Get to know the best securities litigation lawyers in Toronto based on Lexpert’s comprehensive yearly peer review. The complete list of Ontario’s top securities litigation lawyers and law firms can be accessed via our practice area rankings.
In our survey, securities litigation covers dispute resolution and settlement on issues, including insider trading, oppression remedies, shareholder disputes, contested mergers and acquisitions bid and defence work, proxy contests, amalgamations, reorganizations and restructurings, corporate governance disputes, and director, officer, issuer and investment dealer disclosure and liability claims.
Most frequently recommended securities litigation lawyers in Toronto
Wendy Berman
Law firm: Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1992
Wendy Berman is a senior partner at business law firm Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, where she also chairs the securities litigation group. She specializes in corporate and securities litigation. Berman has significant experience in complex commercial and securities-related litigation, often involving parallel and cross-border regulatory, criminal and class action proceedings. She is also well-versed in the litigation aspects of proxy contests, takeover bids and other acquisitions. Berman has represented public companies, directors and officers in some of Canada’s largest investigations and proceedings involving disclosure violations, insider trading and other fraud-related allegations, corruption and anti-bribery, significant acquisition transactions and corporate governance.
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Sheila R. Block
Law firm: Torys LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1974
Sheila R. Block is a partner and the chair of the litigation and dispute resolution practice at Torys LLP, one of Canada’s largest full-service business law firm. She also serves as a senior trial and appellate counsel with a broad civil litigation practice, which includes corporate, commercial and securities litigation, intellectual property, defamation and administrative law cases. Being among the country’s top securities litigation lawyers, Block has appeared as counsel on a wide range of leading cases before all levels of court in Canada and in international arbitrations and other tribunals. She has spoken and written extensively on advocacy and civil litigation. Block has also taught advocacy in Canada, the US, England, Scotland, New Zealand and El Salvador.
Robert J. Brush
Law firm: Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1998
Robert J. Brush is a partner at Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP, one of Toronto’s leading corporate and securities litigation boutique. He is an expert in corporate and securities litigation. His securities litigation practice includes class actions, proceedings before securities regulators, director and officer liability claims, shareholder and corporate governance disputes, oppression remedy matters, takeover bid litigation, negligence claims against investment advisors and dealers and wrongful dismissal suits against investment firms. Brush regularly represents public companies, investment dealers, officers, directors, shareholders, investment advisors and investors in the myriad disputes that can arise in the capital markets. He also has a wide-ranging commercial litigation practice that includes breach of contract suits, fraud and cyber-fraud investigations and claims, business tort claims, wrongful dismissal actions and professional negligence suits.
Nigel Campbell
Law firm: Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1981 (NB); 1983 (ON)
Nigel Campbell is a senior counsel at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, an international full-service business law firm with offices across Canada, and in New York and Beijing. Campbell is a former co-chair of the firm’s litigation and dispute resolution group. He specializes in securities and corporate and commercial litigation and is considered as a leading securities litigation lawyer. Campbell also has extensive experience in administrative law and has developed a national investment dealer, broker and capital markets practice. He appears before all levels of courts in Canada and before provincial securities commissions and other securities regulatory organizations throughout the country. Campbell frequently speaks and writes on matters that affect his practice areas.
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Alistair Crawley
Law firm: Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1996
Alistair Crawley is a partner at Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP and is considered as one of Canada's leading securities litigation lawyers. He devotes his practice to corporate, securities and commercial litigation. Crawley handles corporate and contractual disputes and remedies, takeovers and contested shareholder meetings, corporate governance, directors’ and officers’ liability, investigations and enforcement hearings, regulatory policy and compliance issues and professional negligence claims. He boasts extensive experience as counsel in Ontario Securities Commission proceedings and has argued some of the province’s most significant securities law cases. He represents clients in investigations and proceedings brought by the Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada, Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada and JSOT.
Tom Curry
Law firm: Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1986
Tom Curry is a managing partner at Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP and is recognized as one of the most experienced trial and appellate advocates in Canada. He is also considered among the top securities litigation lawyers in the country. Curry has a long record of success in high-profile commercial litigation, class actions, arbitrations, business disputes, administrative law, judicial review, intellectual property, competition and professional liability cases. He is a regular speaker on a wide variety of subjects relating to trial practice and substantive law. Curry is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and is certified as a specialist in civil litigation by the Law Society of Ontario. His firm is one of Toronto’s leading litigation law firms.
James D.G. Douglas
Law firm: Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Year called to the Bar: 1981
James D.G. Douglas is a senior counsel at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP’s Toronto office. He is also the national leader of securities litigation practice group and co-chair of investigations and white-collar defence practice group at the firm. He is recognized as one of Canada’s best securities litigation lawyers. Douglas has extensive experience in general commercial litigation and securities litigation, including shareholder disputes, mergers and acquisitions litigation, broker liability suits, regulatory proceedings and prosecutions and related internal investigations. He appears regularly as counsel before all levels of courts, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities industry regulatory bodies. He is also a former senior investigation counsel with the Ontario Securities Commission. Douglas is a frequent writer and speaker on topics relating to securities litigation and regulation, shareholders’ rights and broker liability. His firm specializes in business law and one of the country’s largest.
John Fabello
Law firm: Torys LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1994
John Fabello is a senior partner at Torys LLP’s securities litigation and class action practices and a primary contact for the firm’s securities defence practice. He devotes his practice to all aspects of securities litigation and regulatory matters, and general corporate and commercial litigation. Fabello represents clients across Canada before securities and other financial regulators and the courts. He also conducts internal investigations and advises financial services firms regarding the quality and sufficiency of their regulatory compliance programs. Fabello has acted as an instructor for in-house broker and investment banker continuing education programs. He is a frequent speaker and lecturer on securities litigation.
Linda L. Fuerst
Law firm: Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1983
Linda L. Fuerst is a senior partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, one of the country’s largest business law firm. Her practice covers a broad range of commercial and professional liability matters, with a focus on securities litigation, class proceedings, regulatory issues and white-collar crime, including cross-border matters. Fuerst has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario, the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Court of Appeal. She has also acted in connection with investigations and proceedings by the Ontario, Alberta and Nova Scotia Securities Commissions, Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada and the Competition Bureau. In addition, Fuerst represents corporations and individuals with respect to internal investigations.
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Peter Griffin
Law firm: Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1980
Peter Griffin is a founding partner at Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP. He is recognized as one of the top securities litigation lawyers in Canada. Griffin boasts extensive experience in complex cross-border litigation, especially in class proceedings and insolvency and restructuring. He regularly advises the boards of national and multinational companies. He also represents clients in arbitration and alternative dispute resolution proceedings and acts as an arbitrator in commercial disputes. Griffin is past president of The Advocates’ Society, a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and past chair of its Ontario province committee. He is constantly sought out as an expert speaker on advocacy, shareholder disputes, class actions, professional liability and insolvency and restructuring.
David A. Hausman
Law firm: Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1991
David A. Hausman is a partner at full-service business law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. He specializes in securities litigation and is considered one of the best in the practice. Hausman regularly represents investment dealers, public companies, mutual funds, directors and officers. He advises clients on regulatory investigations and proceedings before provincial securities commissions, all Canadian stock exchanges and self-regulatory organizations. Hausman also advises clients on governance issues in the public company context, representing both bidders and targets in contested mergers and acquisitions transactions. He continues to act for the securities regulator and foreign regulators on securities regulation and enforcement matters. Hausman is a frequent speaker on the regulation of mutual funds, corporate governance, insider trading, mergers and acquisitions, and securities enforcement investigations and proceedings.
Peter F.C. Howard
Law firm: Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1982
Peter F.C. Howard is a partner at the litigation and dispute resolution group at Stikeman Elloitt LLP. He devotes his practice to commercial litigation, including securities law, class actions, commercial contracts, oppression and other types of shareholder and joint venture litigation and insolvency matters. Howard also has extensive experience in arbitrations, mediation and alternate dispute resolution. He has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada and the trial and appellate levels of courts in Ontario and numerous administrative tribunals. Howard has also appeared in the Courts of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. He is considered among the top securities litigation lawyers in the country. His firm specializes in all aspects of business law.
Eliot N. Kolers
Law firm: Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1996
Eliot N. Kolers is a partner at Stikeman Elliott LLP, where he also heads the litigation and dispute resolution group. He is also a member of the firm’s management committee in the Toronto office. Kolers’ practice is focused on corporate commercial, competition and securities litigation. He is recognized as one of the best securities litigation lawyers in Canada. Kolers has represented clients in a wide range of complex cases, including many “real time” litigation matters in relation to contested corporate transactions. He has defended class actions involving competition law, securities and privacy issues. Kolers has also represented clients in a broad range of commercial cases involving oppression remedies, proxy contests, takeover bids, shareholder disputes, plans of arrangement and corporate governance matters. He regularly appears before the commercial list of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Kolers’ competition litigation experience relates to class actions, criminal matters and contested proceedings before the Competition Tribunal. His competition law cases involved allegations of anti-competitive conduct concerning the manufacture and sale of various products.
Paul H. Le Vay
Law firm: Stockwoods LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1988
Paul H. Le Vay is a partner at Toronto-based litigation boutique Stockwoods LLP. His practice includes corporate, commercial and securities litigation, regulatory and public law, professional liability and regulation, claims against directors and officers, employment litigation and class proceedings. Le Vay is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Being bilingual, he argues cases in English and French before all levels of court as well as tribunals, including the Ontario Securities Commission.
Melissa J. MacKewn
Law firm: Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1997
Melissa J. MacKewn is an experienced litigation counsel with expertise in civil and regulatory securities cases, professional disciplinary matters and complex commercial litigation matters. She is a partner at Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP. MacKewn acts on a wide range of securities regulatory matters before the Ontario Securities Commission, Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada and the Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada. She routinely represents clients in compliance and registrant regulation matters and enforcement investigations, settlements and contested proceedings involving such issues as insider trading, disclosure violations and market manipulation. MacKewn also acts as outside prosecution counsel on complex professional disciplinary matters before the CPAO. She maintains an active complex commercial litigation practice, advising investors, registrants, issuers, officers, directors, underwriters and corporations on a variety of corporate and securities matters.
Lawrence E. Ritchie
Law firm: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1989
Lawrence E. Ritchie chairs the cross-disciplinary risk management and crisis response national practice at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, where he serves as partner. Ritchie is also a key contact for the firm’s securities regulatory enforcement and broker-dealer practice. His practice involves dispute avoidance and resolution across a range of capital markets, the financial sector and other regulated industries and activities. He boasts extensive experience in all aspects of enforcement and other regulatory proceedings and related litigation, including class actions. Ritchie advises public corporations, their officers, in-house counsel, and directors on avoiding, preparing for, managing and responding to extraordinary crisis situations, including regulatory actions and litigation. He also advises on the conduct and response to internal and regulatory investigations and provides proactive corporate governance and other risk-management advisory services. Ritchie represents clients in addressing relevant matters with regulators, other government authorities and in the courts. He is one of Canada’s leading securities litigation lawyers. His firm specializes in business law.
Shara N. Roy
Law firm: Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP
Year called to the Bar: 2004
Shara N. Roy is a partner at Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP. She specializes in complex commercial, securities and administrative litigation. Her areas of expertise include securities regulatory actions, shareholder disputes, oppression remedy claims, restructuring and insolvency, trade and cross-border litigation, commercial arbitration and class actions. Roy is recognized as among the best securities litigation lawyers in Canada. She is a regular presenter on advocacy skills, securities and administrative litigation. Roy supports the next generation of lawyers by leading her firm’s student program and volunteering as a mentor to University of Toronto law students and to young lawyers through the Ontario Bar Association.
R. Paul Steep
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1982
R. Paul Steep is a counsel at the litigation group at McCarthy Tétrault LLP, where he also serves as partner. Steep carries on a commercial litigation practice, with a focus on securities litigation, including class actions. He also has an active trial and appeal practice and has been involved in corporate governance claims, business valuation disputes, oppression remedy claims, banking litigation, securities and commercial contractual disputes before all levels of Ontario courts. Steep also maintains a significant practice in securities enforcement and related proceedings before the Ontario Securities Commission and appears before other administrative tribunals. Steep is one of Canada’s top securities litigation lawyers. His firm specializes in business law and among the country’s biggest.
Kent E. Thomson
Law firm: Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1984
Kent E. Thomson is a partner and the head of litigation at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP in Toronto. He has extensive experience in complex and high-stakes litigation. Thomson has acted as lead counsel in numerous precedent-setting cases in the areas of oppression, plans of arrangement, class actions, securities, defamation, tort, competition, tax, intellectual property and elections. A number of these cases have been decided by the Supreme Court of Canada. Thomson has conducted many trials and appeals and appeared in courts throughout Canada. He has also appeared in complex domestic and international arbitrations in Canada, the US, Europe and Africa. Thomson is considered among Canada’s best securities litigation lawyers. His firm is a full-service business law firm.