Erin O'Toole

Erin O’Toole is a Canadian corporate lawyer with Heenan Blaikie LLP in Toronto. His practice focuses on advertising and marketing, competition, intellectual property and general corporate matters. Erin also provides strategic counsel to clients in a diverse range of industries, including energy, infrastructure and consumer products. Prior to joining Heenan Blaikie, Erin served as Canadian in-house counsel at Procter & Gamble, where he advised the company on litigation, intellectual property enforcement and provided commercial counsel to the beauty and healthcare business units. Erin is a regular contributor to Marketing Magazine, where his Rules of Engagement column explores a variety of legal and business strategy issues in marketing and advertising. He is also very involved in the public policy process in Canada and has advised political leaders at all levels of government. He is a graduate of Dalhousie Law School and was called to the bar in Ontario in 2004. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Erin served twelve years in the Canadian Forces. He attended the Royal Military College of Canada, where he graduated with a B.A. (Hons) in Politics & History and was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He received his wings as a flight navigator and flew with the Royal Canadian Navy as a Sea King Helicopter (CH-124) Tactical Navigator. Prior to his honourable discharge from the military, Erin received the Canadian Forces Decoration (C.D.) and a Sikorsky Helicopter Rescue Award. Erin serves on several non-profit and for-profit boards and is very involved in a number of charitable causes. He is one of the founders of the True Patriot Love Foundation, which raises money for military families and wounded soldiers. He is the co-chair of the annual, non-partisan Churchill Dinner in Toronto, which honours public service. He has also been involved in raising funds for a variety of charities through the annual Alexander Keith's East Coast Sociable. In 2009, the Minister of National Defence appointed Erin to the Board of Governors of the Royal Military College of Canada. Erin and his wife Rebecca live in Courtice, Ontario with their children Mollie and Jack.