William H. White, Q.C. attended Waterloo College (now Wilfrid Laurier University) and graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 1957 and has been practicing law in Waterloo Region since his call to the Bar in 1962, over 50 years ago. He has previously acted for a number of different municipalities and public bodies in Southwestern Ontario while in private practice, but is now the in-house Corporate Legal Counsel for the City of Waterloo.
Mr. White has been a member of the Canadian/Ontario Bar Association as well as a member of the Waterloo Law Association since 1962. He has also been a member of the Advocates’ Society since 1985.
In addition to his lengthy legal career, from 1962 until 1986, Mr. White lectured on Business Law at the School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University. He has also been heavily involved in the community having served as Chair for the Kitchener-Waterloo Hospital Commission, Director and Secretary-Treasurer of the Waterloo Law Association, and and as President of the local branch of the Canadian Arthritis & Rheumatism Society.
In 1974, William H. White was appointed Queen’s Counsel. In 2006, he was awarded the Waterloo Law Association’s highest honour: the Coulter A. Osbourne award for integrity, comity and beneficence. In 2008, Mr. White was recognized by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Certified Specialist in Municipal Law, in both the Local Government and Land Use Planning and Development specialties.
Mr. White has experience in every area of Municipal & Planning Law. He has appeared before the O.M.B. over 600 times throughout his career, including representing a Regional Municipality at a 97-day O.M.B. hearing involving a regional shopping centre.
Mr. White has extensively advised municipalities and other public bodies such as hydro corporations, school boards, police commissions, library boards, and conservation authorities on a wide spectrum of Municipal & Planning Law matters. He is considered an expert in civic administration, municipal council procedure and governance and he has advised and lectured extensively on those subjects. He has also authored a book of some of his experiences titled “Living At City Hall”. He is now completing a second book.
The 2014 OBA Award of Excellence in Municipal Law Dinner will be held on June 5, 2014 at Biagio Ristorante, Toronto. Register for this event.