Top Lawyers In Canada In 2019

Allison Dellandrea

Crown counsel, Ministry of the Attorney General,Toronto, Ont. Dellandrea was a key player in advancing the understanding of crimes against children by law enforcement officers, fellow attorneys, and the judiciary. She had been involved in a child sexual abuse case in March in which Ontario's former deputy education minister Ben Levin pleaded guilty to child porn related charges. The charges included making written child pornography, counseling a person to commit a sexual assault, and possession of child pornography. Dellandrea's role as a Crown includes function as instruction lead for Ontario's provincial plan on Internet crimes against children. She's an instrumental leader in this region within the justice section. What Republicans needed to say: Allison is a tireless source and is the penultimate legal head to get a prosecutorial position on all things associated with child exploitation and sexual assault offences. For this difficult subject that inherently entails quite reckless emotional and legal problems, Allison always has the time to provide sound guidance to other Crowns prosecuting these very difficult and sensitive offences. Her efforts have made a concrete difference in making our society safer, navigate here.

Dennis Edney and Nate Whitling

Defence adviser, Edmonton, Alta. In a rare move, Edney and Whitling have been termed as Top 25 honourees as a team. Both have spent more than a decade advocating for Omar Khadr, nearly universally on a pro bono basis. From Guantanamo Bay to the Supreme Court of Canada (three occasions ), the improbable duo have fought for Khadr to have him released from prison (success in May), have him treated as a child soldier, and continue to fight for his lawful rights at home and abroad. It's been what the Globe and Mail called waging a war of legal attrition against the government, that has consistently done everything to paint Khadr as a dangerous terrorist who must be held behind bars. Edney, a former football player who just started practising law in 40, has been the general public and media face of the continuing legal battles, even taking Khadr into his own home after he was recently released on bond. Whitling, a Harvard law grad and former SCC clerk, is a much more quiet and reserved drive behind the scenes. What Republicans needed to say: Dennis has gone over and beyond the call of duty in his defence of Omar Khadr. The nobility of the profession is dependent on lawyers like Dennis as we're occasionally called on to defend unpopular entities or people -- but people who are no less deserving of natural justice and procedural fairness. Whitling is a smart and highly effective advocate who remains out of the limelight. He is a excellent lawyer. Exceptionally smart and excellent to use.

Mark Tamminga

Partner, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, Hamilton, Ont. Tamminga has committed his career to automating lawful practices. His information technologies focus began in 1986 while he was still a law student and has been given the job of systemizing the production environment for mortgage files. Ever since then, Tamminga's aptitude for legal technology has just grown with Gowlings LLP. Three decades ago, he had been called Gowlings' Innovation Initiatives leader. He's responsible for automating the Gowlings recovery solutions clinic. He's designed and built lots of further practice systems in the fields of debt collection, loan positioning, and civil litigation. His role has demanded re-thinking the thornier aspects of large firm operations: managing cultural change, inducing client-side thinking, and building the reimbursement mechanics, which induce new behaviour. What the board had to say: Tamminga has shown actual vision in handling tough issues that many law firms are not quite ready to take on.

Justice Ian Nordheimer

Judge, Ontario Supreme Court, Toronto, Ont. Nordheimer's name is becoming synonymous with class action suits largely due to his ruling, which overturned Justice Edward Belobaba's decision in a high-profile situation on carriage at the Barrick Gold class action lawsuit. Nordheimer given the losing coalition of law firms leave to appeal Belobaba's decision in the Divisional Court. He's probably the most influential Superior Court degree judge in the nation with a decade on the bench and generates perhaps the best number of comprehensive judgments every year in comparison to any trial level judge. He's famous for his quick wit and sharp conclusions. In the past year, Nordheimer has made a significant splash from the legal community by upholding a professional discipline penalty for current LSUC bencher Joe Groia and releasing data which demonstrated Rob Ford was the subject of a police investigation.What that the panel had to say: He is the kind of judge that should be about the Court of Appeal... or higher. A judge of absolute integrity.

Justice Beverley McLachlin

Chief justice, Supreme Court of Canada, Ottawa, Ont. A frequent member of the Top 25 list along with the very best vote-getter in years ago, McLachlin continues to make waves, handing down two quite significant conclusions on aboriginal law. The 2014 Tsilhqot'in Nation v. British Columbia decision directed by McLachlin is the first of its kind in the history of British Columbia. This past year that the Supreme Court of Canada granted announcement of aboriginal title to over 1,700 square kilometres of land. She's also responsible for upholding the decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal in Keewatin v. Ontario (Natural Resources) published in July 2014, she has overhauled what the Lamer court started and has left her mark in this area for decades to come. The chief justice continues to be a highly effective proponent of greater justice for all Canadians. As her unbelievable amount of votes once again this year show, McLachlin is greatly admired not only for her rulings but her public support in favour of free speech, diversity, and comprehensive leadership. What Republicans needed to say: An excellent judge who, again and again, marries the law with common sense. Justifiably most respected legal mind in the nation; remarkable integrity; reliable public servant; obviously guided by the law and a strong moral compass.

Katrina Pacey

Executive director, Pivot Legal Society, Vancouver, B.C. Pacey was recently appointed executive director of Pivot Legal and continues the good work of her predecessors. Pivot focuses on topics associated with health, police liability, drug policy, and homelessness, poverty, and gender workers' rights. She may be best known for her part in the Bedford case, however, Pivot is about more than that and often has intervener status in important Supreme Court of Canada cases, including the current one on mandatory minimums. She's also talented at bringing on board highly respected counsel to perform pro bono on many of these cases that may really affect the lives of some of the city, and country's, most vulnerable citizens. What Republicans needed to say: Incredible devotion to social justice at each level with keen passionate intellect. She has helped change draconian legislation that endanger the lives of sex trade workers and restore dignity to individuals who've been marginalized.