Background:

David Cheifetz Barrister and Solicitor (Lawyer)

David Cheifetz is a partner in Bennett Best Burn LLP.

David was called to the Ontario Bar in 1977. He graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1975. He entered law school after two years of undergraduate university studies.

David practices civil litigation primarily in areas that involve the interests of property and casualty insurers and institutional clients. His practice has included most aspects of property and casualty insurance including: coverage issues; policy drafting; products liability; fire; casualty; bonds and surety; subrogation; professional liability; and various areas of personal injury work. He has appeared before all of the civil courts of Ontario at the trial and appellate levels and in numerous ADR matters.

David joined Bennett Best Burn LLP in early 2004. Before that, he was associated with a Toronto civil and insurance litigation firm with an expertise in the marine and transportation areas. Between 1982 and early 2001, he practised in a major Toronto civil and insurance litigation firm, first as an associate and then as a partner. He took a sabbatical year in 1981 to work in Ottawa for the Legal Division of the Research Branch of the Library of Parliament. He carried on a civil litigation practice between 1977 and 1981.

David is the author of Apportionment of Fault in Tort (1981). That text is still in use and has been cited frequently by the trial and appellate courts of the common law provinces. Apportionment has also been cited in leading Canadian tort texts such as Klar, Tort Law (3d) and Linden, Canadian Tort Law (7th). He is recognized, by his peers, as an expert in the Canadian law on those issues covered in Apportionment, the Canadian law on causation, and the Canadian law on various aspects of insurance law in the areas in which he practises. He has also written articles for legal journals and continuing legal education programs and lectured both "in-house" for clients and at continuing education seminars for organizations such as the Canadian Defence Lawyers and Canadian Bar Association and the Ontario Bar Association. He is regularly consulted by members of the legal profession who have questions on matters within his area of expertise. David’s recent publications are listed at the bottom of the page.

David is a member of a number of professional organizations including the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Defence Lawyers Association, the Advocates' Society, the Defense Research Institute, the Canadian Bar Association and the Metropolitan Toronto Lawyers Association.

David claims to have been a reasonably good amateur hockey goaltender, and amateur goalie coach for teams in Toronto and vicinity minor hockey leagues, before time, age, and injuries caught up with him. He retired in 2001. His true hockey claim to fame, however, is that he was the starting goaltender for Israel's hockey team in Israel's first international appearance in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the 1993 IIHF Group C World Championships.