More Recent History
Peter obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Western Ontario in 1976. During his university years, he paid his way by performing as a singer/guitarist at local nightclubs and other entertainment venues in Ontario and Europe. A high point in the music career was his recording with Little Richard in London in 1971. To finance his education and travels, Peter also dabbled in importing clothing, pipes, gems and rings from Istanbul where, he feels, he learned negotiating skills which have proved invaluable in his current dealings with lawyers and insurance adjusters. His European travels also provided a window to other cultures, languages, survival skills and scenery which form the subject matter of some of his photos.
After touring for five years as an entertainer following graduation from Western, Peter enrolled in the Criminology degree program at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia in 1981. His first LP recording, Half Fast, was released the same year.
The University of Alberta appears to have needed a lead singer for the law school band in 1982 and opened the door to the study of law that year. Following his first year of law school, Peter was hired for the summer to produce a report on domestic violence in Alberta. His report, which included, among other things, interviews of abuse victims, police, prosecutors, judges and convicted prisoners, was instrumental in changing the manner in which assault cases were to be handled in Edmonton. For the summer of 1984, he acted as a Provincial crown Prosecutor in Barrie, Ontario, handling up to eighty Provincial traffic charges in one day, as well as conducting bail hearings. He received his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the U.of A. in 1985 and commenced the "articling" process at Dyer, Brown in London where, the next year, he completed the Law Society of Upper Canada Bar Admission Course.
Peter became a barrister and solicitor of the Province of Ontario in March, 1987, at which time he joined a firm in Midland, Ontario, practising a broad variety of civil and criminal litigation, including acting as Federal Crown Prosecutor handling drug prosecutions. He was married that June at a castle in Sollentuna, Sweden. In 1988, he released a recording called "Kids" for the benefit of Big Sisters Association of Ontario. Concurrently, he became a founding member of the Penetanguishene Environmental Action Committee and joined Trout Unlimited.
In order that his wife could obtain her Bachelor of Science degree in Midwifery and to spend more time with his one year old daughter, Peter took a sabbatical from the practice of law and moved to Sweden in 1991 for one year where he taught English, studied Swedish, built a key fiddle (nyckelharpa) and enjoyed the cycle paths with his daughter on a shoestring budget. He returned to Canada in 1992 to join Graham, Wilson and Green in a general litigation practice. That year also marked the arrival of his second daughter and the beginning of his musical duo "Thom and Jerry" with Dr. Gerald Levine accompanying Peter on fiddle and mandolin. Gerry's fiddle expertise can be heard on two tracks of Peter's 2004 CD "Taking a Dive (Heart First)". Peter joined the Board of Directors of Barrie's environmental watchdog and advisory group Be Green Barrie which subsequently evolved to Environmental Action Barrie and is now Living Green Barrie where he remains a Board member. He also became a member of the Board of Epilepsy Simcoe County around this time for several years to follow.
A car crash in which he fractured four vertebrae in 1994 gave Peter insight into motor vehicle insurance benefits and increased empathy for accident victims. It also provided an opportunity to overcome adversity through swimming and determination. On a more positive note, his son was born that year as well.
In January of 1997, Peter took the opportunity to focus on personal injury law by opening his own practice in Barrie while concurrently practising in partnership in Whitby with Murray Miskin. By 2001, the success of the Barrie office made it impractical to continue with the Whitby practice and so the partnership was amicably dissolved. The practice in Barrie remains busy, however, Peter endeavors to maintain personal service on a first name basis with his clients and he will try to find someone who can help you if your problem involves another area of law. Many clients remain friends after their cases are over and feel welcome to drop by to say hello to Peter and Tracey in the comfortable downtown Barrie office.
Peter's current outside interests include fishing, scuba, skiing, Cuba, painting, Oregon, making his own maple syrup, photography, guitar, the Parkinson's Society of Canada, writing, and raising his children as a single father (not necessarily in that order).Copies of his two CDs will soon be available on this website as will cards and prints of his art and photos.
We look forward to having you as a client or hearing your comments regarding this website.
BIO - TRACEY JESSO
I was born in New Brunswick but my family originates from the West Coast of Newfoundland. My father was in the military and I have therefore moved around Canada a fair bit. I completed the Legal Assistant course at Mount Royal College in Calgary in 1990 and I have worked in the legal field since then. I started out at Blake, Cassels & Graydon in Calgary in the Corporate Commercial Department. I moved to St. John's, Newfoundland in 1991 and was drawn into the personal injury area of law where there is more client contact. I worked for Ches Crosble Barristers in St. John's, Newfoundland as Mr. Crosbie's (John Crosbie's son) legal assistant for almost 7 years.
I left Newfoundland in January 1999 when my fiancé, Jason, finished his degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland and moved to Barrie, Ontario. Jason quickly began his career in the computer industry by securing a position with a mid-size company in Markham. I worked in two temporary positions until I was hired by Peter Thompson in June of 1999. Thankfully, my family was already in Barrie and provided great moral support during our transition. Jason and I were married in 2004 and in 2005 Austin was born. My second boy, Ashton, was born in 2007.
I have worked for Peter Thompson as his sole law clerk (and receptionist/bookkeeper/assistant) since June of 1999. I joined the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario (ILCO) as an Ordinary member in 2001 and began taking the associate level exams. After successful completion of the necessary courses and exams, I became an Associate member of ILCO in 2003. I hope to complete the Fellowship Level course in Civil Litigation when it is next offered by ILCO.