Kathy O'Brien

Kathy’s practice is focused on corporate and commercial matters. She regularly speaks to boards of not-for-profit and charitable corporations to advise them of their governance and charitable law responsibilities, including providing advice on hospital, foundation and association by-laws. Kathy works with healthcare organizations and foundations to establish appropriate governance structures and policies to facilitate and maintain healthy, cooperative relationships.

Kathy has worked with Ontario health service providers for over 20 years, facilitating restructurings and realignments within the healthcare sector, and implementing integrations of all kinds. This includes: Ontario health teams, amalgamations, mergers, management services arrangements, alliances and networks. She has helped establish several shared services organizations in Ontario (procurement, lab and IT services), as well as alliances that provide information technology services, electronic health record systems, PACS services and diagnostic imaging repositories on a regional basis. These arrangements pay significant dividends (i.e., efficiencies, saved resources) to participants.

Prior to joining INQ Law, Kathy was a partner and Co-chair of the National Health Law Group at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. She has worked in the private practice since 1994, focusing specifically on the health and charitable/non-profit sector since 1999.

Recent Experience:

• Helped establish several procurement and strategic sourcing shared service organizations (SSOs) across Ontario
• Advised on recent mergers of Ontario hospitals and healthcare organizations in Kingston, Ottawa and Toronto
• Assisted a national charity to update its governance structure to a skills-based and representative stakeholder model
• Advised on best practices in relationships between operating charities and their parallel fundraising foundations

Insights & Recognition

• Best Lawyers in Canada: Recognized by her peers in Health Care Law (2008-2022)

Affiliations:

• Ontario Bar Association (Member)
• Board of Directors & Governance Committee of Canada’s Ballet Jörgen (Member)