MARY DE ROSE & DIANA DE ROSE PERSONAL INJURY LAW FIRM;DE ROSE LAW "FAMILY STANDING WITH YOU
DE Rose Personal Injury Law Firm is a boutique la
firm that takes the utmost pride in compassionately
helping its clients who are struggling with
a disability arising from negligence.Whether it be injuries as a result of a motor vehicle collision, slip and fall or a denial of disability benefi ts, De Rose uses its experience in the Greater Toronto Area to fight relentlessly and passionately for its clients, earning a well-respected reputation
among its peers within its field.
Checkout My Business caught up with Diana,
Mary and Dominic De Rose to discuss their firm, what makes
them unique, and how they help their clients.
The firms’ founding partner Dominic De Rose has more than
three decades of industry experience.
Dominic has always maintained a deep commitment to his clients which is rooted in his belief that everyone has the right to receive fair and just compensation for their unfortunate injury. What makes the firm unique is that in working alongside daughters Mary and Diana, Dominic is able to share his
experience in an environment filled with a strong sense of family values. Dominic expects his team to treat its clients as if they are family, which in turn creates a unique experience rarely obtained in a solicitor - client relationship.
COMB: tell me about your entry into law.
Dominic: Many years ago, I was an accident victim myself. The experience that followed left a bad taste in my mouth because I felt that the insurance company treated me like a number. It was quite shocking to me. I had always been intrigued by the legal profession, and my experience pushed me
to pursue a career as a paralegal. I eventually opened my own firm and was blessed that my daughters took an interest in law as well, which afforded me the opportunity to expand the firm to where we are today.
COMB: tell me about working with family. What’s that like?
Dominic: When I entered the legal profession, my daughters were young, but I always hoped that they would follow me. My parents owned a grocery store while I was growing up and I always took pride in working with them as a teenager. I could not be happier that my daughters decided to become lawyers and for what they have achieved within their professional careers.
COMB: What do Diana and Mary bring to the firm?
Dominic: Diana and Mary are both very strong minded individuals. They are both their own people, but at the same time are open to learning from others. I am pleased that they have not allowed the pressures of the profession to change their morals and values and they continue to maintain compassion for
our clients. Above all, Diana and Mary are both objective and reasonable which allows them to maximize settlements.
Diana focuses her practice on plaintiff personal injury matters including motor vehicle collisions, disability insurance, occupiers liability, falls and negligence claims.
Diana takes great pride in advocating for injured people and their families. Diana is a member of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, the Ontario Bar Association, the Canadian Bar Association and the Italian Advocates Organization.
COMB: Why take on personal injury law?
Diana: The legal profession was something that I was exposed to pretty much since birth. I shadowed my father at work, and I remember pretending to be like him by carrying his briefcase and pretending I had my own files. When I was a child, I was always in awe of my father because I saw how grateful his clients were to him for his help, and how they respected and admired him. I wanted people to feel that same way about me. He has helped so many people obtain settlements following a motor vehicle collision, which allowed them to move on with their lives as much as possible, and in some cases even regain their independence.
COMB: What advice do you have for others wanting to do what you do?
Diana: Being a lawyer is a very demanding career. My job is not like what you see on TV. Being a plaintiff personal injury lawyer requires a great deal of compassion and empathy for those who have suffered a wide variety of
injuries. I am a firm believer that no matter what you do for a living, if you love your work, you will never feel like you are at work. I am blessed to say that I have achieved this.
COMB: What’s it like working with family?
Diana: I hear horror stories of how some families are torn apart by working together. For me, I feel that we have become closer with each passing year and much of that is the result of working together.
COMB: What do you love best about your job?
Diana: The answer to that is threefold. Firstly, our work environment is truly unique in that I believe that all levels of our staff are good people. We have close to forty employees and we really are an extended family. Secondly, I love that I get to meet and interact with so many people by virtue of
my job. Everyone has a story, and through my job I am able to learn from people in all cultures and walks of life. Finally, I take great pride in reaching amicable resolutions for my clients which leave them appreciative of a job well done.
COMB: What case touched you the most?
Diana: My client was a middle-aged woman and was
involved in a terrible collision. She was unable to return to work
for some time and she was really down. As a result, she was
not able to perform much of her daily activities and socializing,
including housekeeping and home renovations. The insurer was
not accepting that her disability was related to the collision.
Nevertheless with much effort, I was able to resolve her file and
she was able to pay back loans that she required because bills
were just piling up due to her inability to work. It really touched
my heart knowing that I was able to help her obtain a settlement
that reflected her damages when the insurer originally did not
accept her claim as being legitimate.
Mary is a founding partner in De Rose Personal Injury Law
Firm and concentrates her practice mainly on personal injury
law, motor vehicle collisions, dog attacks, occupiers’ liability,
negligence claims, Canada Pension Plan claims and disability
insurance claims.
Mary has appeared before the Ontario Superior Courts of
Justice, The Financial Service Commission of Ontario, and the
Canadian Pension Plan Tribunal.
She is a member of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association,
The Advocate’s Society, the American Association for Justice
and the Italian Canadian Lawyers Association.
Mary’s passion for the law is what drives her to make a
difference in the lives of injured people and their families. She
has devoted nearly a decade of her career fighting for the rights
of injured people and their families.
COMB: Why did you choose the legal profession?
Mary: My father has been in the business for most of my life. He is a paralegal who initially started off working for other lawyers before starting our firm. As a result, I was exposed to the industry at an early age and when I was not in
school, I would work at the office. My experiences growing up led me to a place where I wanted to help others.
COMB: What do you like most about what you do?
Mary: I derive great satisfaction from helping people whose lives have been turned upside down by circumstances beyond their control. Until you see it first hand, you cannot put yourself in the shoes of someone who is unable to work or care for themselves. It is really your worst nightmare. To make matters worse, you have to see the impact that it takes on their loved ones, and it only compounds the pain that you feel for the situation. However, I experience no greater sense of accomplishment and self-worth, then when I am able to obtain a settlement that reflects a client’s damages.
COMB: Clients keep coming back-- what is it that
keeps them coming back?
Mary: I am proud to say that the majority of the referrals are received from previous clients. To me, there is no greater confirmation of the level of our customer service then that. I believe that it is our unique attention to each client’s needs that has built confidence in our work.
COMB: Can you elaborate on key items that earn
clients’ trust?
Mary: It is pretty simple; we do not have a product to sell. Our business is customer service based. Our firm handles each file by paying close personal attention to each client. Each file is of equal importance, regardless of the nature of the claim. We strive to make our clients feel like they are a priority, not just another file. We make ourselves available within reason, and I know that is much appreciated. Also, we are honest, objective and straight forward. Our firm does not give clients the runaround, and in this world, that is not always the approach taken.
COMB: How has motherhood changed the way you work?
Mary: Motherhood has not changed the way I practice per se. If anything, it has made me even more compassionate. I often meet younger clients and think to myself, what if that was my child?
COMB: What are you most proud of?
Mary: I am proud of the fact that I walked in here after having graduated law school and was part of expanding the firm into what it is today. It was already a great office, but obviously Diana and I have helped in the growth and essentially took what my father built and took it to where it is today.
Dave Gordon has penned more than a thousand articles, and more than five hundred editorials, on every topic imaginable. He writes regularly on domestic and international politics, current events, culture, relationship issues, and much more.
He has spent time in the newsrooms of the Toronto Sun, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Baltimore Sun, National Post and eye Weekly.
De Rose Barristers & Solicitors
Personal Injury Lawyers
1280 Finch Ave., West, Suite 508, Toronto, Ontario
M3J 3K6
20 King St. West, Unit B, Stoney Creek, ON., L8G JG8
Tel.: (416) 780-8080 Fax: (416) 780-9953
Toll Free: 1(888) 860 3838