Our Team

Lexpert/Thomson Canada’s Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2012—Most frequently recommended practitioner in litigation – directors' and officers' liability, litigation – corporate/commercial, litigation – securities, and class actions; consistently recommended in international commercial arbitration, litigation – public law litigation, and in professional liability; repeatedly recommended in defamation and media litigation, and in litigation – product liability

Lexpert/American Lawyer Media’s Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, 2008-2013—Leading lawyer in class action litigation, corporate commercial litigation, directors’ and officers’ liability, and in securities litigation

Chambers & Partners’ Chambers Global: World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Client’s Guide, 2008-2013—Leading lawyer in Ontario in dispute resolution ("One of the best litigation lawyers in Canada")

Legal Media Group's Benchmark Canada, 2012-2013—Leading litigator in class actions, commercial, intellectual property, international arbitration and securities (Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013)

Best Lawyers in Canada, 2009-2013—Leading lawyer in administrative and public law, bet-the-company litigation, class action litigation, international arbitration, corporate and commercial litigation, defamation and media law, director and officer liability, legal malpractice law and securities law

Best Lawyers 2012—Toronto Bet-the-Company Litigation Lawyer of the Year

Law Business Research’s Who’s Who Legal: Canada, 2010-2012—Leading lawyer in commercial litigation

Practical Law Company’s Which Lawyer? 2007-2012—Leading Ontario lawyer in dispute resolution

Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World’s Leading Litigation and Product Liability Lawyers, 2012—Leading lawyer in Canada

Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World’s Leading Women in Business Law, 2012—Leading lawyer in Canada

Lexpert's 2012 Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-border Litigation Lawyers in Canada—Leading lawyer in class actions, corporate commercial, international commercial arbitration and securities

Lexpert/Thomson Canada’s Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2010-2011—Most frequently recommended practitioner in class actions litigation, corporate/commercial litigation, directors' and officers' liability and in securities litigation; consistently recommended in international commercial arbitration, public law litigation and in professional liability; repeatedly recommended in defamation and media litigation, intellectual property litigation, commercial insurance litigation and in product liability litigation

Real Time News' LawDay, 2009—Leading lawyer in appellate advocacy, class action/defence, product liability, complex litigation, directors and officers liability and white collar crime

Practical Law Company’s Cross-Border Dispute Resolution Handbook, 2008-2009—Leading practitioner in dispute resolution

Lexpert's 2008 Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers in Canada—Leading lawyer in corporate commercial, class action and securities

Lexpert/Thomson Canada’s Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2008—Most frequently recommended practitioner in class actions litigation, directors' and officers' liability litigation, international commercial arbitration, corporate/commercial litgation and in securities litigation; consistently recommended in public law litigation, defamation and media litigation, and in professional liability; repeatedly recommended in intellectual property litigation and product liability

Lexpert's Guide to the U.S./Canada Cross-border Litigation Lawyers in Canada 2007—Leading litigation lawyer in international commercial arbitration

Lexpert/Thomson Canada’s Guide to the 100 Most Creative Lawyers in Canada 2006—Leading lawyer in corporate litigation

Law Business Research’s Who's Who Legal: International Who's Who of Business Lawyers, 2005—One of the world's top 10 commercial litigators

Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World’s Leading Litigation Lawyers, 2005—Leading litigator in Canada

Lexpert-Thomson Canada’s Guide to the Leading 100 Canada/U.S. Cross-Border Litigators in Canada, 2005—International commercial arbitration; corporate commercial, class action and securities litigation  

Women’s Executive Network 2004 and 2003—Power 50 Most Influential Women in Canada

Lexpert, September 2003—One of Canada’s top 25 women lawyers

Lexpert, July/August 2002—One of Canada’s top 25 corporate litigators

Awards

University of Ottawa—Meritas Tabaret Award, 2012
The Advocates' Society—The Advocates' Society Medal, 2008
Law Society of Upper Canada—Law Society Medal, 2006
Ontario Bar Association—Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation, 2006
Toronto Lawyers’ Association Award of Distinction, 2004
University of Ottawa—Common Law Honour Society, 2003
Laidlaw Medal for Advocacy, 1999

Sheila has represented

• Great-West Life in a class action over the acquisition of London Life
• Defense of Justice Lori Douglas before the Canadian Judicial Council
• Greenfield Ethanol in an arbitration against a major oil company
• National Oilwell against Pason for patent infringement
• Investigation for the NHLPA re Goodenow, Saskin and the salary cap
• Counsel to Professor David Johnston on the Mulroney/Schreiber inquiry
• Manulife in a class action brought by former policyholders
• Pfizer in the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal in Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) proceedings
• Ontario First Nations Limited Partnership in its action against the Crown’s win tax
• Coors Brewing Company in an international arbitration over the Coors Light license
• CanWest Global Communications in litigation before the Ontario Securities Commission and the Ontario Superior Court concerning CanWest’s takeover bid for Western Broadcasting
• Barrick Gold in its successful attack on Lac Minerals’ poison pill
• Toronto mayor Mel Lastman in Louie v. Lastman
• Procter & Gamble on a patent infringement damages reference in the Federal Court of Canada and in Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) cases in the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal
• the Government of Quebec on its acquisition of control of Asbestos Corporation before the Ontario Securities Commission, the Divisional Court and the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada
• the Ontario Labour Relations Board in the appeal by Ellis Don to the Supreme Court of Canada, challenging the Board’s full-Board consultation process
• The Globe and Mail in its defence of a class action concerning copyright and electronic media
• Federally Regulated Employers–Transportation and Communications (FETCO) in the Supreme Court of Canada intervention in the Air Canada pay equity case in 2005
• the federal government on the judicial review of a C$5 billion pay equity award made against it by the Canadian Human Rights Commission
• Sun Life Assurance Company in its successful trademark infringement action against Sun Life Juice
• Cartier in its successful trademark infringement action against Lunettes Cartier

Sheila has spoken and written extensively on advocacy and civil litigation. Her publications include the Canadian edition of Steven Lubet’s Modern Trial Advocacy. Sheila has also taught advocacy for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy in Canada, the United States, England, Scotland, New Zealand and El Salvador, as well as for the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal in Rwanda and the Special Court in Sierra Leone. She has also conducted advocacy programs for the Foundation for International Arbitration Advocacy in Switzerland, France, England, Brazil and India. She has participated in advocacy demonstrations at conferences, including the Cambridge lectures in Cambridge, England; the Canadian Bar Association Annual Meeting in London, England; the Advocacy Symposium in Toronto, Ontario; and the Institute for Continuing Legal Education in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She has taught an intensive advocacy course at the University of Toronto Law School and has taught in the LLM program in litigation offered by the Osgoode Hall Law School.

Harold G. Fox Foundation (Trustee and President)
Touching Tiny Lives Foundation (Chair)
University of Ottawa (President's Council)
Foundation for International Arbitration Advocacy, Geneva (Trustee)
Advisory Board, Program on Ethics, Business and the Law, University of Toronto Law School
Canadian Civil Liberties Association (former director)

The Advocates' Society
Supreme Court Advocacy Institute, National Advisory Committee
President's Council, University of Ottawa
American College of Trial Lawyers (Fellow, 1991)
International Society of Barristers (Fellow, 1992)
Commercial Bar Association of England (honorary member)