Claude R. Thomson
| Claude Renwick Thomson, Q.C., LL.D. | |
|---|---|
| 56th President of the Canadian Bar Association | |
|
In office 1984–1985 |
|
| Preceded by | Robert H. McKercher, Q.C. |
| Succeeded by | Robert Wells, Q.C. |
| 11th President of the International Bar Association | |
|
In office 1993–1994 |
|
| Preceded by | Giuseppe Bisconti |
| Succeeded by | J. Ross Harper CBE |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 30, 1933 Toronto, Ontario |
| Died | November 24, 2010 (aged 77) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Spouse(s) | Rosemary Thomson |
| Alma mater | Osgoode Hall Law School |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Claude R. Thomson, Q.C., LL.D. (1933–2010), was a Canadian lawyer in Toronto, Ontario. He was a well-known courtroom lawyer, and also a pioneer of alternative dispute resolution in Canada, including mediation and arbitration. He served as the president of the Canadian Bar Association and the International Bar Association.
Thomson was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1933, the son of William Thomson, a civil engineer with the provincial department of highways, and Cecile Morency. His mother was francophone but would not speak in French to her son in public, fearing it would hold him back.
His family moved to Ottawa when he was young, where he attended St Patrick's College. He won the Canadian University Debating Championship, arguing that communist China should be admitted to the United Nations. The then mayor of Ottawa, Charlotte Whitton, awarded him the prize of a gold ring. Thomson attended Osgoode Hall Law School, earning a Bachelor of Laws degree.
He and his wife, Rosemary, were married in 1958 and had five children Marguerite, Brendan, Christopher, Kelley and Campbell .
Thomson was once asked what was the most important quality for a lawyer. His immediate answer was integrity: "The single most important quality of a top advocate is a well earned reputation for integrity. The reputation will help to attract clients, allow one to engage in productive and efficient dealings with other members of the profession, and perhaps most importantly, will help to pry open the sense of justice in the most closed minded judge."
After articling with a noted litigation lawyer in Toronto, Malcolm Robb, Thomson was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1958 and to the bar of Saint Helena in 1963. Thomson spent most of his legal career as a general litigator and partner with the law firm Fasken Martineau in Toronto, developing a reputation as an intense courtroom lawyer with formidable tactical skills, and acted for parties in a large number of high-profile cases. Later in his career, he developed a practice in mediation and arbitration. He eventually left Fasken Martineau to join ADR Chambers International in Toronto, an international arbitration group. He became a Chartered Arbitrator and acted as an international arbitrator and mediator.
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