About Me

 

Michael Wilchesky

Counsel, Civil Sexual Assault/Abuse and Indigenous Rights Practice Group Leader

T: 416-363-1867, Ext. 225

E-mail: mwilchesky@rochongenova.com

Sexual Abuse/Assault Practice Page: https://www.rochongenova.com/Sexual-Abuse-Sexual-Assault.shtml

Firm profile page: https://www.rochongenova.com/Lawyers/Michael-Wilchesky.shtml


Michael Wilchesky is the Practice Group Leader for the Civil Sexual Assault and Indigenous Rights practice groups at Rochon Genova LLP. His practice focuses on civil sexual and institutional abuse and misconduct claims and Indigenous rights.

Michael is an experienced litigator, who has worked in a broad range of practice areas, including civil sexual assault litigation and Indigenous rights (for the past 10 years), securities litigation, commercial law, bankruptcy law, real estate litigation and estates litigation. In those capacities, he has had the privilege of representing clients at motions, trials and appeals at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Divisional Court, the Ontario Court of Appeal, Federal Court, and Small Claims Court.

Michael's practice focuses on obtaining meaningful compensation for survivors of sexual abuse and sexualized misconduct, often in complex institutional cases. He has acted in hundreds of civil sexual abuse, sexual assault and sexual misconduct cases, on behalf of survivors, and is intimately familiar with the complex and continuously evolving issues in this practice area.

There are many different approaches available in these types of cases. Michael works with his clients to determine the best approach, and then uses his knowledge, experience and expertise to construct the strongest possible case and guide the case in the right direction. Individual client circumstances and goals are always at the forefront of Michael's practice. He listens intently to what clients wish to achieve in order to inform the next steps to take in each individual case.

In addition to traditional civil court proceedings, Michael has represented clients in their Criminal Injuries Compensation Board Applications, as well as survivors of abuse perpetrated at Indian Residential Schools, through the Independent Assessment Process ("IAP"). Michael currently volunteers with the Independent Legal Advice Pilot Program for Survivors of Sexual Assault, providing legal advice to survivors of sexual assault to help them make informed decisions about their next steps.

Knowledge about the options available for survivors of sexual assault, including historical sexual abuse, varies greatly from one client to the next. Many clients call just to find out what their options are, whereas others call once they have made a decision to commence a civil lawsuit. Michael aims to provide clients with all available options at their disposal and an explanation as to what each option entails and the differences between the various approaches. He also discusses the pros and cons of each approach and what clients can expect with each option. And, of course, Michael welcomes questions from clients. This way, clients can make informed decisions about how they want to proceed and can feel comfortable and confident in their decisions and their representation.

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