Partner
marc@iolaw.ca
416.271.7133
Practice Areas
- Maritime and Admiralty Law
- Transportation
- Insurance Coverage
- Insurance Defence
- Civil and Commercial Litigation
- Professional Liability
- Subrogation
Bar Admissions
- Ontario, 1996
Education
- LL.B (Osgoode Hall), 1994
- LL.M. in Admiralty, with Distinction (Tulane University), 2002
Marc Isaacs is one of Canada’s leading Admiralty, Maritime, Transportation and Insurance lawyers. Over the last 24 years, Marc has had a varied litigation practice, with a special emphasis on insurance and transportation related cases.
Following his law school graduation and several years in practice, in 2001 Marc was awarded the Stiles Graduate Fellowship from the Admiralty Law Institute at Tulane University School of Law to pursue graduate studies in Maritime Law. In 2002 Marc received his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Admiralty (with distinction) from Tulane University School of Law and the Edward A. Dodd Jr. Award as the outstanding candidate in the graduate Admiralty Law programme. In addition, Marc was a member of the editorial board for the Tulane Maritime Law Journal.
Marc returned to Toronto and joined the predecessor to Isaacs Odinocki LLP in 2003, and became a partner in 2006. Marc primarily practices Maritime, Transportation and Insurance Law, although he frequently handles other civil and commercial litigation matters. Often, Marc receives referrals from other lawyers to assist in handling transportation and insurance related cases and appeals.
Marc has been involved in a number of precedent setting maritime law cases including cases defining the scope of Canada’s Admiralty jurisdiction, the effect of forum selection clauses in bills of lading under Canada’s Marine Liability Act, the interpretation of “freight pre-paid” on shipping documents, maritime liens and limitation of liability. Marc has responded to client’s legal emergencies for the arrest or release of ships, the freeing of detained cargo and similar injunctions. Outside the courtroom, Marc’s experience includes being involved in the immediate on-scene response to ship casualties including crew injuries, oil spills, dock strikings and ship-board fires.
In addition to his maritime practice, Marc has an extensive background in all types of insurance related cases from complex product liability matters to professional errors and omissions claims to personal injury incidents. Marc has been retained to handle a number of complex insurance coverage disputes and has had a number of precedent setting cases. Marc has conducted several trials and appeals and appears in the Ontario Superior Court, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Federal Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal regularly.
Since 2009, Marc has been included in the peer reviewed publication Best Lawyers™ in Canada for maritime law. In addition, Marc has been named in the International Who’s Who of Maritime and Shipping Lawyers, and Canadian Lawyer Magazine has named Isaacs & Co. one of Canada’s top Maritime law boutique firms. Some of the other awards Marc and his firm have received include:
- Ranked in Chambers Global (Band 1) for Shipping Law
- Ranked in Lexpert (Most Frequently Recommended) for Shipping and Maritime Law
- Best Lawyers in Canada, Maritime Law, since 2009, Lawyer of the year 2015
- The International Who’s Who of Shipping and Maritime Lawyers
- Who’s Who Legal: Canada; Shipping & Maritime Law
- Canadian Lawyer Magazine, Canada’s Leading Law Firm Boutiques: Admiralty & Transportation Law,
In 2017 Marc became the President of the Canadian Maritime Law Association. Marc is also a Past President of the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association and a Past President of the Marine Club. In addition Marc is an active speaker and participant in the Canadian Board of Marine Underwriters and a member of the Advocates’ Society. Marc is also an Adjunct Professor of Admiralty Law at the University of Toronto Law School.
Outside of his legal practice Marc is an avid Advanced SCUBA diver, having dived throughout the Caribbean, Florida, Hawaii and Micronesia. True to form, Marc’s favourite dives are on sunken wrecks. Marc lives in Toronto with his wife, Elizabeth.
Awards
Law Journals:
- M.D. Isaacs, A Critical Defect in the Shipowner’s Limitation of Liability Act: The Exclusion of the Master and Crew, (2003) 27 T.M.L.J. 335.
Professional Conferences, Presentations and related publications:
- M.D. Isaacs, “Navigating the Waters of Workplace Insurance Claims and Marine Employer Liability”, Presentation to the Canadian Passenger Vessel Association, Halifax, Nova Scotia, November 2015.
- M.D. Isaacs, et.al. “Insurance Exposures in the Sharing Economy”, panel presentation for the Ontario Insurance Adjusters Association, November 2015.
- M.D. Isaacs, “Motor Carrier Contract Essentials: Managing Cargo Risks”, Presentation to trucking insurance and brokers seminar, Hamilton, Ontario, September 2015.
- M.D. Isaacs, “Shippers Liability for Vessel Damage”, Transportation Lawyers Association Annual Conference and Seminar, St. Petersburg, Florida, April 2014.
- M.D. Isaacs & A. Odinocki, “Uncovering Coverage: A Roadmap to Effectively Addressing Coverage Issues”, Presented to large national insurance company (client) claims department, April 2012.
- M.D. Isaacs, “Arrest and Sale of Maritime Property: The Mechanics and the Emergencies Part II – Sale<”, Presented at the National Judicial Institute, April 2011.
- M.D. Isaacs & A. Odinocki, “The Meaning of “Freight Pre-Paid” in International Shipping Contracts”, The Transportation Lawyer, December 2010, Vol.12, No.3.
- M.D Isaacs & B. Huen, “Incoterms 2010”, CBMU Annual Conference, December 2010.
- M.D. Isaacs, “Legal Issues of Polar Shipping”, ACI Polar Shipping Summit, May 2010.
- M.D. Isaacs, “Recent Developments in Canadian Maritime Law”, Canadian Transportation Lawyers Association, Annual Conference, October 2009.
- M.D. Isaacs, “Damages, Interest and Costs in Canada”, paper presented at the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association Annual Meeting, September 2006 & published (partially) as “Personal Injury Claims and Cargo Damage Claims in Canada”, The Transportation Lawyer, Vol.8. No. 3, December 2006.
- Giroux, M.D. Isaacs, R.Cox, “Practical Insights and Trends in Marine Subrogation”, Canadian Board of Marine Underwriters, Semi-Annual Conference, April 2004.
- M.D. Isaacs, J.R. Pollack, “S.A.B.S: Caging the Paper Tiger”, ILCO Conference, 2001.
- Pillegi, M.D. Isaacs, J.R. Pollack, “Catastrophic Injuries”, ILCO Conference, 2001.
- M.D. Isaacs et al, “Proceed with Caution: Personal Injury Litigation”, Chair of the program and Speaker on Motor Vehicle Accident compensation, CBAO Seminar, June, 2000.
- Rebelo, M.D. Isaacs et al, “MVA: Beyond the Mechanics – Strategies and Tactics of the Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s Case”, ILCO Conference, May 2000.
- M.D. Isaacs, “OHIP’s Right of Subrogation: One Claim Avoids Another”, Canadian Bar Association of Ontario Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, Vol 7 No.1, January 2000.
- Law Society of Upper Canada Paralegal Task Force, invited to speak as an Expert Witness on the subject of Statutory Accident Benefits, January 2000.
- M.D. Isaacs & S.C. Tessis, Mastering Discovery in Personal Injury Cases: Examining the Tavern or Bar, Law Society of Upper Canada Seminar, Toronto, Ontario, April 1999.
- M.D. Isaacs et al, “Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation in Ontario”, Presented to the Ministry of Attorney General, Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, Toronto, Ontario, December 1998, March, April and May 2000.
- M.D. Isaacs & S.C. Tessis, The Legal Issues and Recent Changes Affecting the Trucking Industry in Ontario, Presented at the Sixth Annual Conference of the Trucking Industry Defense Association, Memphis, Tenn., October 1998.
- M.D. Isaacs et al, “The Deductibility of Collateral Benefits under OMPP”, Memorandum to Insurance Clients, April 1998.
- M.D. Isaacs & S.C. Tessis, “The Arbitration Hearing: Representing the Insurance Company”, presented at LSUC seminar, Toronto, Ontario, April 1997.