Canadian Lawyer

16 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m hether it's in the courtroom or on the ball diamond, Jack Fireman brings the same approach to winning — preparation and solid team building net you the best result. The 76-year-old per- sonal injury trial lawyer may be known as the driving force behind the championship- winning Toronto Gators (short for LitiGa- tors!) fast pitch team, but ask him about one of his best memories of the sport and he will tell you about the fortitude and skill of one of his top players. "My 1995 team has been picked by people who know as the best fastball team ever," says Fireman, a senior partner of Fireman Steinmetz Daya in Toronto. "When we went to the champi- onships in Sioux City, Iowa, we lost our first game, and when you lose your first game at a world tournament, you are then forced to go through the losers bracket and play a lot of games in seven days. We couldn't lose another game — we had to win 11 games in seven days." The team had what Fireman calls "the greatest pitcher ever" — Darren Zack from the Garden River First Nation in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., a member of the International Softball Congress Hall of Fame. "He was just incredible. He pitched 11 shutouts. It was still hard to win, but a lot easier when you have a pitcher like that," he says. Some have called Fireman the "George Steinbrenner of fast pitch." He has spon- sored the Toronto Gators and went on to win the International Softball Congress' World Championships in 1993 and 1995. In August this year, he was inducted into the ISC Hall of Fame and received the Bob Welby Memorial recognition of service award in South Bend, Ind. The Gators were the first Canadian team to win the ISC championship in 1993, downing the powerful Sioux City team. The Gators won their second championship in 1995 that featured the 11-game win streak. Unfortunately, during this year's ISC world championship tournament, the Gators lost to the Hill United Chiefs from Six Nations, Ont., in the final game. The Chiefs are now three-time world champi- ons. "We were leading them 4-2 going into the second-last inning and we blew it. It happens," laments Fireman. After considerable time and effort spent C R O S S E X A M I N E D W Jack Fireman with Gators team members Bob Green and Lorne Swartz. One hardball lawyer's passion Personal injury lawyer Jack Fireman Personal injury lawyer Jack Fireman honoured for fast pitch legacy. honoured for fast pitch legacy. By Jennifer Brown

• Cover