Litigation: General Commercial

Sheila Block continues to be instructed on some of the market's most high-profile commercial litigation and arbitration suits. She receives plaudits for her longstanding practice at the highest level of the commercial disputes market in Toronto and across the country.

"She has set the path for many to follow and is very knowledgeable, approachable and professional."

"Sheila is a very strategic adviser."

John Fabello acts for a number of financial institutions in securities class action proceedings, with expertise extending to regulatory investigations and disputes. He co-heads the Torys' securities defence practice from the Toronto office.

"John is one of my all-time favourite lawyers. I'd hire him for anything."

"John is one of the most highly respected securities and regulatory lawyers in Canada. He also has a great reputation among the American Bar and he is able to manage cross-border aspects well."

"John is quite incredible, to be frank. He is the external counsel you are looking for as a trusted partner. He has an excellent, practical and efficient approach to legal matters."

"John is a superior counsel."

"John is just an expert in the securities space and in civil litigation. He is so smart and has great substantive knowledge of the law."

Toronto-based Linda Plumpton is chair of Torys' litigation and dispute resolution practice. She represents a number of blue-chip national and international clients, including financial institutions and investment funds, in high-end disputes. She demonstrates particular skill in handling commercial litigation, class action proceedings and antitrust disputes.

"Linda is a superstar in the courtroom! Her advocacy style and delivery are just the best, bar none. She steps into the file when needed and delivers the final blow that makes all the difference."

"Linda is as good as they come in Ontario."

"Linda's care, litigation prowess, professionalism, knowledge on all sectors and strategic planning are all beyond what I could have expected."

Andrew Bernstein has a varied practice handling disputes relating to allegations of fraud, defamation and environmental indemnities, among other areas of expertise. He operates out of Tory's Toronto office.

"Andrew is excellent and so incredibly insightful. He finds a way to simplify complex commercial disputes."

"Andrew is responsive to his clients and provides excellent strategic advice."

"Andrew is someone with an extensive practice in commercial litigation and in public law at the federal court. He makes persuasive arguments, grounded in doctrinal detail."

"Andrew is a very keen legal mind and legal strategist. He grasps the nuances of complex legal issues quickly and tailors his advice, both in writing and verbally, directly to the heart of matters."

"Andrew was both knowledgeable and sophisticated. He explained complex legal issues simply to an audience that didn't have the same wherewithal."

Gillian Dingle is the practice lead of Torys' litigation and dispute resolution practice and is developing an excellent reputation as a commercial litigator, with notable expertise in securities disputes. From her base in Toronto, she represents clients in contractual, shareholder and property-related litigation.

"Gillian is a great technical lawyer."

"Gillian is very practical and a pleasure to work with. She has in-depth knowledge of the industry and makes your life easier. She is straight to the point and has a 360-degree view of the file."

"Gillian is professional, kind and smart. She is a strong communicator, a pleasure to work with, detail-oriented and really lovely."

"She brings grace to files, her client management is excellent and she has practical, in-house experience too."

Yael Bienenstock is based in Torys' Toronto office and focuses her practice on commercial litigation, intellectual property and administrative and public law matters. She represents clients in a broad range of industries, including life sciences, media, oil and gas, and consumer products.

"Yael really brings a strong level of commitment and an understanding of the full picture, not just the legislative framework."

"Yael is very knowledgeable and was easy to work with. She is very receptive to client feedback and is responsive to it."

"Yael Bienenstock is a very thoughtful lawyer who invariably considers all angles on complex files and has an impressive range of knowledge spanning commercial and public law matters."

"Dealing with Yael Bienenstock was not only a pleasure because of her likeable personality, but perhaps more importantly because of her sophistication and ability to get the job done well."

Toronto-based Andrew Gray focuses his practice on contentious securities mandates. He has experience acting for underwriters in class action proceedings relating to issues such as misrepresentation and disclosure violations.

"Andrew is a fantastic lawyer. He is extremely responsive and provides great customer service. He has good insight into what a regulator might be thinking, in order to give us practical advice."

"Andrew is a very bright and very capable lawyer."

Jeremy Opolsky operates from Torys' Toronto office, where he has a broad corporate and commercial litigation practice. He represents clients in shareholder disputes, oppression cases, confidential information disputes, fraud and breaches of fiduciary duty and trust disputes.

"Jeremy is a very knowledgeable and professional litigator."

"Jeremy is smart, extremely client-focused, solution-oriented, adds tremendous value to our organisation and is an absolute pleasure to work with."

"Jeremy is a strategic mind for complex work."

"Jeremy is a key engagement partner. He is very focused on our long-term objectives. He is strategic, nimble, savvy and direct."

"Jeremy has impressive polyvalence. He has expertise in complex commercial litigation and extensive appellate and public law knowledge, which makes him unique as he speaks from both perspectives."

Craig Gilchrist is a Toronto-based associate with a strong securities litigation practice. He is adept at assisting with internal reviews and investigations, as well as single-plaintiff and class action disputes concerning allegations of primary and secondary market misrepresentations.

"Craig is one of the few associates that has excellent client management and bedside manner. He is responsive, a great listener and not afraid to push back and give great advice."

"Craig is great - he's very smart, driven and has a great sense of humour. His client communication is very strong. He is diligent and follows up. Great written work product too."

Jon Silver is an associate based in Torys' Toronto office and has a significant focus on commercial disputes and public and regulatory law disputes. He represents both public and private sector clients in administrative hearings, judicial reviews and constitutional law cases.

"Jon is very strong, personable and responsive."

"Jon demonstrates a great degree of awareness and sophistication for an associate. He is dedicated, diligent, thorough and very responsive."

"Jon is excellent. He engages with the legal issues, clearly understands the commercial goals, and provides extensive support to achieve those goals and navigate administrative and public law regimes."

"Jon's client service is excellent. Everything has been done with alacrity and has met our needs."