Meet the Carter Simpson Team

Bob Carter, K.C. - Partner

Bob was born in Wolfville and raised in Halifax and St. John’s, Newfoundland. He graduated from the University of New Brunswick Law School in 1998. Bob was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1999. 

From 1999 to 2014 Bob worked at a large Nova Scotia law firm practicing plaintiff personal injury and insurance litigation. By 2006 he was Partner and became a member of the Executive Committee and head of that firm’s personal injury group. 

Bob is a leader in his field. Recognized by his peers, he is consistently listed in Best Lawyers in Canada (2007 to present) in the area of personal injury. Since 2019 he has been recognized by Lexpert as a leading lawyer in Canada. In February 2020 Bob was honoured to receive his King’s Counsel (K.C.) designation.

He is Co-Chair of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia Liaison Committee and Chair of the Law Office Management Committee for the Nova Scotia Barrister’s Society. Bob has argued successfully in all levels of Court in Nova Scotia including the Provincial Court, NS Supreme Court, and NS Court of Appeal as well as the New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench and Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island. 

Community Involvement

Bob served and continues to serve on a variety of community boards. He was chair of the Fairview Family Resource Centre for a number of years. He is Past-Chair Emeritus of the Canadian Mental Health Association-Halifax/Dartmouth Branch after serving as Chair and Co-Chair for more than 15 years. He is a Past-President of the Springvale Elementary School PTA. He has also volunteered for the Brain Injury Association of NS. Bob served on the first Organizing Committee of the Brunswick Street Mission Breakfast. He is currently a Board Member of the Halifax Youth Foundation. 

Bob was a regular contributor to the NSBS Bar Admission Course, most recently acting as a Mock Chambers Judge for the past several years until the program was changed in 2020. He has regularly presented at Conferences for the Canadian Bar Association, both in-person and via webinar, as well as at LIANS Annual Risk Management Conferences, the Advocates Society, and the Atlantic Province Trial Lawyers Association. He has presented on topics such as Civil Procedure Rule 55, Future Income Loss Claims, Structured Settlements, Summary Judgements, and Mediations.

He continued his community involvement as a Scout leader and a Coach for his children’s minor baseball teams. He was also the Head Coach of his son's basketball team and now runs the U18 program for West End Steelers. Since 2016 he has been on the Board of Halifax Minor Baseball, currently as Past President, having served as President for 3 years.  In 2011 Bob was named HRM Volunteer of the Year. 

Fascinated with history, Bob has been a supporter of the Vimy Foundation and Western Front Association and spent time visiting the historic battlefields of the First World War, primarily Beaumont-Hamel, the burial ground for hundreds of soldiers of the Newfoundland Regiment. He is also a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and has been attending their Annual Convention since he was 17 years old.

Most recently he was appointed Branch President for Nova Scotia for the Last Post Fund. LPF provides financial support for the funeral and burial of Veterans as well as locating and providing grave markers for the unmarked graves of Veterans.

He lives in Halifax with his wife Joanne and their children, Elizabeth and Daniel; and their cat and hamster.

Ansley Simpson - Partner

Born and raised in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Ansley has been working in the legal field for more than 15 years. She began working as a Legal Assistant and Paralegal while completing her Psychology degree (Honours) at Acadia University. Ansley received an academic scholarship to Dalhousie University's Schulich School of Law and continued her work at the firm part-time. After graduating from Dalhousie in 2009, she was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 2010.

From 2010 to 2017 Ansley gained experience and grew her practice on the personal injury team at one of Halifax's larger law firms. She has represented clients in claims which vary from car, motorcycle, truck, plane, boat, ATV, and bicycle accidents as well as slip and falls, injuries by falling objects and projectiles, dog bites, and product liability claims.

She is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Atlantic Trial Lawyers Association. She has argued successfully in all levels of Court in Nova Scotia including the Provincial Court, NS Supreme Court, and NS Court of Appeal as well as the New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench. In 2012 Ansley completed the Intensive Trial Advocacy Programme, Université de Moncton.

Community Involvement

Since 2015 Ansley has been a board member of the Dalhousie Law Alumni Association (DLAA). In conjunction with the DLAA she mentors Dalhousie law students.

Ansley joined the board of the Metro Community Housing Association in 2008 while she was a second-year law school student. She remained active on the board until 2013. In 2013 Ansley joined the Canadian Paraplegic Association (NS Branch) where she served until 2015.

From 2011 to 2014 Ansley hosted Pub Trivia nights in support of various charities including Heart and Stroke Foundation, Bide Awhile, the Boys and Girls Club, Red Cross, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Besides the inherent reward of giving back to such worthy causes, Ansley met her husband in 2012 while at a Trivia Night which she was hosting in support of the Hockey Hero tournament for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

From 2014 through 2017 Ansley taught the Workshop component of the second year Civil Procedures course at Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law. 

In 2016 she presented to family physicians during a continuing medical education conference at Dalhousie University on authoring expert medical reports for the court. Ansley presented several times to physiotherapy students at Dalhousie with respect to their patients and the litigation process. She presented on no-fault accident benefits and Section D claims at the 2018 and 2021 Atlantic Trial Lawyers Association Conference.

Ansley lives in Dartmouth and spends her free time with her husband Richard, their toddler Vincent. They enjoy exploring the trails and beaches of our beautiful province. Ansley is a news junkie and loves to discuss current events.

Allison Harris - associate lawyer

Allison grew up in Lower Sackville and while she will always be a “Sackville Girl”, the City of Lakes has certainly grown on her since she moved to Dartmouth in 2012. Allison has extensive experience in the legal industry, having started her career as a legal assistant in 2005. She worked as a legal assistant and was promoted to paralegal at one of Halifax’s larger law firms where she worked for over a decade while completing her psychology degree at Mount Saint Vincent University. From 2016-2019 she continued to work part-time as a paralegal while she was a full-time law student at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. Allison was called to the bar in June 2020. She joined Carter Simpson on June 1, 2021 after articling and beginning to build her practice at another boutique Halifax law firm.

Allison thrives on helping people navigate difficult situations. Her practice style is informed by her background in psychology and interest in mental health. She understands the physical and emotional impact of an injury, having worked with personal injury clients for over fourteen years. She also understands how confusing and emotionally taxing it can be to navigate the legal system under any circumstance. Her unique experience helps her to better understand her clients and their problems. Her goal is to make their difficult experience a little easier.

Allison is particularly passionate about improving access to justice and information. While in law school, she completed the Dalhousie Legal Aid Clinical Program and a Clerkship with the Supreme Court (Family Division). Both programs provided her with valuable insight into the complexities of court processes and how difficult those processes can be for people who do not have a knowledgeable advocate. She seeks to help her clients understand the processes involved in their claim by providing knowledgeable legal support and clear communication.

Allison is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Atlantic Trial Lawyers Association. She serves on the executive of the Brain Injury Association of Nova Scotia Board of Directors. While attending law school, she volunteered as the Project Coordinator for the Dalhousie Mediation Clinic, a pilot project created by Dalhousie Legal Aid. She has spent considerable time volunteering with the Nova Scotia Hospital in various capacities and has participated in numerous annual charity events such as Make-A-Wish® Foundation’s Rope-For-Hope, the Manulife Dragon Boat Festival for Sport Nova Scotia, and CIBC’s Run-For-The-Cure.

Allison currently lives in Dartmouth with her husband. Her other true love is the outdoors. When she is not working, she can usually be found hiking, biking, canoeing/kayaking, golfing, skating, snowboarding, or just working around her yard. She also enjoys traveling, car shows, and spending time with friends and family.

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It DOES.” – William James

Myra janes - paralegal

Myra has over 20 years of paralegal experience in a fast-paced civil litigation environment. She has worked on litigation files on both the Defence and Plaintiff side which gives her a unique insight into client files and the course of litigation.

Myra is involved in claims from the initial intake, through the first meeting all the way to the conclusion of the case. At Carter Simpson Myra conducts file review and analysis and prepares correspondence, pleadings, and court documents. She also prepares litigation disclosure. Her organizational skills are enviable and she is an enormous asset to Carter Simpson and its clients by keeping files moving along smoothly. 

Outside of work Myra can be found spending time with her husband, traveling, relaxing by the pool, camping, or rooting for their two daughters in cheer and dance competitions.

Jane Mitsiopoulos - office manager

Jane is a long-time friend of Bob Carter. They met while attending the same junior high school and were teammates on an incredible ball hockey team. Jane attended Acadia University earning a BA in art and psychology. In 2014 she jumped at the chance to help Bob launch his own firm and is thrilled to continue on in her role as Office Manager for Carter Simpson.

Jane is dedicated to the smooth operation of the Carter Simpson Team and the firm. Her creativity and sunny disposition are always welcome around the office.

In her downtime Jane can be found spending time with her husband and two boys, playing on the soccer pitch, or in the woods (rain or shine) with the Army Cadets where she is honoured to hold the position of a CIC Officer.

Hayley Jakeman - Summer Student

Hayley was born and raised in Cow Bay, Nova Scotia. She attended Acadia University from 2016-2018 and finished her undergraduate studies at Saint Mary’s University, graduating in 2020 with a BA in Sociology and a minor in Psychology.

While working on obtaining her undergraduate degree, starting in 2017, Hayley worked part-time in various legal support roles at a large firm in Halifax. After graduating with her BA, Hayley returned to work full-time as a paralegal in real property before being accepted into the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University in 2023.

Hayley just recently began living in the South End of Halifax when she started law school. She is enjoying adjusting to life in the city. Outside of work Hayley enjoys spending time with her dog Remi whom she adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as attending fitness classes such as spinning, pilates and yoga. She also loves horror movies and books, her favourite author being Stephen King. She has dreamed of becoming a lawyer since a very young age and is excited to join the team at Carter Simpson and continue to gain experience as she begins her career.

Erin Carter - Paralegal

Erin joined Carter Simpson in October 2022. She is a highly skilled paralegal with extensive experience in litigation, personal injury, and insurance. Erin hails from Corner Brook, NL, but has resided in Halifax/Dartmouth area over the last 25 years. She earned her BA in Political Science from Memorial University and her Paralegal Diploma from Cape Breton university. She has also taken CIP courses through the Insurance Institute of Canada. 

Erin provides case review and analysis; drafts correspondence, proposals, briefs, pleadings, and court documentation as well as prepares litigation disclosure. She also has experience with trial preparation.

Outside the office, Erin enjoys the theater and symphony and is a strong supporter of local arts and culture. She is also an avid reader and a well-known cat lover! She has become an amateur cat photographer on social media (her cats were featured in the 2021 Bide Awhile Pet Calendar).  She resides with her husband and her two cats in Dartmouth.

jacinda solomon - legal assistant/receptionist

Jacinda is a 2021 graduate from Maritime Business College’s paralegal program and is excited to join the Carter Simpson team. She was born in Ottawa but moved to Nova Scotia when she was young and since then has spent most of her time in Nova Scotia.

Jacinda obtained her B.A. from Acadia Univeristy in 2019 with a major in Politics and a minor in Legal Studies.

Outside the office, Jacinda spends much of her time in the kitchen working on new baking recipes or curled up with a good fantasy novel and a cup of hot cocoa.

Carrie Macdonald - Paralegal

Carrie has twenty years of experience in a plaintiff personal injury and disability practice.

Bob and Ansley have been lucky to have benefited from Carrie’s first-rate paralegal support over the last 20 years. Carrie is responsible for file review and analysis, preparing correspondence and court documents, overseeing court limitation periods as well as handling document disclosure and accounting responsibilities. Carrie is conscientious with an eye for detail which is an asset to clients and the whole Carter Simpson Team.

Outside of work, she is kept very busy chasing after her two young daughters. Her home is full of energy and love; her little girls keep Carrie on her toes!