases are handled. With offices in major cities, Oatley Vigmond specializes in complex personal injury cases, particularly those involving catastrophic injuries. Contact Oatley Vigmond to have our powerful team on your side during difficult times.
Nicole Brown
Oatley Vigmond
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James Vigmond, Oatley Vigmond LLP managing partner
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