People
Contact Information
dpeterson@casselsbrock.com
Telephone: 416 869 5451
Fax: 416 350 6961
Cassels Brock
2100 Scotia Plaza
40 King Street West
Toronto, ON M5H 3C2
Canada
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Profile
Hon. David R. Peterson, P.C., Q.C., O. Ont., C. St. J., L. d’H., D.U., L.L.D.
Mr. Peterson is a senior partner and Chairman of the Toronto law firm of Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, where he practises corporate/commercial law.
Mr. Peterson was Founding Chairman of Chapters Inc. and the Toronto Raptors Basketball Club Inc. He is a director of a number of public companies including Rogers Communications Inc., Franco-Nevada Corporation and Shoppers Drug Mart. He is chancellor of the University of Toronto and is a director of St. Michael's Hospital and governor of the Shaw Festival.
He is or was director or active with a number of charitable, educational and environmental organizations including Chairman of the Ontario March of Dimes, the Ontario Canada Day Committee, the Toronto Olympic Bid Committee, Canadian Club, Cercle Canadien, Council for Canadian Unity, XPO, the Society for Educational Visits & Exchanges in Canada, Frontier College, Peter Lougheed Medical Research Foundation, Daily Bread Food Bank, Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, Magnetic True North Theatre and West Park Health Centre.
Mr. Peterson was chairman of the Commonwealth Team observing the 1992 elections in Guyana. He is chief federal negotiator for the devolution of the Northwest Territories. He is an adjunct professor at York University and speaks often on national and international issues, as well as being a frequent commentator on television.
Mr. Peterson holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of Toronto and studied at the University of Caen, France.
He was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1969 and appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1980 and was summoned by Her Majesty to the Privy Council in 1992. Mr. Peterson has received honorary doctorates from the University of Ottawa, the University of Tel Aviv, the American University of the Caribbean and the University of Toronto.
In 1994 the government of France appointed him a Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honour of France. In 1995 the International Assembly of French-Speaking Parliamentarians presented him with the Ordre de la Pléiade. He was awarded the Order of Ontario in 2009.
In 1975 he was elected as a Member of the Ontario Legislature, and became the leader of the Ontario Liberal party in 1982. He served as Premier of the Province between 1985 and 1990, overseeing a very active period of reform and playing a major role in the country’s constitutional discussions.
He resides in Toronto and Caledon with his actress/author wife Shelley. They have three children - Benjamin, Chloë and Adam. Mr. Peterson’s interests include theatre, riding, jogging, golf, skiing, tennis, scuba diving, reading and gardening.
Education
LL.B., University of Toronto, 1967
B.A., University of Western Ontario, 1965
Achievements
- Martindale-Hubbell, BV Distinguished™ rating
Call to the bar
Ontario, 1969Associations
- Canadian Bar Association
- Ontario Bar Association
Practice Areas
In The News
David Peterson and Noble Chummar Represent UFC
2015 Pan Am Games Go To Toronto
David Peterson Interviewed for Financial Post Wisdom Series