About

Mary provides administrative and secretarial services to our lawyers.

Mary has been at the firm since it opened, and it is Mary’s friendly voice that you usually first hear when calling our office.

Career

John is a founding partner of Walker Sorensen LLP. Prior to founding the firm, he was the Insurance Group Practice Leader at one of Canada’s national law firms.

John’s primary practice is providing advice to clients on business, insurance and reinsurance matters. He advises insurers, reinsurers, fraternal societies, banks and insurance intermediaries on regulatory compliance, strategic initiatives, obtaining approvals and orders from Canadian federal and provincial insurance regulators and negotiating insurance distribution agreements.

John’s current practice also focuses on risk management of law firms, in the course of which he conducts professional liability risk management audits for major Canadian law firms.

Recent Experience

Law Firm Risk Management

• • Conducting professional liability risk management audits for major Canadian law firms
  • Developing on-line professional liability risk management audit surveys for law firms
  • Developing an on-line professional liability risk management course for lawyers

Insurance and Reinsurance Companies

• Advising various insurers on regulatory compliance with federal and provincial insurance legislation
• Obtaining various approvals and orders from OSFI for domestic and foreign insurers and reinsurers
• Advising fraternal insurers on strategic initiatives and modernizing their corporate governance
• Completing a variety of compliance reviews and surveys for insurers

Agents and Brokers

• Negotiating distribution agreements with insurers
• Advising various agents and brokers on regulatory compliance with provincial and territorial insurance legislation

Banks

• Acting for various banks in negotiating insurance distribution agreements with insurers
• Advising various banks on compliance with the Insurance Business Regulations under the Bank Act

Professional Associations

• Acting for various professional associations in negotiating insurance distribution agreements with insurers

Insurance

• Monitoring the claims run-off general liability and professional liability portfolios
• Drafting insurance policies
• Coverage reviews and analysis

Reinsurance

• Drafting reinsurance treaty wording templates
• Reviewing and drafting reinsurance contracts
• Reviewing and drafting commutation agreements
• Monitoring the run-off of a portfolio of assumed reinsurance
• Coverage reviews and analysis, particularly of historical reinsurance treaties

Education and Professional Associations

• BA and LLB from the University of Toronto
• Called to the Ontario bar in 1987
• Member of the Canadian Bar Association
• Member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario

Directorships

• Member of the Board of Directors and the Conduct Review Committee of Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Company Canada
• Member of the Board of Directors and Conduct Review Committee of MIC Insurance Company Canada

Professional Recognitions

• Recognized as a leading practitioner in Who’s Who Legal: Insurance & Reinsurance 2015
• Recognized by Lexpert as a Repeatedly Recommended Practitioner – Financial Institutions Regulation – Ontario

Outside Interests

• Keen golfer – member of The Weston Golf and Country Club, Toronto

Career

Linda is an experienced law clerk who assists counsel with insurance licensing matters with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions of Canada and the provincial/territorial insurance regulators. Linda also attends to corporate filings for OBCA and CBCA companies and to matters related to the registration of companies extra-provincially. Prior to joining the firm, Linda was a Securities Law Clerk at the firm McCarthy Tétrault LLP.

Recent Experience

• Provincial/territorial licensing of an insurance company
• Withdrawal of insurer licences of a foreign insurance company across Canada
• Obtaining insurance licences for agents/brokers across Canada
• Extra-provincial company registrations across Canada
• Obtaining RIBO insurance broker licences for brokerage firms
• Corporate filings under the OBCA and CBCA
• Filings under the PPSA

Education

• Certificate of Accounting / Finance from Ryerson University
• Completed corporate and securities courses at the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario

Having joined Walker Sorensen LLP from a large national Bay Street firm, Roisin has significant experience in corporate and commercial law and has specific expertise in legal and regulatory matters affecting domestic and foreign insurance companies, reinsurers, managing general agents and brokers.

Working closely with senior counsel, Roisin is a trusted advisor to clients, advising on reputational and regulatory risks, regulatory compliance and approvals, mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, data security and privacy, online payment processing, licensing matters, market conduct issues and corporate governance. Roisin offers a resolution-focused approach to assisting clients and provides practical legal advice that helps clients achieve their business objectives.

Roisin was called to the Alberta Bar in 2013 and to the Ontario Bar in 2015. She is a member of the executive of the CBA Business Law Section and volunteers regularly with Pro Bono Ontario’s PBO Hotline. Prior to attending law school at the University of Calgary, Roisin obtained her sommelier certification through the International Sommelier Guild and practiced as a sommelier for five years.

Select Experience

Roisin has acted for and advised clients with respect to:

• Regulatory issues and approvals involving permitted investments, financings, related party transactions, outsourcing and other third party service arrangements
• Distribution arrangements related to the sale and marketing of insurance
• Insurtech agreements and transactions and related regulatory matters
• Privacy compliance and data security
• Online payment systems and technologies
• Group insurance, sponsored programs and ASO plans
• Creditor insurance programs
• Extended third party warranty product approvals and related regulatory issues
• Acquisitions and dispositions of insurance intermediaries
• Corporate governance for insurers and fraternal benefit societies
• Regulation of insurers and fraternal benefit societies
• Provincial and territorial licensing and regulatory compliance for insurers and insurance intermediaries

Education & Professional Associations

• Bachelor of Arts, University of Calgary, 2001
• Juris Doctor, University of Calgary, 2012
• Executive Member of the Canadian Bar Association Business Law Section
• Member of the Toronto Lawyer’s Association
• Law Society of Ontario

Margaret also has particular experience in privacy law, and has advised extensively on digital privacy and data governance issues that involve PIPEDA, CASL and the Freedom of Information Act.

Recent Experience

• Advised national and international insurers, reinsurers, brokers, MGAs and TPAs on matters with respect to insurance regulatory law and privacy law.
• Experienced in dealing with provincial and federal regulators, domestically and internationally.
• Advised international nuclear insurance companies, in Canada and the UK, on emerging issues in nuclear law and nuclear claims.
• Advised on structure and compliance of new and existing digital B2B and B2C initiatives and apps.
• Drafted and negotiated licensing agreements, online terms of use, complex commercial agreements and non-disclosure agreements.
• Advised regularly on matters with respect to digital marketing and advertising law.

Education & Professional Associations

• Called to the bar in Ontario in 2011
• J.D., University of Western Ontario, 2010
• B.A. Hons, University of Waterloo, 2007
• Member in good standing of the Law Society of Upper Canada
• Member of the Canadian Bar Association
• Member of the Ontario Bar Association

Board and Advisory Work

• Member of the Board of Directors and Chair of Governance Committee, Toronto Lawyers Association

Professional Involvement

• Completed a secondment with Guy Carpenter
• Completed a secondment with Canadian Tire Financial Services
• Pro-Bono Students Canada, University of Western Ontario

Career

In April, 2007, Sean entered into partnership with John Walker to form Walker Sorensen LLP. Prior to that Sean was a partner in the Business Law Group of McCarthy Tétrault LLP. Sean articled with McCarthy Tétrault LLP, and continued with that firm until leaving in 2007 to form Walker Sorensen. Before he began to practice law, Sean worked for one of Canada’s large national railways where he gained valuable insight into the management and operation of a large, complex organization. Sean’s practice focuses on financial services, regulatory advice and general corporate commercial law, including corporate finance and private mergers and acquistions.

Recent Experience

• Advising insurers and insurance agents/brokers concerning insurance regulatory matters
• Acting for purchasers and vendors in connection with the purchase and sale of businesses
• Advising a foreign bank in connection with the establishment of a new Canadian bank subsidiary
• Advising corporate borrowers on private placements involving lenders across Canada
• Advising on various forms of commercial agreements, including shareholder agreements, partnership agreements, supply agreements, and transition services agreements
• Advising on the incorporation and establishment of a securities broker dealer and the registration of the firm’s investment representatives and registered representatives
• Advising foreign corporations in connection with the establishment of new business or branch operations in Canada
• Member of the Board of Directors of a number of closely held corporations

Education & Professional Associations

• B. Comm, MBA and LLB from the University of Windsor
• Called to the bar in Ontario in 1999
• Member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario
• Member of the Canadian Bar Association
• Member of the Institute of Corporate Directors

Professional Recognition

• Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory as a Repeatedly Recommended Practitioner – Financial Institutions Regulation – Ontario
• Chambers Canada 2024, recognized as a Band 3 ranked lawyer in Insurance: Transaction & Regulatory – Nationwide – Canada
• Who’s Who Legal: Canada 2024, recommended in Insurance & Reinsurance

Outside Interests

• Avid novice sailor and member of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club