Zarek Taylor Grossman Hanrahan LLP

Eric K. Grossman

Eric is a founding partner of this firm, which opened in October 1997.

Eric was recognized as a Certified Specialist in Civil Litigation by the Law Society of Upper Canada in December 1999.

Prior to starting this firm, Eric joined with David Zarek and Gina Brannan to establish an insurance department in the Toronto office of Lafleur Brown in January 1992. Before that he was an associate at Iacono, Brown and its predecessor firm, Lyons, Goodman following his call to the Bar in 1989. Eric’s grounding in insurance commenced with his articles at Lee Fireman Regan in 1987.

Eric's current insurance file profile consists largely of first party claims under Bill 198, Bill 59, and some remaining files under Bill 164 and OMPP. Eric also acts for insurers in a number of loss transfer claims and priority disputes. As the author of the CCH Ontario Accident Benefits Case Summaries, Eric has developed an expertise in this area of auto insurance law which has been and continues to be recognized by members of the insurance bar, his clients, other professionals that service the industry and other insurers. Eric appears as counsel at mediations, pre-arbitration hearings, arbitrations and appeals before the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and on private arbitrations, and in the courts. He has appeared in defence of these claims on judicial review at Divisional Court and on leave requests to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. He has been retained as an expert witness in the area of statutory accident benefits on a number of instances, and from time to time gets retained to do counsel work in this area.

Eric has been called upon to speak, make presentations, and lead workshops for the Advocates' Society, Ontario Bar Association, Insight, Canadian Institute, Metropolitan Toronto Lawyers Association, Canadian Defence Lawyers, Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, Osgoode Hall Law School and other professional associations regarding the law and mechanics of the OMPP, Bill 164, Bill 59 and Bill 198. He has chaired, along with other members of the firm, training sessions and presentations for insurance clients regarding the mechanics, practical difficulties and the law in respect of the OMPP, Bill 164, Bill 59 and Bill 198.

Eric is a past Chair of the Bar-Dispute Resolution Group Forum of the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, where members of the Commission and the Bar meet semi-monthly to deal with technical and procedural concerns involving the Dispute Resolution Group at the Commission. He is still active in this group. He is also a past Chair of the Accident Benefits Section of the Canadian Defence Lawyers organization.