Draconian Deadlines Civil Litigators Don't Want to Miss

For more than 135 years, the Toronto Lawyers' Association, located within the Courthouse Library, has represented the interests of lawyers practising in the City of Toronto. The association was founded to support its members in three key areas: Knowledge, Advocacy, and Community. To uphold these pillars, the association offers a year-round mix of online and in-person education programs for lawyers, hosts both free and paid events to foster in-person networking, and submits advocacy pieces on behalf of its members to the Ontario bench and bar, all levels of government, and the broader public.

Jeffrey has acted as lead counsel on a number of leading commercial litigation and administrative law matters. His commercial litigation experience is wide-ranging and includes contractual and shareholder disputes, product liability, class actions, franchise and dealer disputes, injunctions and fraud recovery, banking litigation, liability of educational institutions, regulatory offenses, and real property. Jeffrey's recent experience includes successfully advancing and defending shareholder disputes, breach of contract claims, and multi-million-dollar real property litigation. He has represented financial institutions in negligence, fraud, and conversion claims, and Fortune 500 companies in "bet the company" litigation. He has experience in injunction and licensing disputes, subrogated claims, and class actions. Jeffrey helps institutional clients navigate some of the potential pitfalls and reputational risk that can accompany publicized litigation. Jeffrey has significant experience acting for physicians in a wide range of litigation and regulatory matters, including trials and discipline proceedings at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. He assists physicians with complaints, hospital privileges disputes, quality of care reviews, inquests, administrative appeals, investigations, peer assessments, and appearances before the Quality Assurance Committee. Jeffrey has acted for and advised other professionals and regulators. Prior to co-founding Corman Feiner LLP, Jeffrey was counsel in McCarthy Tétrault’s Litigation Group.

Ivan is a litigator, problem solver and trusted advisor. Cutting through legal complexity, he delivers pragmatic advice in times of conflict. Clients appreciate Ivan’s ability to understand their business, distill complex issues into understandable and impactful advice, and follow through with decisive action. During the course of his active litigation practice, Ivan has represented organizations and individuals before all levels of court in Ontario and in arbitration. His industry-focused practice resolves complex disputes in the sectors that drive Canada’s economic development, including power, mining, construction, real estate, technology and infrastructure. Clients value Ivan’s ability to rehabilitate distressed projects and recover when disaster strikes. Whatever issues cannot be resolved through negotiation, he litigates – either through the courts or specialized tribunals. Recent representative mandates include: (a) the successful arbitration of a large P3 infrastructure dispute for a manufacturer and supplier of light rail vehicles; (b) the resolution of a heavy industry subcontractor dispute on a northern Ontario hydroelectric project by way of mediation / arbitration (med/arb); (c) trial judgment in a real estate transaction dispute involving breach of trust and breach of fiduciary duty; (d) successful dismissal of twin actions alleging breach of contract failing to disclose a reasonable cause of action; and (e) counsel for other lawyers respecting alleged professional negligence. Ivan is committed to each client’s cause. By taking an entrepreneurial, creative and problem-solving approach to his practice, Ivan is able to stay on top of industry trends, offer a leading-edge perspective on his clients’ issues, and provide tailored solutions. He takes a passionate and engaged approach to his clients’ businesses, understands big picture strategy, and gives advice that empowers his clients’ definition of success. In addition to offering exceptional service on legal matters, Ivan shares with his clients a deep interest in future-focused, innovative, and project-related domains such as city building, urban design, PropTech, architecture, and the marriage of technology and infrastructure. Ivan has consistently demonstrated leadership in the legal profession. He currently serves as an executive member of the Ontario Bar Association’s Construction and Infrastructure Section and a board member of the Society of Construction Law North America.

Michelle Stephenson is a civil litigator based in Toronto with a broad range of legal experience. Her particular focus is on contract disputes, employment law, defamation, and other intentional torts. Prior to joining Corman Feiner LLP, Michelle completed a clerkship at the Superior Court of Justice and worked as a staff lawyer for the Ontario Court of Appeal. She obtained her law degree from Queen's University and was called to the Ontario bar in 2016. With her experience working on complex legal matters, Michelle is well-equipped to navigate challenging cases. She has a reputation for providing excellent legal representation to her clients and has established herself as a reliable and dedicated litigator. Michelle is always looking to improve her skills and knowledge in the legal field and welcomes new challenges to help her grow as a professional. Her expertise and work ethic make her an asset to any legal team.