For the newest partners at Oatley Vigmond, mentorship matters
Oatley Vigmond’s four newest partners all share a love of litigation. They’re also united by an appreciation for the mentorship and personal connections they’ve developed while at the firm.
When Ben Irantalab first joined at Oatley Vigmond as a summer student in 2013, the only thing he was certain about was that he wanted a career in litigation. His perspective broadened when an Oatley Vigmond partner invited him to join a meeting with a potential new client, a young hockey player who would never walk again. “It was there that I understood the important role that personal injury lawyers play in the lives of the severely injured, and it was then that I decided to become a personal injury lawyer,” recalls Irantalab. Without that partner’s invitation, and subsequent mentorship, Irantalab might never have had his realization about the unique way he could help people.
Irantalab isn’t the only new partner influenced by Oatley Vigmond’s commitment to helping young lawyers. It’s why Liane Brown has spent her entire career at the firm, starting as a summer student in 2011. “The partners supported my development from eager law student to competent lawyer,” she says. “I was given exceptional mentorship and the freedom and independence to run with various files. A mentor once told me never to copy another lawyer’s style,” Brown adds. “You have to find your own voice and way to do things. If you are not authentic, you won’t be persuasive. The most persuasive lawyers are the ones who are sincere.”
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About the Authors
Ben enjoys the complexities of personal injury litigation and finds the cases that require creative thinking the most gratifying. His practice is exclusively devoted to representing clients with brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and severe orthopaedic injuries.
Liane is committed to representing individuals who have suffered serious personal injuries and to families who have suffered the losses of loved ones. Liane holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Windsor, where she received the Torkin Manes Cohen and Arbus award for combined academic achievement and service to the community, and the Charles J. Clark scholarship for academic excellence and involvement in community and volunteer activities. She was called to the bar in 2013.
As a partner at Oatley Vigmond, Lara Fitzgerald-Husek uses her empathy, creativity, and trial experience to connect with her clients and help them move forward after trauma. Lara focuses her practice solely on personal injury, and she is determined to get her clients the best possible outcome—the one they deserve.
A born-and-raised Barrie resident, Karen knows and loves her community. She is proud to be a partner in one of Canada’s most successful personal injury law firms—right in her own backyard. Karen joined Oatley Vigmond in 2013 as an associate lawyer. She holds a BA from Queen’s University and her Juris Doctor from Bond University in Australia. Prior to being called to the Bar in January 2013, Karen articled at a well-known personal injury law firm in Toronto.