"With any art, practice is the key to excellence. A painter's first crayon drawing won't be in a museum. Law is the same. Law school teaches you what the statutes say, but it's through practicing that you get good at it." - Jennifer Vrancic

Jennifer Vrancic Associate

Jennifer Vrancic cut her teeth on insurance defense work, but what attracted her to Scarfone Hawkins-in addition to the firm’s impressive reputation-was the diversity of civil and commercial litigation matters she would get a taste of. Today you’ll find her supporting the Thompson, Moloci and Stanton team on everything from shareholder disputes to oppression remedies with her trademark calm confidence.

Every file is a puzzle to solve

One of the first things Jennifer Vrancic packs for a vacation is a puzzle book. Logical problem solving isn’t simply an after-hours indulgence for her, though-it’s what she finds interesting about her work as a civil and commercial litigator at Scarfone Hawkins. “I look at every file as a puzzle,” she says. “I have some pieces but not all of them. What kind of picture am I building? What pieces do I need?”

By age four, Jennifer knew she had a talent for argument. As a teenager, she honed her negotiating skills haggling at garage sales. Watching her dad-a solicitor-stuck behind a desk led her to choose the life of a litigator. But it’s not all about the courtroom drama, she clarifies. “People have this idea that lawyers have to be aggressive, but aggression is counter-productive. You get further when you try to work with people.”

For Jennifer, it all comes down to helping her clients weigh the risks and set reasonable expectations. What are the costs of litigation versus settlement versus other ways of resolving the matter? “I haven’t done my duty to my client if it costs them $10 to recover $5,” Jennifer says. “I need to give them a fair and honest assessment of their case to help them decide how to move forward.”

Featured Work

In 2010, Jennifer won the Scotiabank Award, presented to an upper-year student earning the highest standing in the wills or trusts course.

" Q: Words to live by."

− A: “Maya Angelou once said, 'Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.' It was great advice after my first son was born, and now I apply those words to every area of my life.”

" Q: What I love about Hamilton."

− A: “Hamilton has an urban downtown, but I get to live a two-minute walk from a waterfall. I've got all the joys of rural and suburban living without having to give up job opportunities and interesting work.”

" Q: Greatest role model."

− A: “There's inspiration everywhere and lessons to learn from everyone. Sometimes it's finding the mistakes and not making them yourself.”