Headquarters:
101-185 Frederick St. Toronto, ON, M5A 4L4
Year founded:
2009
Number of employees:
4 partners, 4 associates, 2 students, 5 staff
Phone:
416.637.3244
Email:
info@babinbessnerspry.com
Website:
babinbessnerspry.com
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/babin-bessner-spry-llp
“Other firms may be larger, but when you look at those who specialize in corporate or commercial litigation, we’re a top-rated firm”
Caroline Biron,
Woods LLP
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BABIN BESSNER SPRY LLP
Edward Babin
Partner
Ellen Bessner
Partner
Cynthia Spry
Partner
Leadership
Ed Babin has practiced complex litigation for over 30 years. He has extensive trial and appellate experience and has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario and several other provinces, the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as at administrative tribunals and numerous arbitrations. Ed has significant experience in a range of commercial litigation areas, including in competition, securities, corporate governance, shareholder and fraud related disputes. He also has been involved in numerous pro bono cases, and has acted in connection with a number of sports-related matters and public inquiries.
Partner
Edward Babin
Ellen Bessner is a commercial litigator with over 25 years’ of experience having appeared before every level of Ontario court and in arbitrations and regulatory proceedings. Ellen has developed a deep expertise in the financial services sector, defending securities dealers and advisors/agents in all types of commercial disputes as well as regulatory and employment litigation. She is the author of bestselling books Advisor at Risk and Communication Risk, and provides risk management workshops and presentations at industry and security dealer conferences virtually and in person, several times each year.
Partner
Ellen Bessner
Cynthia Spry practices commercial litigation, including in the areas of class actions, shareholder disputes, and contractual and securities litigation. She is often recommended as conflicts counsel by Seven Sister firms, and has been qualified as an expert on Canadian law (shareholder disputes) in foreign proceedings. She is the Past Chair of the Commercial Practice Group of The Advocates’ Society, a member of its 10+ Standing Committee of the Board of Directors, and a regular panelist at its education programs. Cynthia is Lexpert-ranked for Commercial and Securities Litigation, and has been recognized as a litigation star by Benchmark Litigation.
Partner
Cynthia Spry
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BABIN BESSNER SPRY LLP
Michael Bookman
Partner
Ellen Bessner
Partner
Edward Babin
Partner
Leadership
Headquarters:
101-185 Frederick St. Toronto, ON, M5A 4L4
Year founded:
2009
Number of employees:
4 partners, 4 associates, 2 students, 5 staff
Phone:
416.637.3244
Email:
info@babinbessnerspry.com
Website:
babinbessnerspry.com
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/babin-bessner-spry-llp
Ed Babin has practiced complex litigation for over 30 years. He has extensive trial and appellate experience and has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario and several other provinces, the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as at administrative tribunals and numerous arbitrations. Ed has significant experience in a range of commercial litigation areas, including in competition, securities, corporate governance, shareholder and fraud related disputes. He also has been involved in numerous pro bono cases, and has acted in connection with a number of sports-related matters and public inquiries.
Partner
Edward Babin
Ellen Bessner is a commercial litigator with over 25 years’ of experience having appeared before every level of Ontario court and in arbitrations and regulatory proceedings. Ellen has developed a deep expertise in the financial services sector, defending securities dealers and advisors/agents in all types of commercial disputes as well as regulatory and employment litigation. She is the author of bestselling books Advisor at Risk and Communication Risk, and provides risk management workshops and presentations at industry and security dealer conferences virtually and in person, several times each year.
Partner
Ellen Bessner
Michael Bookman maintains a broad commercial litigation practice, including contract and shareholder disputes, directors’ and officers’ liability, securities, and tort proceedings. He has appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and Court of Appeal, the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. He is called to the bars of Ontario and Quebec. Mike was law clerk to Justice Karakatsanis of the Supreme Court of Canada. Prior to his law career, he was a consultant for a global political risk advisory firm and served as an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Partner
Michael Bookman
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BABIN BESSNER SPRY LLP
Bogdan Catanu
Partner
Ellen Bessner
Partner
Edward Babin
Partner
Leadership
Headquarters:
101-185 Frederick St. Toronto, ON, M5A 4L4
Year founded:
2009
Number of employees:
4 partners, 4 associates, 2 students, 5 staff
Phone:
416.637.3244
Email:
info@babinbessnerspry.com
Website:
babinbessnerspry.com
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/babin-bessner-spry-llp
SPECIAL REPORT
Home
Bio
Partner
Edward Babin
Ellen Bessner is a commercial litigator with over 25 years’ of experience having appeared before every level of Ontario court and in arbitrations and regulatory proceedings. Ellen has developed a deep expertise in the financial services sector, defending securities dealers and advisors/agents in all types of commercial disputes as well as regulatory and employment litigation. She is the author of bestselling books Advisor at Risk and Communication Risk, and provides risk management workshops and presentations at industry and security dealer conferences virtually and in person, several times each year.
Partner
Ellen Bessner
Michael Bookman maintains a broad commercial litigation practice, including contract and shareholder disputes, directors’ and officers’ liability, securities, and tort proceedings. He has appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and Court of Appeal, the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. He is called to the bars of Ontario and Quebec. Mike was law clerk to Justice Karakatsanis of the Supreme Court of Canada. Prior to his law career, he was a consultant for a global political risk advisory firm and served as an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Partner
Michael Bookman
Michael Bookman
Partner
Michael Bookman maintains a broad commercial litigation practice, including contract and shareholder disputes, directors’ and officers’ liability, securities, and tort proceedings. He has appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and Court of Appeal, the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. He is called to the bars of Ontario and Quebec. Mike was law clerk to Justice Karakatsanis of the Supreme Court of Canada. Prior to his law career, he was a consultant for a global political risk advisory firm and served as an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Partner
Michael Bookman
Cynthia Spry
Partner
Cynthia Spry practices commercial litigation, including in the areas of class actions, shareholder disputes, and contractual and securities litigation. She is often recommended as conflicts counsel by Seven Sister firms, and has been qualified as an expert on Canadian law (shareholder disputes) in foreign proceedings. She is the Past Chair of the Commercial Practice Group of The Advocates’ Society, a member of its 10+ Standing Committee of the Board of Directors, and a regular panelist at its education programs. Cynthia is Lexpert-ranked for Commercial and Securities Litigation, and has been recognized as a litigation star by Benchmark Litigation.
Partner
Cynthia Spry
Cynthia Spry
Partner
Cynthia Spry practices commercial litigation, including in the areas of class actions, shareholder disputes, and contractual and securities litigation. She is often recommended as conflicts counsel by Seven Sister firms, and has been qualified as an expert on Canadian law (shareholder disputes) in foreign proceedings. She is the Past Chair of the Commercial Practice Group of The Advocates’ Society, a member of its 10+ Standing Committee of the Board of Directors, and a regular panelist at its education programs. Cynthia is Lexpert-ranked for Commercial and Securities Litigation, and has been recognized as a litigation star by Benchmark Litigation.
Partner
Cynthia Spry
Bogdan Catanu
Partner
Bodgan Catanu’s practice focuses on complex commercial disputes with extensive experience in high-stakes contractual matters, class actions, and corporate litigation. He has pleaded before the first instance and appeal tribunals of the province of Quebec. He acted as lead counsel in several commercial arbitrations, notably a $200-million supplier–distributor UNCITRAL arbitration. He was recently co-lead counsel for certain bondholders of Nemaska Lithium in claiming a $93-million make-whole payment. He played a leading role in defending BCE’s privatization worth approximately $52 billion against a challenge by bondholders. He later defended the purchasers sued by BCE for a $1.2-billion break fee. He also participated significantly in the ABCP market litigation.
Partner
Bogdan Catanu
Bogdan Catanu
Partner
Bodgan Catanu’s practice focuses on complex commercial disputes with extensive experience in high-stakes contractual matters, class actions, and corporate litigation. He has pleaded before the first instance and appeal tribunals of the province of Quebec. He acted as lead counsel in several commercial arbitrations, notably a $200-million supplier–distributor UNCITRAL arbitration. He was recently co-lead counsel for certain bondholders of Nemaska Lithium in claiming a $93-million make-whole payment. He played a leading role in defending BCE’s privatization worth approximately $52 billion against a challenge by bondholders. He later defended the purchasers sued by BCE for a $1.2-billion break fee. He also participated significantly in the ABCP market litigation.
Partner
Bogdan Catanu
Michael Bookman
Partner
Bodgan Catanu’s practice focuses on complex commercial disputes with extensive experience in high-stakes contractual matters, class actions, and corporate litigation. He has pleaded before the first instance and appeal tribunals of the province of Quebec. He acted as lead counsel in several commercial arbitrations, notably a $200-million supplier–distributor UNCITRAL arbitration. He was recently co-lead counsel for certain bondholders of Nemaska Lithium in claiming a $93-million make-whole payment. He played a leading role in defending BCE’s privatization worth approximately $52 billion against a challenge by bondholders. He later defended the purchasers sued by BCE for a $1.2-billion break fee. He also participated significantly in the ABCP market litigation.
Partner
Bogdan Catanu
Babin Bessner Spry LLP is a boutique litigation firm that is active in a wide range of practice areas, including securities litigation, corporate governance issues (including director and officer liability), shareholder oppression litigation and derivative actions, professional liability and discipline, competition, class actions, and advertising law. We also handle a variety of public interest and pro bono matters.
The firm was founded in 2009 by Ed Babin, a senior partner for many years in the litigation departments of two of Canada’s pre-eminent law firms, Torys LLP and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP. Cynthia Spry joined the partnership in 2010 and Ellen Bessner joined in 2014 to form Babin Bessner Spry. Michael Bookman joined the partnership in 2022.
At Babin Bessner Spry, we are passionate advocates who provide excellent service and strategic advice, becoming our clients’ most trusted legal advisors. We practice with integrity. We invest in relationships with clients who align with our firm’s values. By developing talent through the careful selection of lawyers with exceptional potential and diverse backgrounds, our firm promotes well-being, teamwork and inclusivity. We are committed to bringing our experience, creativity and dedication to every client and every case.
“Our strength is the ability to have that capacity and experience in our lawyers to have discussions with our clients and focus on the facts. That makes all the difference”
Caroline Biron,
Woods LLP
Marie-Louise Delisle
Partner
Louis Seveno
Partner
Bogdan-Alexandru Dobrota
Partner
Sarah M Stewart
Associate Vice President,
Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Marie-Louise Delisle has close to 20 years of experience dealing with high‐end commercial litigation matters, in addition to handling matters relating to injunctions. She is involved in several major cases, more specifically those relating to securities, PPP, class actions, and professional liability, including that of accountants and stockbrokers. She has pleaded before the first instance and appeal tribunals of the province of Quebec. Marie-Louise is also known for her various contributions to several publications in arbitration and numerous topics related to commercial litigation. She teaches a Commercial Litigation Workshop and Trial Advocacy Course at the Université de Montréal.
Partner
Marie‐Louise Delisle
Louis Seveno specializes in high-stakes civil and commercial litigation and arbitration. He practises mainly in contractual disputes, corporate and shareholder litigation, insolvency, employment law, professional liability, class actions, private international law, and injunctive proceedings. Called to the Bars of Quebec, Ontario and New York, he is active in cases involving Canadian and foreign corporations and in cases involving cross-border or multi-jurisdictional issues. He represents clients before both trial and appellate courts, as well as before domestic and international arbitral tribunals. He has also acquired substantial expertise in construction and PPP disputes. Seveno sits on the Board of Directors (as vice president) of the CBA, Quebec division.
Partner
Louis Seveno
Alex Dobrota practices complex commercial cases, cross‐border disputes, insolvency matters (domestic and international) and international arbitration. He has extensive experience pleading before all levels of Quebec courts and participating in commercial arbitrations with strategic and/or reputational risks for Canadian and foreign companies in the province of Quebec. He has successfully represented clients in the context of litigations arising from shareholder disputes, construction and mining projects, international sale of goods and service agreements, product liability and defamation. Dobrota’s publications and reference works, including a chapter in Halsbury’s Laws of Canada on bankruptcy assets and order of distribution, are widely cited by the courts.
Partner
Bogdan‐Alexandru Dobrota
Sarah M Stewart has more than 15 years of strategic leasing and customer care experience in residential property management. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Centurion’s national leasing platforms, residential lead generation, and overall customer experience excellence through operation of the company’s internal customer service department.
Associate Vice President, Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Sarah M Stewart
Marie-Louise Delisle
Partner
Sarah M Stewart
Associate Vice President, Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Bogdan-Alexandru Dobrota
Partner
Louis Seveno
Partner
Marie-Louise Delisle has close to 20 years of experience dealing with high-end commercial litigation matters, in addition to handling matters relating to injunctions. She is involved in several major cases, more specifically those relating to securities, PPP, class actions, and professional liability, including that of accountants and stockbrokers. She has pleaded before the first instance and appeal tribunals of the province of Quebec. Marie-Louise is also known for her various contributions to several publications in arbitration and numerous topics related to commercial litigation. She teaches a Commercial Litigation Workshop and Trial Advocacy Course at the Université de Montréal.
Partner
Marie‐Louise Delisle
Louis Seveno specializes in high-stakes civil and commercial litigation and arbitration. He practises mainly in contractual disputes, corporate and shareholder litigation, insolvency, employment law, professional liability, class actions, private international law, and injunctive proceedings. Called to the Bars of Quebec, Ontario and New York, he is active in cases involving Canadian and foreign corporations and in cases involving cross-border or multi-jurisdictional issues. He represents clients before both trial and appellate courts, as well as before domestic and international arbitral tribunals. He has also acquired substantial expertise in construction and PPP disputes. Seveno sits on the Board of Directors (as vice president) of the CBA, Quebec division.
Partner
Louis Seveno
Alex Dobrota practices complex commercial cases, cross-border disputes, insolvency matters (domestic and international) and international arbitration. He has extensive experience pleading before all levels of Quebec courts and participating in commercial arbitrations with strategic and/or reputational risks for Canadian and foreign companies in the province of Quebec. He has successfully represented clients in the context of litigations arising from shareholder disputes, construction and mining projects, international sale of goods and service agreements, product liability and defamation. Dobrota’s publications and reference works, including a chapter in Halsbury’s Laws of Canada on bankruptcy assets and order of distribution, are widely cited by the courts.
Partner
Bogdan‐Alexandru Dobrota
Sarah M Stewart has more than 15 years of strategic leasing and customer care experience in residential property management. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Centurion’s national leasing platforms, residential lead generation, and overall customer experience excellence through operation of the company’s internal customer service department.
Associate Vice President, Leasing and
Call Centre Operations
Sarah M Stewart
Marie-Louise Delisle
Partner
Bogdan-Alexandru Dobrota
Partner
Louis Seveno
Partner
Sarah M Stewart
Associate
Vice President, Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Marie-Louise Delisle has close to 20 years of experience dealing with high-end commercial litigation matters, in addition to handling matters relating to injunctions. She is involved in several major cases, more specifically those relating to securities, PPP, class actions, and professional liability, including that of accountants and stockbrokers. She has pleaded before the first instance and appeal tribunals of the province of Quebec. Marie-Louise is also known for her various contributions to several publications in arbitration and numerous topics related to commercial litigation. She teaches a Commercial Litigation Workshop and Trial Advocacy Course at the Université de Montréal.
Partner
Marie‐Louise Delisle
Louis Seveno specializes in high-stakes civil and commercial litigation and arbitration. He practises mainly in contractual disputes, corporate and shareholder litigation, insolvency, employment law, professional liability, class actions, private international law, and injunctive proceedings. Called to the Bars of Quebec, Ontario and New York, he is active in cases involving Canadian and foreign corporations and in cases involving cross-border or multi-jurisdictional issues. He represents clients before both trial and appellate courts, as well as before domestic and international arbitral tribunals. He has also acquired substantial expertise in construction and PPP disputes. Seveno sits on the Board of Directors (as vice president) of the CBA, Quebec division.
Partner
Louis Seveno
Alex Dobrota practices complex commercial cases, cross-border disputes, insolvency matters (domestic and international) and international arbitration. He has extensive experience pleading before all levels of Quebec courts and participating in commercial arbitrations with strategic and/or reputational risks for Canadian and foreign companies in the province of Quebec. He has successfully represented clients in the context of litigations arising from shareholder disputes, construction and mining projects, international sale of goods and service agreements, product liability and defamation. Dobrota’s publications and reference works, including a chapter in Halsbury’s Laws of Canada on bankruptcy assets and order of distribution, are widely cited by the courts.
Partner
Bogdan‐Alexandru Dobrota
Sarah M Stewart has more than 15 years
of strategic leasing and customer care experience in residential property management. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Centurion’s national leasing platforms, residential lead generation, and overall customer experience excellence through operation
of the company’s internal customer
service department.
Associate Vice President,
Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Sarah M Stewart
“In-person learning was not an option at that time so implementing this government directive was a challenge for workplaces,” says Warner. “Our three-part Training the Fit Tester for Respiratory Protection program ensured more healthcare workers were compliant and safe on the job. The program continues to this day.”
PSHSA prioritizes excellence through customer-centric frameworks and outcome-based initiatives. Their consultants prepare workplaces to be compliant with legislative and regulatory requirements, and address needs and concerns specific to workplaces, industries, locations, or employees.
PSHSA health and safety consultants working in the field are experts in everything from ergonomics to psychological health and safety. They conduct webinars, offer in-person and online instruction, and provide e-learning modules that allow students to study at their own pace. Many of these opportunities are available free of charge.
“As an organization, we continue to innovate and learn from the latest in the occupational health and safety sector to meet the needs of evolving workplaces. Evidence-based and effective workplace health and safety solutions are more important than ever, and these solutions need to be – and are with PSHSA – accessible, integrated and optimized for the end user across a variety of platforms.”
PSHSA is equipped and ready for whatever the future holds. It encourages organizations looking to adjust or improve workplace health and safety protocols to reach out.
She adds that the firm uses a team approach that clients appreciate. “We have the capacity to put together as many lawyers as needed to deal with a certain file,” she says. Sometimes there have been as many as seven lawyers of all levels of experience on a case, “ranging from junior associates to senior partners”.
Biron emphasizes that the Woods team is composed of well-versed dispute resolution practitioners such as litigators Marie Louise Delisle, Patrick Ouellet, Bogdan Catanu, Richard Vachon and the more recently appointed partners Louis Seveno, Alex Dobrota, Eric Bédard and Laurence Ste-Marie. Moreover, highly regarded arbitration practitioners like Stephen Drymer have contributed greatly to developing the firm’s international arbitration practice and reinforce Woods’ ability to serve, in addition to counsel, as arbitrators with the Honourable Clément Gascon, James A. Woods and the Honourable Joseph R. Nuss.
Sylvain Rigaud and Sylvain Vauclair are leading the insolvency and restructuring practice. Along with the other lawyers and support staff, their strength, reputation and expertise as litigators keep Woods on top as a “first-rate litigation firm,” Biron says.
“Litigation is about the law, but it is also about the facts,” notes Biron. “You have to be able to understand the facts and determine which are crucial, which are important, and which you don’t have to focus on.” Then, it is a matter of doing legal research and making arguments based on those facts. “So, our strength is the ability to have that capacity and experience in our lawyers to have discussions with our clients and focus on the facts. That makes all the difference.”
Having the bench strength in experienced lawyers, Biron says Woods also thinks it is crucial to make sure the up-and-coming generation of lawyers receive the proper training and experience to become experienced litigators themselves. “It has to be more than shadowing a senior lawyer,” she says.
Biron adds that she often asks clients’ permission for a younger associate to examine a witness in court or at an examination for discovery to gain valuable hands-on experience, with Woods absorbing the cost. And the firm also makes sure someone sits beside the associate to help if needed.
“It’s not by listening that you gain experience,” she says. “It’s by doing.”
To meet our other Partners, visit http://www.woods.qc.ca/team.
Ed Babin has practiced complex litigation for over 30 years. He has extensive trial and appellate experience and has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario and several other provinces, the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as at administrative tribunals and numerous arbitrations. Ed has significant experience in a range of commercial litigation areas, including in competition, securities, corporate governance, shareholder and fraud related disputes. He also has been involved in numerous pro bono cases, and has acted in connection with a number of sports-related matters and public inquiries.