Toronto Personal Injury Lawyer

Renée Vinett is one of the experienced injury lawyers Toronto has seen in the past two decades – and she is one of a kind: a Managing Partner at Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP who brings to every case not only the strategic depth of a seasoned personal injury litigator, but the clinical perspective of a registered nurse. Licensed since 1985, Renée spent years working in nursing before pursuing her law degree, and that dual foundation has shaped every aspect of how she advocates for injured and disabled clients.

Called to the Ontario Bar: 2002

Renée’s nursing career was focused on case management for catastrophic injuries – coordinating complex community care, overseeing home modifications, and supporting families in rebuilding daily life in the wake of life-altering harm. When she transitioned to law, she brought that knowledge directly into her personal injury practice, giving her an ability to understand, articulate, and pursue her clients’ medical needs that few lawyers can match. She moves fluidly between the medical and legal dimensions of every file – reading expert reports with clinical fluency, asking the right questions of treating professionals, and translating complex injury evidence into compelling legal arguments that secure the care and compensation her clients truly need.

Since becoming a lawyer, Renée has established herself as a determined, thorough, and results-driven advocate in the courtroom. She is recognized by the Law Society of Ontario as a Certified Specialist in Civil Litigation, is Lexpert-ranked, and is listed in Best Lawyers® in Canada in the Personal Injury category. Opposing counsel know her for her tenacity and preparation. Her clients know her for her compassion and unwavering commitment to their futures.

Ontario’s Leading Nurse-Lawyer in Mass Tort Litigation

One of Renée’s most distinctive contributions to personal injury law in Canada is her leadership on mass tort and class action litigation on behalf of women harmed by defective medical products. She has led major litigation on behalf of Canadian women affected by Essure permanent birth control, the Allergan breast implant, and talcum powder products linked to ovarian cancer. Her Essure litigation against manufacturer Bayer was featured on CBC’s The Fifth Estate and covered by FRANCE 24 – placing her at the centre of a national conversation about accountability for defective medical devices and the rights of women harmed by them.

This expertise in product liability and mass tort claims is a natural extension of Renée’s nursing background: she understands how medical devices are supposed to work, what happens when they fail, and what the human cost of those failures looks like – insights that translate directly into more informed and powerful advocacy for her clients.

A Managing Partner and Thought Leader

As Managing Partner of Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP, Renée leads one of Ontario’s most respected personal injury firms – recognized by Canadian Lawyer Magazine as one of Canada’s top personal injury boutiques every year since 2011. She is a frequent speaker at Ontario’s leading legal education programs, including at Osgoode Hall Law School, the Ontario Bar Association, the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, the Women in Litigation Symposium, and the North American Brain Injury Society’s Annual Conference on Legal Issues in Brain Injury. She is a member of the Women’s Law Association of Ontario and the College of Nurses of Ontario, reflecting both the professional communities that have shaped her remarkable career.

Notable Results (Past results are not predictive of future outcomes)

• $2 Million – 15-year-old suffered spinal cord injury jumping in swimming pool

Renée Handles Injuries or Claims Resulting From:

•  Motor Vehicle Accidents – Car, Truck and Bus Collisions
•  Motorcycle and Cycling Accidents
•  Pedestrian Accidents
•  Accident Benefits Claims (SABS)
•  Slip and Fall Accidents
•  Long-Term and Short-Term Disability Claims
•  Mass Tort and Class Action Litigation
•  Product Liability – Defective Medical Devices
•  Essure Permanent Birth Control Lawsuit (Bayer)
•  Allergan Breast Implant Lawsuit Canada
•  Talcum Powder and Ovarian Cancer Lawsuit
•  Catastrophic and Serious Injury Claims
•  Brain Injury Claims
•  Spinal Cord Injury Claims
•  Institutional Sexual Abuse Claims
•  Wrongful Death and Fatal Accident Claims
•  Invisible and Psychological Injury Claims

Education

• Called to the Ontario Bar: 2002
• LLB – York University, Osgoode Hall Law School (2000)
• Nursing (Honours), cum laude – Middle Tennessee State University (1985)

Professional Memberships and Activities

• Ontario Trial Lawyers Association
• The Advocates’ Society
• Ontario Bar Association
• Toronto Lawyers Association
• Women’s Law Association of Ontario
• College of Nurses of Ontario

Awards & Recognitions

• Certified Specialist in Civil Litigation – Law Society of Ontario (2016)
• Best Lawyers® in Canada – Personal Injury Category
• Listed in The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory
• Lexpert® Ranked Lawyer – 2026
• Canada’s Best Law Firms – Personal Injury (Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP, Canadian Lawyer Magazine, since 2011)

Free Consultation – Contact Renée Vinett

If you or a member of your family has suffered a serious injury, been harmed by a defective medical product, or been denied benefits anywhere in Ontario, Renée Vinett and the team at Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP are available 24/7 for a free, no-obligation consultation. There is no fee unless your case is successfully resolved.

Call: 877-771-7006  |  Direct: 416-361-7560

Email: rvinett@hshlawyers.com

Website: hshlawyers.com

Acts on Contingency Fee Basis – No Upfront Payment.

Home, Hospital and Rehab Centre Visits available upon request.