Jacqueline Armstrong Gates
Jacqueline Armstrong Gates is a partner in Gowling WLG's Waterloo Region office. She has over twenty years of litigation experience. She is the former head of the office's advocacy department. She is presently the National Litigation Lead - Product Liability.
Jacqueline's broad commercial litigation practice emphasizes commercial and banking litigation, injunctions, shareholder and partnership disputes, negligence actions, construction liens, leasing disputes, product liability, title insurance and the defence of general insurance matters, including personal injury, third-party property damage, wrap-up, and construction and transportation issues.
She has experience working with public and private corporations and partnerships, both large and small, in Canada and the United States. Jacqueline also has experience working for insurance companies and insureds, as well as manufacturers, retailers and self-insured entities.
Jacqueline is known for her ability to focus on the underlying problems, articulate the issues and craft appropriate solutions. She has argued cases in the Ontario Court of Appeal and Divisional Court, and has represented parties at trials in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. She is a speaker at various seminars and conferences on a range of topics, and actively contributes to the Gowling WLG pro bono program. Jacqueline also plays a key role in making Gowling WLG a great place to work.
Jacqueline was recognized for her corporate commercial litigation experience in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. In 2010, she was named among Lexpert's "Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40" and named among the Waterloo Region Record's "Top 40 Under 40." In 2017, she was also named the University of Waterloo's Alumni Achievement Award winner. Most recently, she was the recipient of the 2019 Coulter A. Osborne Award, presented by the Waterloo Law Association.
Jacqueline is a University of Waterloo Arts Faculty mentor and a member of the Queen's Law '94 Fundraising Committee. She also delivers Christmas hampers, participates in the Angel Tree gift giving program and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and the Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
Jacqueline is a former Brigadoon Public School volunteer, member of the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery Fundraising Committee, a former board member of the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, a former member of the Galt Country Club, a former chair of the Ontario Bar Association Kitchener-Waterloo Law Day, a former executive member of the Ontario Bar Association, a former chair of the Ontario Bar Association Awards Committee and former OBA JUST Publication editorial board member.
In her spare time, Jacqueline trains for half-marathons and is a body builder, and is active locally in her community.