David P. Jacobs

David Jacobs is a senior partner at the firm of Watson Jacobs Bosnick LLP and has practiced litigation for over 39 years in the areas of labour relations, human rights, health law, professional regulation and discipline, administrative law, insolvency law, constitutional law, criminal law, international criminal and humanitarian law, civil litigation and employment law, among others. He represents tribunals, unions, organisations, and individuals before boards and courts at all levels in Canada, and internationally.

He is admitted to the International Criminal Court’s List of Counsel. David is Chair of the Professional Standards Advisory Committee of the International Criminal Court Bar Association. He has served as a member of the ICCBA Executive Council (2020-2021), Chair of the Legal Advisory Committee and member of the Defence Committee of the ICCBA.

David was counsel to two local unions in the Stelco Insolvency, which changed Canadian insolvency law. "Jacobs is a tough lawyer” (Globe and Mail).

He has acted as lead counsel in trials and appeals before the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

David is an experienced mediator and has conducted hundreds of mediations. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and the Administrative Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association (September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2023 term).

He is a lecturer, writer and media commentator on human rights, international law, administrative, criminal, labour, and constitutional law. He is a member of the Public Affairs Committee of the Ontario Bar Association. He was Co-Chair of the Canadian Bar Association (Ontario) 1998 Institute of Continuing Legal Education Programme on Conducting a Professional Disciplinary Hearing. He has been a member of the Executive of the Health Law and Labour Law Sections of the Ontario Bar Association and past Chair of the Constitutional and Civil Liberties Section, Canadian Bar Association (Ontario). He is a member of the Advocates' Society. He is the author of a section in Macaulay’s Practice and Procedure Before Administrative Tribunals.