Darcy Romaine on courtroom excellence, law reform, and true empathy for every client's journey
Brodie Lawson (07:46:36)
Steve, welcome to Canadian Lawyer TV. Today, we are interviewing a partner from one of the top personal injury boutiques for 2025. We are spotlighting Boland Romaine LLP, an Ontario-based firm that's earned national recognition for its courtroom excellence and deep litigation experience. At Boland Romaine, trial experience is more than a track record. It's a lens through which every case is built from day one. Their team structures files to be trial-ready with a meticulous approach to evidence, expert selection, and legal strategy. Let's hear directly from partner Darcy Romaine about what sets the firm apart in the highly competitive personal injury field. Welcome, Darcy.
Darcy Romaine (07:47:19)
Hi Brodie, thank you for having me.
Brodie Lawson (07:47:21)
Canadian Lawyer named Boland Romaine a top personal injury boutique again this year. What do you attribute that continued recognition to, given the firm has taken new strategic directions in response to evolving client or court expectations?
Darcy Romaine (07:47:39)
I think consistency would be the main reason for that. We’ve stayed true to the way that we practice law and represent individuals, which is a very thorough and meticulous approach to understanding our clients’ cases, and working hard and creatively to develop the facts that we need to be persuasive, and ultimately having an eye on fairness, on the interest of our client. Where our clients are of the view that the offer just isn't fair and doesn't sufficiently protect them, balanced against the risks that we're telling them about, then we are prepared and do take their case to trial. That really has been the hallmark of our success. It's just trying to do the best job we can and uphold the best practice standards that we can.
Brodie Lawson (07:48:44)
Have you engaged in any policy discussions or contributed to law reform efforts related to Ontario's tort system or statutory accident benefit schedule, and if so, what changes would you advocate for?
Darcy Romaine (07:48:57)
This year, the Civil Rules Committee has embarked upon significant change. There are limited judicial resources in the province of Ontario, where there's a lot of delay in our system. The government recognizes that and wants to make changes. So the civil rules are going through fundamental changes to try and expedite the court process.
We at Boland Romaine have been integrated into that process. We’ve made numerous submissions. We sit on committees that are brainstorming, and our ambition is to uphold those government goals, which we think are in our clients’ best interest—to get access to justice in a more timely fashion, while at the same time not compromising on the tools we require to search for and prove truth in the courtroom.
There’s a tension between efficiencies and different procedures that can sometimes cost time, but that’s where our advocacy position is: in helping to craft a better justice system. A world-leading justice system really is the ambition, and our courtroom experience helps inform that. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to contemplate or argue for efficiencies beyond when parties typically settle, and that’s when a lot of efficiencies are to be gained.
So yes, that’s been a main focus of our work this year. It’s been unique, a little outside the norm, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we can’t pass up on behalf of all our colleagues in the plaintiff and insurance bar, and on behalf of all of our clients.
Brodie Lawson (07:50:58)
You’ve said before that true compassion in our field is measured by how far you’re willing to go when justice can’t be negotiated. Can you share a moment from your practice that tested or reinforced that belief?
Darcy Romaine (07:51:13)
The reason for that comment has to do with a lot of advertisements or statements we hear where lawyers describe themselves as compassionate. But for an injured person in a difficult position, it’s hard to figure out which lawyer to hire.
Our claim is to look at objective facts. If you have a law firm that is prepared to take your case to trial and to invest heavily with their time and disbursements, that is a demonstration of true empathy. A lawyer who takes their client’s case to trial has faith in the client. That’s empathy—they believe in the case, and they’re willing to put their own time and resources on the line to support the client.
Within personal injury law, it’s a human endeavor. We deal with real people going through crises. You become involved in many aspects of their lives—securing treatment, arranging psychological counseling, helping them access chronic pain programs.
One powerful example was years ago, with a street kid named Jerry. He had a bleak background and, as a child, had been through a terrible car accident that left him disfigured, emotionally distraught, and brain injured. During trial preparations, he was too upset and nervous to sit in the office. So instead of staying clinical, we went for coffee and walked around outside while I asked him questions. That eased his nerves.
Compassion comes out in spontaneous ways. Each client is different, and we do our best to tailor our approach to help them be comfortable with the decisions they’re making and the consequences that follow.
Brodie Lawson (07:54:29)
You’ve touched on this briefly, but what drives you to continue taking on difficult cases, particularly against municipalities or insurers, where the legal odds may be steep?
Darcy Romaine (07:54:40)
It’s definitely not animosity. These are important institutions. We value municipalities, and insurance companies are necessary entities.
It’s really about hearing the plight of our client. Once you dig into the facts and get close to them, you can see that errors were made. That’s what our system is about. As Canadians, we’re known for apologizing, and our legal system reflects that. When mistakes are made, tort law and insurance exist to provide care and compensation to the person harmed.
Our role is to find those mistakes and, through the prudent purchase of insurance by people and organizations, obtain compensation for clients—often people with lifelong injuries caused by inadvertent errors.
Brodie Lawson (07:56:00)
Looking ahead, what do you think is the greatest legal or ethical challenge personal injury lawyers in Ontario will face over the next five years?
Darcy Romaine (07:56:09)
AI is a big one. I sit on artificial intelligence panels monitoring developments in the legal sector.
On one hand, AI offers tremendous benefits: summarizing massive information, creating timelines, finding clinical studies. It can make the system faster, cheaper, better, and hopefully more accurate. Justice Lowers described it as a “Gutenberg Press moment.”
But there are dangers. AI could undermine truth through deepfakes, hallucinated case law, distorted evidence, or even polygraph-like tools analyzing facial recognition and speech patterns. Scientific journals could also be tainted.
The challenge is balancing the benefits while avoiding the consequences. The speed of AI advancement is far greater than a rules-based legal system is designed to handle. That’s the challenge for the next five years, and we’ll navigate it with open minds to both the benefits and the risks.
Brodie Lawson (07:58:47)
Finally, what advice would you give to a young lawyer entering this field who wants to balance empathy with litigation strength, especially in emotionally intense cases?
Darcy Romaine (07:59:00)
It’s difficult. A lawyer has to walk a fine line and maintain objectivity. Part of empathy is giving clients unvarnished truth—they must be advised of both upsides and downsides so they can make good decisions.
I tell clients that as much as I’m their sword, I’m also their shield. I balance their needs and rewards with protecting them from risks. Sometimes that means delivering tough love.
Young lawyers should listen carefully, help clients prioritize their concerns, and be clear about what can and cannot be delivered. There are limits, but where you can help—dig in, make the calls, put in the extra effort, and be creative.
Clients, like juries, are good at spotting sincerity. If you’re sincere and work hard, you’ll serve your clients well, and they’ll recognize and appreciate it.
Brodie Lawson (08:00:48)
Darcy, thank you so much for this great conversation, and thank you for sharing your insights with us today.
Darcy Romaine (08:00:52)
Thank you very much. A pleasure.
Brodie Lawson (08:00:55)
Congratulations again on being named one of Canadian Lawyer’s top personal injury boutiques for 2025. I’m Brodie Lawson — thanks for watching.