Derek V. Abreu

Derek Abreu joined the Preszler team in March 2020, and practices as Counsel to the firm. He was previously a 10-year Partner at an established downtown Toronto law firm, recognized as one of Canada’s Top 10 Insurance Litigation boutiques. He has earned a reputation as a strong and fearless advocate in the courtroom, who has been involved in arguing some of the leading litigation cases in the province. As counsel in over 40 reported decisions, Derek has represented his clients successfully at all levels of court in Ontario, including the Superior Court of Justice, Divisional Court, Court of Appeal for Ontario, as well as the Supreme Court of Canada.

Besides his trial work, Derek also maintains a specialty practice involving insurance coverage issues. He is retained to provide opinions in claims involving first-party losses, construction defects, directors’ and officers’ liability, motor vehicle claims, and commercial disputes. He provides assistance through all phases of a coverage issue, including: drafting/interpretation of policy wording; reservation of rights letters and non-waiver agreements; preparing investigative action plans for complex, commercial losses; identifying subrogation rights; review of policy coverages/exclusions; and negotiating defence costs funding and allocation. For those disputes that require coverage litigation, Derek offers an imaginative and zealous approach on duty to defend motions and applications, indemnity trials and appeals, and bad faith litigation.

Education

• University of Toronto - Hons. B.A. - Philosophy 1997


• University of Toronto - J.D. 2000


• Call to the Bar (Ontario) - 2002

Decisions

• Bradfield v. Royal Sun Alliance Insurance Co. of Canada (2019), 148 O.R. (3d) 161


• Erland v. R.W. Tomlinson Ltd., 2019 ONCA 689


• Kapoor v. Kuzmanovski, [2018] O.J. No. 4169


• Prescott v. Barbon (2018), 141 O.R. (3d) 616


• Prentzas v. Sorto, 2017 ONSC 247 (CanLII)


• Prescott v. Barbon, [2017] O.J. No. 816


• ResQ Auto Glass Inc. v. Co-operators General Insurance Co., [2016] O.J. No. 187


• MacFadyen (Litigation guardian of) v. MacFadyen (c.o.b. Tori's Trails), [2015] O.J. No. 66


• ResQ Auto Glass Inc. v. Co-operators General Insurance Co., [2015] O.J. No. 663


• Lilydale Cooperative Ltd. v. Meyn Canada Inc. (2015), 126 O.R. (3d) 378


• Allianz Global Risks US Insurance Co. v. Nalco Chemical Co. (2014), 122 O.R. (3d) 288


• MacFadyen (Litigation guardian of) v. MacFadyen (c.o.b. Tori's Trails), [2014] O.J. No. 5471


• Cousins v. Roesler (2014), 122 O.R. (3d) 660


• Martin v. Fleming, [2012] O.J. No. 5166


• McHardy v. Ball, 2012 ONSC 4657 (CanLII)


• Durham District School Board v. Grodesky (2012), 110 O.R. (3d) 76


• McHardy v. Ball, 2012 ONSC 1095 (CanLII)


• Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co. v. Lombard Canada, [2010] O.J. No. 3617


• Kimyabayki v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co., [2010] O.J. No. 1901


• Durham District School Board v Grodesky, 2011 ONSC 3286 (CanLII)


• Shah v. Becamon (2009), 94 O.R. (3d) 297


• Murphy v. Barron, [2008] O.J. No. 4976


• Wiseman (Litigation guardian of) v. Home Depot of Canada Inc., [2008] O.J. No. 3999


• Clarendon National Insurance v. Candow, (2007) 87 O.R. (3d) 728


• GMAC Leaseco Corp. v. Lombard Insurance (2007), 87 O.R. (3d) 513


• He (Litigation administrator of) v. ING Insurance Co. of Canada, [2007] O.J. No. 3993


• Schott v. Thomas, [2007] O.J. No. 1541


• Kourzom v. Kourzom, [2007] O.J. No. 3755


• Tsiolakis v. Sethi, [2007] O.J. No. 4153


• Clarendon National Insurance v. Candow, 2007 CanLII 409 (ON SC))


• Royal & Sunalliance Insurance Co. of Canada v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co. (2006), 84 O.R. (3d) 449


• Musa v. Schnitzler, [2006] O.J. No. 795


• Soriano (Litigation Guardian of) v. Palacios, [2005] O.J. No. 2217


• Chowdhury v. Knight, [2005] O.J. No. 1409


• Van Dyke v. Grey Bruce Regional Health Centre, [2005] O.J. No. 2219


• Trabulsey v. Saini, [2005] O.J. No. 1472


• McManus v. G.R. Feldman Investments Ltd., [2005] O.J. No. 3789


• Ramezani v. Shahri, [2005] O.J. No. 3281


• Soriano (Litigation guardian of) v. Palacios, [2004] O.J. No. 2178


• Padovan v. Assn. of Ontario Land Surveyors, [2004] O.J. No. 2921


• Bartucci v. John Doe (2003), 68 O.R. (3d) 599


• McManus v. Feldman Investments Ltd., [2003] O.J. No. 5762


• Shuttleworth v. TGA General Contracting, [2003] O.J. No. 2997


• Lehndorff v. Allendale, [2002] O.J. No. 5162