Samuel Isaac Wilder

Sam Wilder graduated from the University of Manitoba Law School in 1965 with the Gold Medal for the highest standing in his class. Sam was on the Dean’s Honour’s List in every year of law school and was the recipient of many individual awards.

Sam grew up in the north end of Winnipeg. He graduated from St. John’s Technical High School in 1957 and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba in 1961. He was quite active in the University of Manitoba Student’s Union and President of his fraternity through his undergraduate years.

Sam articled with the law firm of Walsh Micay. He practiced with that firm and then with the Attorney General’s Department as a prosecutor until 1967 when he joined his brother in their own firm, Wilder Wilder & Associates(soon to be Wilder Wilder & Langtry) where he was head of the Civil Litigation Department since its inception and until its merger with PKF Lawyers in January of 2020.

Sam was appointed Queen’s Counsel (Q.C.) in 1993.

Sam has a broad range of experience in most areas of litigation, including criminal, domestic and civil law. He had a large criminal practice in the early years of his practice and had numerous successful jury trials ranging from murder, rape, arson and armed robbery throughout the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s.

Concurrently, Sam carried on a busy family and civil litigation practice, having numerous appearances in all courts in the province, particularly, in the catastrophic personal injury field.

For the past 25 years, Sam has practiced mostly in the fields of personal injury, tort litigation, generally, and insurance law with a particular emphasis on professional liability (E&O Insurance). He remains active as well in the fields of commercial litigation, class actions, disability insurance and labour law/wrongful dismissal. He has been very active in both the legal profession and his community, generally.

In the legal profession: Sam was a bencher of the Law Society 1984-1986 and then again from 1993 to 1996. During that time, he served in various positions, including Chairman of the Public Relations Committee, Vice Chairman of the Standards Committee and the Professional Liability Claims Fund Committee and an active member of the Discipline, Constitution, Practice and Ethics and the Manitoba Law School Foundation committees.

Sam was an ethics examiner for the Bar Admissions course for articling students. Sam was active as well in the Manitoba Bar Association serving in most executive capacities, including President of the Manitoba Bar Association for the years 1981-82. Sam also served in various capacities with the Canadian Bar Association, including being on the National Executive Committee in 1982-83 and serving on several other committees thereafter.

He served as a board member of the Manitoba Law Foundation and Legal Aid Manitoba. He is a current member of the American Trial Lawyers Association and has been a frequent lecturer at their conventions.

Sam was a member of the Court of Queen’s Bench Rules and Case Management Committees.

In his community life, Sam has activity participated in a number of committees of the Jewish Community Council. He served as Past President of the Jewish Child & Family Services and remains an honourary life member. He is a Past board member, president and honourary life board member of the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. He is a past board member and executive member of the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University; the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre; the Manitoba Head Injury Association and the Winnipeg Squash & Racquet Club.

Sam was also an aide to the Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Manitoba, the Honourable Bud Jobin throughout his tenure as Lieutenant Governor.

Sam has also, over the past many years, assisted in a variety of fundraising campaigns including the United Way, the Jewish Foundation, the Winnipeg Jewish Community Counsel and the Winnipeg Jewish Theater.

Sam and Wendy have been married for 54 years. They have three children and five grandchildren, all of whom along with their spouses being them great joy and pride.

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