BENSON PERCIVAL BROWN - Key Persons
Alycia Young received her J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2018 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2019.
She joins Benson Percival Brown with valuable experience in both criminal and civil litigation, including complex commercial disputes.
As an articling student, she worked with the Crown Attorney's office where she served as a prosecutor and ran trials in the Ontario Court of Justice.
Prior to commencing law school, Alycia was involved in municipal politics, serving on the tour staff for a successful mayoralty campaign and then helping to manage the office of a Toronto City Councillor.
Alycia is a proud supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities where she has served as a volunteer and more recently as a fundraiser.
The most senior of our counsel is Barry A. Percival, Q.C., (1963). He was a gold medalist graduate in Mining Engineering in 1958 at Queen's University before studying law at Osgoode Hall Law School. He graduated in 1961 with Honours and the Silver Medal.
Barry was called to the bar in 1963 after having been awarded the Third Prize and achieving Honours standing in the Bar Admission Course. He began his distinguished career as a civil litigator with Benson McMurtry, and shortly thereafter at Benson, McMurtry Percival & Brown. He was appointed Queens Counsel in 1974.
Barry taught Torts at Osgoode Hall Law School and was a member of the Ontario Law Reform Commission from 1980 to 1986. He has been counsel at a variety of Royal Commissions on Inquiry. He continues to specialize in personal injury, and insurance litigation, and plaintiffs' medical malpractice claims.
Barry is noted in Lexpert as a most frequently recommended lawyer in Personal Injury, a consistently recommended lawyer in Litigation (Commercial and Insurance), and a repeatedly recommended lawyer in Products Liability.
The Law Society of Upper Canada has certified him as a Specialist in Civil Litigation and he has been elected a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Law Society of Upper Canada
Christian P. Caffarena (2004) obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Honours) in Criminology and Anthropology from the University of Windsor in 2000. He attended Queen's Law School and graduated with an LL.B. in 2003.
Christian articled for Benson Percival Brown in 2003 and joined the firm as an associate upon his call to the Bar in July 2004. He joined the partnership in 2011. Over the course of his career at the firm, Christian has appeared before Masters and Judges of the Superior Court, Divisional Court and the Court of Appeal in Ontario.
Christian's litigation practice includes the defence of liability claims involving motor vehicle accidents, property damage, commercial disputes, professional negligence, contracts, and personal injuries involving the Occupiers' Liability Act.
In addition, Christian operates a robust subrogation practice and has been engaged by various Insurers to conduct subrogated claims related to fire and water loss, oil leaks, product liability, negligence, and commercial losses.
Christian is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Toronto Lawyer's Association, and the Ontario Bar Association. He is fluent in Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Law Society of Upper Canada
Darren M. Delaney (2004) obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at York University in 2000. He attended the University of Windsor Law School and graduated with an LL.B. in 2003. He articled at Benson Percival Brown in 2003/2004 and joined the firm as an associate upon his call to the bar in September 2004.
Darren is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Advocates Society and the Canadian Bar Association.
Darren works primarily in the area of insurance defence litigation.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Law Society of Ontario
Heather J. Vaughan (2001) obtained a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from York University in 1996. She studied Law at Osgoode Hall Law School and obtained her LL.B. in 1999. She articled with Benson Percival Brown and joined the firm upon her call to the bar in 2001. Heather was admitted to the partnership in 2007.
Heather's litigation practice includes the defence of motor vehicle liability claims which vary in scope from maintaining threshold defence positions to managing complex and catastrophic personal injury claims.
Her defence practice also includes claims against daycares, long-term care facilities, private schools as well as professionals such as pharmacists, teachers, physiotherapists, nurses, and psychotherapists. She defends and prosecutes negligence claims by and against builders, suppliers, and installers involved in the construction of residential and commercial projects.
In addition to her insurance law practice, she acts as Tribunal Counsel to the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO). RIBO regulates the licensing, professional competence, ethical conduct, and financial obligations of its insurance broker members. Her administrative law practice includes advocacy before tribunals such as Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT), Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB), and the Human Rights Tribunal (HRTO). She frequently acts for pharmacists before their regulatory College in both ICRC and Discipline proceedings.
Heather acts as the Chair of the Canadian Defence Lawyers' National Women's Caucus.
In 2020 she was elected to serve as a member-at-large for the Insurance Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association. At the national level, she served as a member-at-large in the Insurance Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association from 2018 to 2020 and now serves as the executive's Communications Officer.
Heather is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Advocates Society, the Canadian Defence Lawyers Association, the Woman's Law Association of Ontario and DRI - The Voice of the Defence Bar. She also holds membership in the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators (SOAR) and has successfully completed The Certificate in Adjudication for Administrative Agencies, Boards & Tribunals.
Kevin R. Bridel (2011) obtained an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Queen's University in 2004. He attended the University of Sydney Law School and graduated with an LL.B. in 2007, after which he attended the University of Windsor Law School to obtain his Certificate of Qualification from the National Committee on Accreditation in 2009. He articled at Benson Percival Brown in 2010/2011 and joined the firm as an associate upon his call to the bar in June 2011. Kevin was admitted to the partnership in 2020.
He has successfully argued numerous matters before the Superior Court, Divisional Court and Court of Appeal in Ontario, as well as the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal. Additionally, in 2017/18, Kevin appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada in the precedent setting case of Rankin's Garage & Sales v. JJ, which reaffirms the basic principles upon which tort law in Canada are premised. (https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/17085/index.do)
**Retiring-Jun 30/22 ** - Peter W. Heisey (1982) obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1980. He joined the firm after articling and his call to the bar in 1982. Peter specializes in Civil Litigation, predominantly in the area of insurance, personal injury and property damage.
Peter is an active member of several professional organizations including the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association, the Defence Research Institute, the Metropolitan Toronto Lawyers Association and the Advocates Society. Peter is a former trustee of the Law Foundation of Ontario.