Robert W. Becker

Robert has practiced personal injury and insurance law since 1984. He has appeared as the lead counsel at trials in all levels of courts in Ontario, both jury and non-jury. He has also appeared as lead counsel in appeals heard at the Divisional Court and Ontario Court of Appeal. Robert has served as counsel at a wide range of administrative tribunals that deal with personal injury, including the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, Canada Pension Plan Review Tribunal, Pension Appeal Board, and Workers' Compensation Appeals Tribunal. He has also participated in numerous private mediations, settlement conferences, and arbitrations.

For the first decade of his career, Robert divided his practice equally between representing injured accident victims and representing many of the largest insurers and institutional defendants in Ontario. Robert's insurance experience includes not only personal injury, but also professional negligence, property damage, and municipal liability claims. He finds his earlier experience especially valuable in providing insight into the wide range of problems an injured person may face. This experience has also provided him with a deep understanding of the tactics used by insurance companies and their lawyers.

Robert was born and raised in Grey County, Ontario. He attended the University of Western Ontario, receiving his BA (Hons.) in English Language and Literature in 1979. He earned his law degree in 1982 from The University of Toronto Law School, where he was awarded a Laskin Prize for standing first in his class in Constitutional Law. After articling at one of Ontario's most established and respected personal injury firms, he was called to the Bar in 1984. Later that same year, he joined Gowland, Boriss where he has practised throughout his career.

Robert is a member of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, the Peterborough County Law Association, and the American Association for Justice. In his spare time, he indulges his interest as a history buff and has enjoyed traveling to many historical sites in North America and Europe.

David A. Beckett

David was born and raised in Dundas, Ontario. His father was a well-respected lawyer in Hamilton for many years. David attended McMaster University in Hamilton, where he obtained his B.A. (Hons.) in 1987. He was then awarded a scholarship at McMaster to earn his Master's Degree (Political Science), which he completed in 1988. He obtained his LLB at the University of Windsor Law School in 1994. David articled in Toronto at one of Canada's largest law firms before joining Gowland, Boriss Injury Lawyers in December 1995. He was called to the Bar in 1996. Since then, he has restricted his practice to serious personal injury and related insurance litigation.

David is a member of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association and the Peterborough County Law Association. He has appeared as lead counsel at trials in the Ontario Superior Court and has represented his clients at a wide range of administrative tribunals, including the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, Canada Pension Plan Review Tribunal, and the Workers' Compensation Appeals Tribunal. David has also conducted numerous mediations and has participated in motions and applications on behalf of his injured and disabled clients.

David was formerly heavily involved in politics federally and provincially, and was on the Grant Review Team of the Ontario Trillium Foundation.  

Alec M. Gowland, Q.C.

Firm co-founder Alec Gowland graduated from Queen's University (BA and Law). He was called to the Bar in 1970 and practiced at a preeminent Toronto personal injury firm for seven years. Along with Dick Boriss, he founded Gowland, Boriss upon his move to Peterborough in 1975.

Alec has handled personal injury cases for 43 years and has acted exclusively for accident victims since 1990. He has extensive trial experience before judges and juries. He has also participated in hundreds of mediations, judicial pre-trials, and has appeared before numerous administrative tribunals, including the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, Canada Pension Appeals Tribunal, and the Social Benefits Tribunal.  

Appointed Queen's Counsel in 1984, Alec is a member of the Toronto Medico-Legal Society, the Advocates Society (Director for 2 years), and formerly both the Ontario and Canadian Bar Association (National and Provincial Director for 2 years). He is also a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, has also earned an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and has a Consistently Recommended rating as a Personal Injury Lawyer/Peterborough by Lexpert.ca.

Alec served as a Panel Member of the Ontario Legal Aid Panel Subcommittee for Test Cases for 17 years. He was also a Director of Camp Kawartha for nine years (President for 2 years). Additionally, he has been a Director of the Peterborough and District Head Injury Association 16 years. He is also a Mediator with ADR Chambers. Alec is married to Lexie and has four grown children of whom he is justifiably proud.