Executive Summary
Kim’s practice includes a specialty in transportation law focusing primarily in marine and trucking including freight forwarding and logistics, cargo losses, products liability, casualty, loss transfer and transportation-related personal injury litigation and mediation. She also has years of experience in litigation, mediation and adjustment of property casualty matters. Kim regularly provides detailed complex insurance coverage advice including for bespoke transportation policies.
Kim has acted as Excess Counsel and for Underinsured entities in various matters. Kim has conducted trials in both the Ontario Superior Court and the Federal Court of Canada. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 1988 and received her law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.
Kim is an active mediator across Canada specializing in transportation cases but is available for all litigated matters. She holds her Certificate in ADR and Advanced ADR from the University of Windsor and also from Pepperdine University, California, regarding its STAR program (Systematic Approach to Mediation Strategies). She is a member of the Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society. Her Q. Arb designation is pending, having completed the TCAS Gold Standard Course.
Kim is very active in the transportation industry and is a Past President of the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association (2012). She is the President of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (Canada) (2024-2025) having been the National Vice President (2023-2024) and Vice President - Central Region (2017-2023).
Representative Work
Marine/road – international, domestic and cross-border
- defended vessel owners and operators, ports, marinas against complex personal injury claims and property damage claims;
- defended shippers, consignees, road carriers and freight forwarders/ load brokers/ warehousers/ insurers in respect of cargo claims including cargo damage, theft of trailers and warehouse goods claims
- defended truckers/ insurers/ leasing companies against personal injury claims for motor vehicle accidents and loss transfer proceedings
- defended marina owners/ boat repairers regarding fire, water, winterization and storage damage claims and occupier’s liability claims
Products liability
- defended international supplier/insurer of vessel engine parts regarding explosion damage defended manufacturers of numerous allegedly defective products including contaminated food due to infestation, garden tools, vacuum sealed flasks, hammocks, coolers, microwaves, elevators, automatic doors
Insurance Coverage
- provided legal opinions on complex coverage issues for insurers and insureds
- defended insurers involving coverage claims both in transportation and
- non-transportation matters
- provided opinions to and acted for insurance brokers liability claims
- acted as excess insurance counsel for underinsured entities including individuals and corporations for motor vehicle claims and fire claims
Expertise
- Litigation and Dispute Resolution
- Insurance and Coverage
- Transportation & Logistics
Articles and Presentations
Kim regularly organizes and speaks at conferences, conducts seminars and writes articles in the areas of her expertise, including The Transportation Lawyer and Truck News. She has been Chair of or Contributor to various CLE planning committees of industry conferences including the Marine & Energy Symposium of the Americas (MESA 2018), Canadian Transport Lawyers Association and the Transportation Lawyers Association from 2022-2024. Kim was also VP of WISTA Canada’s Central Region and is the current President. She developed a successful lecture series: Women in Leadership: A Personal Conversation, featuring prominent women in the transportation industry. Kim co-chaired the membership committee of the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association 2022-2023 and spoke at the 2022 Conference on “Maritime Law Updates”. Kim also spoke at the CMLA conference in June 2024, and recently at the Fleet Executive Summit in November 2024 on “Fraud, Theft and Falsw Documents in the Trucking Industry”.
My Blog
Recognition
- Listed in Best Lawyers (2016-2024) for Maritime Law
- Listed in Best Lawyers (2016-2024) for Transportation Law
- Listed in Lexpert (2016-2024) as Consistently Recommended for Transportation (Rail and Road)
- Listed in Lexology Canada for Shipping & Maritime as Leader in the Field (2017 – 2024)
- Gardiner Roberts LLP’s Transportation Group was named in the Globe & Mail list of Canada’s Best Law Firms 2025
- Named in Post City Magazines Top Toronto Lawyer's list (2024) for Insurance
- Listed in Lexology: Transport 2020 and 2024
- Listed in Lexology for Transport, Shipping (2017)
- Consistently listed in Chambers Global Guide as a recognized practitioner in Transportation: Shipping
- Consistently listed in Chambers Global Guide as a leading lawyer in Transportation: Rail & Road
- Listed in Doyles Guide: Leading Transport Lawyers Canada: Leading Lawyer (2020)
Professional Involvement
Kim is a member of The Canadian Transport Lawyers Association, The Transportation Lawyers Association, Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association, Canadian Maritime Law Association, the Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society, The Canadian Board of Marine Underwriters, Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association, The Toronto Transportation Club, The Organization of Women in International Trade – Toronto, The Marine Club, the Marine Recovery Forum, the Advocates Society and the Defence Research Institute.