Peter C Wardle

Practice Areas

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Commercial and Business Litigation

Directors and Officers Liability

Professional Liability

Professional Memberships

Treasurer of the Law Society of Ontario, 2024-25

Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario, 2023-

From 2011 to 2019, Peter was a bencher of the Law Society of Ontario. From 2016 to 2019, he chaired the Professional Development and Competence Committee, and sat on the Litigation, Tribunal and Compensation Committees. He continues to be an adjudicator with the Law Society Tribunal and sits regularly on hearings and appeals. He has written a large number of discipline decisions. Peter is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, one of the most prestigious organizations of trial lawyers in the world.

Career

Peter Wardle is a Partner with the Commercial and Business Litigation and Professional Liability Practice Groups at Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP.

Peter has built his reputation as a recognized and trusted advocate over more than 35 years representing parties in commercial disputes involving contract interpretation, shareholder and partnership obligations, securities, directors’ and officers’ liability, professional negligence, construction, estates, and real estate.

Peter is frequently consulted by board members and shareholders in regard to both public and private company disputes. He regularly represents some of Canada’s largest law firms. He has acted as counsel and arbitrator in a number of arbitrations involving commercial issues.

Peter has acted for interested parties in a number of public inquiries. In 2022 he was lead counsel for the City of Ottawa in the Ottawa Light Rail Transit Public Inquiry.

Peter has appeared before a wide variety of regulatory tribunals, and regularly acts as prosecutor for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

Peter is a certified mediator and regularly acts as a mediator in commercial disputes.

Peter was elected Treasurer of the Law Society of Ontario in 2024, a 2 year position. As Treasurer he is President of the Law Society and chair of its board of directors.

Publications

Peter’s articles have been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada, the Ontario, British Columbia and New Brunswick Courts of Appeal, the Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan Courts of Queen’s Bench, the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia and the Superior Court of Quebec.

Playing the Market: Stockbrokers’ Liability for Clients’ Losses, 27 Can. Bus. L.J. 232

Post-employment Competition Canaero Revisited, C.B.R. 233

Disciplinary Powers of Domestic Tribunals, 6 Admin. L.J. 10

Abby and Psychiatric Opinion Evidence, 17 Ott. L. Rev., 116 (cited by Justice Sopinka in R. v. Lavallee, 1 SCR 852)

Other Articles

Co-author, “Remedial Measures May be Imposed on Regulated Medical Professionals for Degrading Online Comments,” August, 2023

Co-author, “Social Media Pump and Dumps: A Warning for Canadian Influencers,” December, 2022

Co-author, “After the GameStop Short Squeeze, What Does Market Manipulation Mean in Canada?,” February, 2021

Co-author, “Ontario’s “Carbon Tax” Stickers are Unconstitutional – The Life and Death of the Federal Carbon Tax Transparency Act, 2019,” September, 2020

Personal

Recognized as a leading lawyer in the Lexpert® Special Edition on Litigation.

Ranked in the areas of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Director and Officer Liability Practice, Professional Malpractice Law and Securities Law by Best Lawyers Canada®.

Recognized in Benchmark Canada — The Definitive Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys as a “Litigation Star”.

Recognized as a Leading Practitioner in the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory in the areas of corporate commercial litigation, professional liability, directors’ and officers’ liability, and securities litigation.

Recognized as a Leading Lawyer in the areas of Corporate Commercial Litigation, Directors’ & Officers’ Liability, Securities and Professional Liability in the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory.

Peter is described by Chambers Global as an “excellent, skilled advocate with solid judgment”.

Recognized in the Lexpert®/American lawyer Guide as one of the leading 500 lawyers in Canada (Commercial Litigation).

Designated by Martindale-Hubbell as “AV® Preeminent™” – its highest peer review rating.

Experience

Selected Cases

Crosslinx v. Ontario Infrastructure, 2021 ONSC 4364 (CAnLII)

CCLA v. Attorney General of Ontario, 2020 ONSC 4838

Best v. Canada (Attorney General), 2017 FC 1145

Bombardier Transportation Canada Inc. v. Metrolinx, 2017 ONSC 2372

Crombie Property Holdings Limited v. McColl-Frontenac Inc., 406 DLR (4th) 252 (OCA)

Amato v. Welsh, 2016 ONSC 1575

Prince v. ACE Aviation Holdings (2014), 120 O.R. (3d) 140 (OCA)

Amato v. Welsh (2013), 362 DLR (4th) 38 (OCA)

Peel (Police) v. Ontario (Special Investigations Unit) (2012), 110 O.R. (3d) 536 (OCA)

Berry v. Ontario (Securities Commission), (2010) ONSC 3012 (Div. Ct.)

Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall v. Cornwall Public Inquiry (2007), 278 D.L.R. (4th) 550 ( OCA)

Reynolds v. Kingston (Police Services Board) (2007), 84 O.R.(3d) 738 and 86 O.R. (3d) 43 (OCA)

Ellins et al. v. Coventree Inc. et al. (2007), 28 B.L.R. (4th) 292 (Sup. Ct. Jus.)

Windsor (City) v. MFP Financial Services Ltd. (2004), 74 O.R. (3d) 58 (OCA)

Reach M.D. Inc. v. Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Assn. Of Canada (2003), 65 O.R. (3d) 30 (OCA)

Law of Upper Canada v. Canada (Attorney General), 1996 CanLII 7981 (Ont. S.C.)

Prete v. Ontario (Attorney-General) (1993), 16 O.R. (3d) 161 (OCA)

Gemini Group Automated Distribution Systems Inc. v. PWA Corp., 1993 CanLII 314 (OCA)

Chalmers v. Toronto Stock Exchange (1989), 70 O.R. (2d) 532 (C.A.) leave to appeal refused (1990), 37 O.A.C. 399