David M. Woodward

David Woodward is a partner and is a past Practice Group Leader of the Municipal Real Estate and Land Development Group and the Business Law Group in the firm’s London office. He specializes in municipal, corporate and real estate law and is a Certified Specialist in the areas of Corporate Law and Municipal Law (Local Government). David has been selected by his peers to be included in Best Lawyers in Canada for corporate law. He has been a Partner at Lerners LLP since January 1998.

David advises corporations on commercial lending and private lending transactions. He also acts for owner-managed businesses. His clients include family-run firms and those involving a handful of shareholders. David has also acted for a number of larger companies as part of his practice. “For all our clients, I focus on their underlying business objectives and use all the legal tools at my disposal to further those,” he says. “When I work on a transaction, I am very conscious of the litigation risk,” says David. “As a young lawyer I started my practice in a very serious recession, so I did a fair amount of insolvency work. At an early phase of my career, I became more familiar than most with the difficulties businesses encounter when financial difficulties occur and when litigation is necessary.

“Another primary practice area for myself is municipal government work. I act for municipalities on infrastructure projects, development, site plan and subdivision agreements, municipal joint venture agreements, community centres, medical facilities, municipal financings, legal opinions and procurement, Municipal Act and municipal legislation issues and general legal advice for issues that arise in their daily operations,” explains David. “My practice focus for these municipalities is transactional work rather than litigation, basically serving municipalities as their in-house counsel.” David’s interest in this area of practice was stirred by spending his early life in a small town, where he saw first-hand the impact of how community projects, facilities and infrastructure improve the quality of life in local communities. “I realized the importance of projects that improve the lives of people in small towns, such as recreation centres, senior centres, childcare and medical facilities, and sewage and water treatment plants. In those communities, these projects make a difference,” he says.

In describing the values he brings to his work, David says, “Being a lawyer for a person or organization is a privilege and it is about more than making a living. When done properly, lawyers place the interests of their client before their own. It is a relationship of trust and confidence. Clients sometimes disclose things to you that they would not even tell their family. Some of the issues we deal with are life-changing for individuals, businesses and communities. Are lawyers replaceable? Absolutely. However, it has been an honour for me to be a trusted advisor to individuals, businesses and communities for well over 30 years.”

Active in the London community, David has devoted many voluntary hours to a number of community organizations, including the Children's Health Foundation in gratitude for the medical care London Health Science Centre’s Children’s Hospital provided to his family.