DARRYL SINGER; SINGER BARRISTERS;PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER " IN YOUR CORNER "
There’s more to the fact that Darryl Singer has obtained millions of dollars in settlements for his injured clients.
He has some two decades of experience as a trial lawyer, in all manner of litigation,including commercial litigation, criminal defense and family law.
Today, however, his firm Singer Barristers Professional Corporation, focuses on helping clients injured in automobile accidents and other personal injury matters.
The reasoning is simple, he says: concentrating on one primary area of law affords him better opportunity to fine tune his litigation expertise, and to center on keeping abreast of changes in that area of law.
Not only is he proficient in the language of personal injury litigation, but clients can communicate with his staff in the way they’re most comfortable.
Darryl is proud of the fact that for many years now, the majority of his referrals come from other lawyers, including some of whom who’d be deemed competitors, and even those who have litigated against him.
Moreover, he’s been called upon over the years to teach courses and seminars for a number of professional organizations including: the Law Society of Upper Canada, Canadian Bar Association, George Brown College, Paralegal Society of Ontario, and Ryerson University’s Law Practice
Program.
He’s also a volunteer counsel with Pro Bono Law Ontario and the Advocates’ Society, and takes on a number of pro bono criminal and civil cases each year.
He is the author of a personal injury textbook for lawyers and paralegals entitled "Accident Benefits, A Practical Desk Reference, published by Emond Publishing in 2016 and his new text Personal Injury Tort Law, A Practical Desk Reference",which will be published by Emond thisSpring.
He’s also the proud father of three children, a 19 year old boy
and twelve year old boy/girl twins.
My Business Magazine asked Darryl Singer about his
career, his experience, and his unique background:
MBM: How do you measure or define your success?
DS: For one, I’m respected.
It’s perhaps my greatest source of pride that the people with whom I’m competing for clients, or litigating against have become some of my biggest referral sources.
They’re giving me the ultimate compliment. Another example of how
I define my success is that I have happy clients. I have some from 15 or 20 years ago who keep coming back for their own matters or referring new clients to me.
They remember me from so long ago, sometimes when I may not remember them (after all over the years I have had thousands of clients).
"It’s the continuity from my client base that speaks volumes about what we do.
It’s also the relationships I’ve built with insurance adjusters and insurance defense lawyers".
MBM: Can you elaborate on those professional relationships?
DS: For example, an insurance adjuster, rather than ending the file to counsel, will call me up and offer to settle the case directly with me.
It allows me, especially on the small to medium personal injury files cases, to get cases settled in 6-18 months,rather than in 3-5 years.But if we need to, we’re not afraid to go to court and we’re good at it.
MBM: Talk about the people you work with.
DS:I have a fantastic support team in the office: associates,legal assistants, law clerks, paralegals, and law students.I can’t be successful either in court or settling cases for my clients without a great team behind me. I’m confident that you can deal with anyone in my office, and the matter will be well taken care of. I trust my team completely. In fact, I often laugh because sometimes the clients will get so comfortable dealing with one of my team members that they only want to speak to them and not me!
Additionally, I have reciprocal relationships in other firms, where I can borrow other personnel. This allows me to compete with the bigger firms, which is important, as it allows me to run a small and efficient firm while still being able to take large files and do an effective job.
MBM: How do you best relate to, or empathize with,those who are injured, and those whose health and wellness are suffering?
DS:I can definitely relate to those kinds of concerns.For one example, I’m the director, speaker and peer counselor with Lawyers Helping Lawyers, what was once known as the Ontario Lawyer Assistance Program.
That organization is a confidential, peer support and counseling program assisting those in the legal profession and their immediate families with issues of burnout, addictions and mental wellness. My pro bono cases in criminal and civil matters also seem to focus on individuals with health and wellness issues.
I dealt with addiction and mental health issues myself many years ago. I have been fully recovered for a number of years, and as a result of what I went through, I’m a better person and a better lawyer. I appreciate my life more, and I have a better understanding of my clients.
You know, I strive to make sure everyone knows I’m not some isolated Bay Street lawyer type.
A client might be too injured to move, so when I have clients who can’t make it to my office,I go to their house.I try to be accessible. I’m one of the few lawyers I know who actually has his cell phone number on his business card. And I answer all my own emails as opposed to having an assistant reply on my behalf.
Dave Gordon has penned more than a thousand articles, and more than five hundred editorials, on every topic imaginable. He writes regularly on domestic and international politics, current events, culture, relationship issues, and much more.
He has spent time in the newsrooms of the Toronto Sun, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Baltimore Sun, National Post and eye Weekly.
SINGER BARRISTERS PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION
Darryl Singer, J.D. Barrister and Solicitor LSUC #34473R
2800 14th Avenue Suite 303 Markham ON L3R 0E4
Telephone: 416-628-4926 x205