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Kotak builds thriving law practice by leading with empathy

Kotak Law builds thriving law practice by leading with empathy

Nainesh Kotak’s career has been built on the notion of giving back. As one of Canada’s leading disability lawyers, Kotak helps Canadians suffering from physical and mental health conditions through long-term disability cases at his practice, Kotak Personal Injury Law.

In addition to helping individuals who have been wronged by insurance companies, Kotak is a staunch advocate for mental health and an educational pillar in the legal community.

Growing up, Kotak aspired to have a career that made a difference to the people around him. He credits the influence of his late parents for much of his drive and success. Coming from humble beginnings, Kotak’s mother and father instilled the values of honesty, hard work and giving back into Kotak and his sister. As a strong communicator with a desire to support his community, the law was a profession that came naturally.

Driving social change

Following an undergraduate degree in Political Science and History at York University, Kotak pursued law school at the University of Ottawa. After being called to the bar in 1994, he started his practice with another lawyer and fell into criminal law, a career move that provided Kotak with substantial trial experience, setting the stage for future success in disability law.

By 1998 Kotak was the sole lawyer in his practice and began to shift focus toward personal injury law. Today, Kotak Personal Injury Law has five lawyers and a support staff of 10 employees.

Inspired by the work of his practice, Kotak has spent the past decade using his voice to raise awareness around mental health issues and advocate for those suffering.

“In any given year, one in five Canadians will experience a mental health condition,” explains Kotak, noting that most of his clients have some form of mental illness.  As a disability lawyer, Kotak has seen firsthand the stigma that clients face while navigating their cases.

Despite the widespread nature of mental health issues, the stigma persists. This is one of the many reasons Kotak has leveraged his professional experience to advocate for mental health and break the stigma.

For the past seven years, Kotak has been actively involved with Wounded Warriors Canada, a national mental health service provider for Canada’s veterans, first responders and their families. Kotak has supported the organization through financial contributions and volunteer efforts, including hosting troops and cadets in his box for Brampton Beast hockey games.

“When you’re successful in society and life, it’s important to give back,” he says. Although many interpret giving back as annual charitable donations, Kotak wants to use his platform to drive social change.

Mental health advocacy

In his second year as President of EveryMind Mental Health Services (formerly Peel Children’s centre), Kotak helps guide the organization in supporting families, children and youth who are undergoing mental health crises.

EveryMind Mental Health Services delivers free, confidential mental health support to children, youth, young adults and families in the Region of Peel, Ontario. His connection to this work is deeply tied to his own practice as childhood trauma is a shared experience for many of Kotak’s clients.

Thanks to his professional work, Kotak has a deep understanding of the role that childhood support and organizations like EveryMind can play in changing the course of a life.  It’s through this lens that Kotak is motivated to equip youth and children with the tools needed to manage their illness from an early age.

In addition to his work with EveryMind and Wounded Warriors, Kotak also provides financial donations to local and national charities such as the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Being an advocate for mental health is only one of the ways he leverages his professional success to drive social change.  He is also an educational pillar in the legal community, providing guidance and leadership for fellow lawyers through the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association.

For the past five years, Kotak has been an active member of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, currently serving as an executive board member and chair of the long-term disability section. The association provides opportunities for its 1400+ members to connect and improve access to justice across Ontario, advance their practice through training and education, identify solutions to improve our legal system and lobby for the full and fair protection of the rights of those who have suffered injury and losses.

Leader in the legal community

As chair of the long-term disability section, Kotak regularly organizes webinars, seminars and roundtables, a spring and fall conference and an annual luncheon. Together, these events offer a forum for lawyers to exchange ideas and advance trial law in Canada.

Kotak’s impact on his profession doesn’t end there: In 2020 he took it upon himself to chair a working group that would later form a Diversity and Inclusion Caucus in the Association. Together with two other lawyers and two paralegals, Kotak developed the structure and mandate for the Caucus, effectively strengthening equity and inclusivity in legal support across Ontario.

Going above and beyond is something that comes naturally to Kotak. In addition to leading his peers through his work with the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, Kotak is recognized as a reliable voice in the media, regularly appearing on television and radio to discuss legal and social issues such as disability insurance policies, cyclist rights, traveller rights and more.

Kotak’s ability to lead with empathy and desire to give back are key drivers of his success. It’s no surprise that his philosophy for building a successful law practice centres on teamwork.

“A great firm is the result of people who have been empowered to go above and beyond in service of our clients,” explains Kotak.

By working together and learning from one another, Kotak and his colleagues are continuously growing both professionally and personally. In short, Kotak’s leadership has created an environment where employees feel both welcomed and valued, enabling them to put their best foot forward and serve clients with compassion and empathy.

KOTAK PERSONAL INJURY LAW/DISABILITY LAWYERS CAN HELP YOU

We understand that being denied short-term disability or long-term disability benefits can be devastating. Your time to fight your disability insurance company is limited. Please do not delay in calling a short- and long-term disability claim lawyer at Kotak Personal Injury Law. We have successfully sued numerous disability insurance companies including Manulife, Sunlife, Desjardins, Cigna, Great-West Life, Equitable Life, Empire Life, London Life, Blue Cross, AIG, SSQ, RBC, Industrial Alliance, Canada Life, Fenchurch, OTIP, Teachers Life and more.

Call your trusted long-term disability lawyers at  1-888-GOKOTAK (Toll Free for all of Canada), or (416) 816-1500 (Local Number for Ontario Residents), (403) 319-0071, (587) 414-1010 (Local Numbers for Alberta Residents). Our consultation is free, and we don’t get paid until you do. We represent disabled people throughout Ontario and Alberta, including Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Milton, Georgetown, Orangeville, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, St.Catharines, Niagara Falls, Stoney Creek, Kitchener/Waterloo, Cambridge, London, Windsor, Markham, Pickering, Oshawa, Peterborough, Keswick, Kingston, Ottawa, Banff, Brooks, Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Jasper, Lake Louise, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Saint Albert and other locations.