David Francis

Marni Whitaker is a partner practicing with Loopstra Nixon’s Wills, Trusts & Estates and Business Law groups. Marni has extensive experience in all aspects of estate planning and administration including drafting and giving opinions on wills, powers of attorney, trusts, corporate reorganizations associated with estate planning, personal tax advice, advice and documentation relating to the Family Law Act , administration of estates, estate accounting problems, work for charitable and...

James Buchan is a partner located in Gowlings' Toronto office. James is a member of the firm's Board of Trustees, as well as a past leader of the firm's National Practice Group for Intellectual Property Litigation and a past co-leader of its National Trademarks Practice Group. As a barrister and solicitor, James' expertise in the IP field is broad-based and extensive, covering a wide range of IP-related contentious and non-contentious matters, including patent, trademark and copyright litigat...

Mark Zigler is a senior partner in the Pensions and Benefits Group with over 35 years of experience. He also chairs the firm’s class action committee. Mark also served as the firm’s managing partner from 2006 – 2012. Mark advises trustees of pension and benefits trusts as well as unions and groups of employees and pensioners. He has also acted as counsel in many high profile cases and class actions across Canada involving pensions, benefits and other employment related issue...

A well-rounded litigator who appreciates that cases are won both inside and outside of the courtroom, Jay is both a fearless advocate and expert negotiator. Clients appreciate his ability to know when to push forward and when to settle, resolving cases effectively, efficiently and with his clients’ best interests in mind. Judges have noted that Jay’s presentation in court and thorough submissions “were of great assistance to the court”, and his civility towards his opp...

Dave provides creative and practical solutions for complex matters in the areas of Sports, Entertainment and Corporate/Commercial Law. In particular, Dave’s practice focuses on audio-visual production, distribution and exploitation (films, television series, digital media projects), brand licensing, influencer representation and commercial transactions. Dave also represents labels, bands, producers and artists in the negotiation of recording, management and publishing agreements. In add...

Jackie VanDerMeulen practices all aspects of labour, employment and human rights law. She is a skilled advocate who regularly represents employers in labour arbitrations, interest arbitrations, federal and provincial labour board matters, human rights proceedings (including pay equity), employment litigation and applications for judicial review. She also supports employers with collective bargaining and day-to-day employment advice. Jackie has gained valuable experience in pay equity, employm...

Helder Travassos is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Construction Law. Helder practices law in Toronto, Ontario Best Lawyers has recognized Helder Travassos since 2022. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Helder Travassos is held by other lawyers.

Rory has a diverse range of litigation experience. He has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada, and various levels of court in Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador. He handles insurance coverage, defence and subrogation matters, construction deficiencies and professional liability claims, and his transportation practice has involved multimodal cargo transport, environmental claims, collisions, derailments, and groundings. His general litigation experience includes class actions, frau...

Lindsay is dedicated to the practice of criminal trials and appeal work, bringing an attentive approach to representing clients. She appears at all court levels in Ontario, handling bail proceedings, trials, appeals, interventions, and constitutional applications in her pursuit of justice. Lindsay defends clients against various criminal charges, with a particular focus on defending sexual offences. She possesses considerable experience in constitutional litigation, routinely developing argum...

A partner at Chaitons LLP, George brings 25 years of experience in the areas of corporate restructurings, bankruptcy and insolvency, and commercial litigation. He also has extensive experience in litigation proceedings involving allegations of commercial fraud and other improprieties. George represents and advises a broad range of lenders, bondholders, indenture trustees and other stakeholders in proceedings commenced under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, Companies’ Creditors Arrange...