Lawyers for Veterinarians

As trusted veterinarian lawyers, we represent vets in Ontario in regulatory, litigation, clinical and risk issues, including those with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (the “CVO”), the Human Rights Tribunal and the Information and Privacy Commissioner. We help veterinarians navigate the legal landscape governing the practice of veterinary medicine in Ontario, including under the Veterinarians Act, 1990.

If you have a complaint, investigation or disciplinary matter before the CVO, it is important to get legal advice from a veterinarian complaint lawyer or veterinarian discipline lawyer to evaluate your risk and help you manage your response. This is especially important because many forms of remediation ordered by the CVO remain on a vet’s public register indefinitely. We are veterinarian defence lawyers who assist on all types of CVO matters, including clinical issues, billing issues, communication issues and recordkeeping issues.

We work with insurance companies covering Ontario veterinarians and also represent vets directly who do not have coverage for regulatory matters. We typically offer our clients the choice of an hourly rate or flat fee for these regulatory matters, especially for veterinarian complaints. We represent veterinarians across the province of Ontario, including in Toronto and the GTA, Ottawa, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Brampton, Barrie, Kingston and Thunder Bay.

Legal Services for Veterinarians

  • Responding on behalf of veterinarians to CVO patient complaints before the Complaints Committee of the CVO;

  • Facilitating proactive courses or courses ordered for veterinarians ordered by the CVO;

  • Responding for veterinarians to CVO investigations;

  • Responding to disciplinary matters and allegations of professional misconduct for veterinarians before the Discipline Committee of the CVO;

  • Responding to registration issues for veterinarians or guiding veterinarians on their application for licensure in other provinces/countries;

  • Defending allegations for veterinarian students on testing irregularity and cheating on the CVO Jurisprudence Exam;

  • Responding to appeals and judicial reviews for veterinarians before the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (“HPARB”), the Divisional Court of Ontario or the Court of Appeal for Ontario;

  • Responding to complaints made against veterinarians or vet clinics to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario regarding discrimination and human rights violations;

  • Responding to complaints against veterinarians or vet clinics before the Information and Privacy Commissioner;

  • Assisting veterinarians in managing a challenging pet owner, including harassment and assault, and terminating the vet-patient relationship;

  • Navigating clinical issues for veterinarians, including privacy breaches, veterinarian malpractice allegations, recordkeeping issues and pet owner demands;

  • Navigating billing issues for veterinarians, including insurance company inquiries and audits;

  • Navigating compliance for veterinarians with CVO Professional Practice Standards and Guidelines;

  • Assisting veterinarians in responding to the annual CVO report regarding past criminal and regulatory issues; and

  • Representing veterinarians and vet clinics in workplace investigations.

Need help with any of the above? We are veterinarians attorneys, so don’t hesitate to contact John McIntyre for a free consultation at john@mcintyre-szabo.com or through the website here.