Wendell S. Wigle joined the firm as a student in 1956 and was called to the Bar in 1957. He became a partner in 1960 and a senior partner in 1968.

Wendell practises civil litigation with an emphasis on insurance-related matters. His practice includes civil litigation before all levels of trial and appellate courts, including litigation arising out of insurance coverage disputes, alleged defective products, environmental exposures, professional and other errors and omissions claims, sport injuries, municipal activities, power commissions and public utilities, governmental liability, libel and slander, aviation accidents, small water craft accidents, oil and gas spills, pharmaceutical, occupiers’ liability, contractors’ liability, medical malpractice liability, fire and arson, and litigation arising out of construction, condominium, flooding, water abstraction, commercial, personal injury and estates.

He was president of the Advocates’ Society (1977-1978) and president of the Medico-Legal Society of Toronto (1984-1985). Since May of 2003, Wendell has been a part-time Commissioner at the Ontario Securities Commission.

Wendell is a member of the Advocates’ Society, the Canadian Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, the Medico-Legal Society of Toronto, the Private Court, Ontario Province Committee and the American College of Trial Lawyers. He was a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (1982-1989) and is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

He has served as chairman, lecturer and panelist at various continuing legal education programs sponsored by the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Advocates’ Society, the Canadian Bar Association, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the Canadian Institute, the Medico-Legal Society of Toronto and other groups. He has also been an instructor on Civil Procedure for the Bar Admission Course (1972-1985).

Some of Wendell’s more recent speaking engagements with the Canadian Institute include Life and Disability Fraud, Gathering the Evidence to Prove Fraud and Deny Coverage; Combating Fraudulent Insurance Claims; Bill 164: Potential Liability for Lawyers; Policy Wording Problems Involving Subrogation; and Advanced Forum on Litigating Damages. He has also been a panel speaker dealing with the issue of estoppel at a Six-Minute Insurance Primer sponsored by the Law Society of Upper Canada. Wendell was also a speaker, and delivered a paper, at the Defense Research Institute’s National Forum on Drug and Medical Device Liability. He received recognition as one of the top 10 commercial insurance litigation lawyers in Lexpert’s The 1999 Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada.

Wendell received his B.A. from the University of Western Ontario in 1953 and his LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1957. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1972 and was certified as a Specialist (Civil Litigation) by the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1988.

Wendell is an avid golfer.