About the working group

The Working Group on Lawyers and Real Estate was originally formed to deal with initiatives instituted by several mortgage lenders to outsource back office mortgage operations to large corporate intermediaries. These initiatives placed the third party intermediary between the financial institution and the lawyer.

As the Working Group began its dialogue with the profession, it became evident that a concerted and unified approach to other issues facing the real estate lawyer was needed. In light of this need, members of the Working Group felt that it was imperative to expand the Working Group's focus to deal not only with the lawyer's relationship with mortgage lenders but their relationship with consumer clients and other entities involved in a real estate transaction, with a particular view to reinforcing and re-establishing the lawyer as a real estate professional and "quarter back" of the transaction.

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The Working Group is comprised of representatives from the Federation of Ontario Law Associations ("FOLA") (formerly the County and District Law Presidents' Association ("CDLPA")), the Ontario Bar Association ("OBA") and the Ontario Real Estate Lawyers Association ("ORELA"). Its members are:

• Randall Johns (2011)

• Jeffrey Schwartz (2003)

• Kim Little (2003)

• Maurizio Romanin (2003)

• Merredith MacLennan (2014)

• Michael Allemano (2011)

• Ray Leclair (2003)

• Eldon Horner (2020)

The mandate of the Working Group was formally set out in a Joint Resolution adopted by all 3 founding organizations. 

Retired Members:

• Clare Brunetta (2003-2009)

• Deborah Rogers (2003-2004)

• Kathleen Waters (2003-2008)

• Paul Dixon (2003-2011)

• Sally Burks (2003-2013)

• Jerry Udell (2003-2015)

The French name of the Working Group is "Le groupe de travail pour les avocats et le droit immobilier".