Vanessa A. Tanner

Clerk

• Ailsa Smith

Bar Admissions

• Ontario, 2002

Education

• Bachelor of Laws, Osgoode Hall Law School (2000)
• Bachelor of Arts, McGill University (1996)

Professional Accreditations and Affiliations

• The Advocates Society
• Canadian Defence Lawyers

About Lawyer

Vanessa A. Tanner is one of Aviva's senior trial counsel at the Toronto office.  She joined Aviva Trial Lawyers in 2014.  

Prior to joining ATL she worked at two downtown boutique insurance defence firms as well as for a niche insurer.  Her area of practice at ATL is trial work with a focus on personal injury.  Vanessa has argued in front of many Judges and juries all over Ontario.  She has appeared at both the Superior Court and Divisional Court, as well as the Financial Services Commission of Ontario.   She has and continues to speak at many conferences on a variety of topics relating to trials and trial preparation, including for the Advocates Society, Canadian Defence Lawyers, Ontario Bar Association, Law Society of Ontario as well as for her colleagues in-house.  She's also been a teaching associate on the Rules of Civil Procedure at Toronto Metropolitan University and volunteers as duty counsel at the Law Society for lawyers facing disciplinary matters and for Pro Bono Ontario.   In December 2017, both for the vindication of Aviva's customers and market renown for Aviva Trial Lawyers, Vanessa received Aviva's Living Legend award and she is currently on the short list for Aviva's Value in Action award for the care she shows to both her clients and colleagues.

Notable Cases

• Waltric ats Blake
• Hager ats Seguin
• Szot ats Nguyen
• Horn ats Shuttleworth
• Paterson ats Sanson
• Agbuya ats Moustakis
• Aviva ats Barkey
• Estate of Kletke ats Zivlasky

Personal Interests

Vanessa is an advocate through and through.  She thrives on the energy derived from being in the Courtroom.  She has two young children and two rescue dogs which keep her very busy outside the Courtroom.