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Aug 27, 2020
Firm News

65 Aird & Berlis Lawyers Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2021

Sherri M. Altshuler, Ian Aversa, Paige Backman, Neil Bass, Jack Bernstein, Rachel L. Blumenfeld, Donald Carr, Fred D. Cass, Ron W. Clark, Joanne C. Coldwell, Aaron Collins, Eileen P. K. Costello, Peter K. Czegledy, D. Robb English, Richard Epstein, Ed Esposto, Harry M. Fogul, Patricia A. Foran, Jill P. Fraser, Faruk Gafic, Marco Gammone, Tony Gioia, Francesco Gucciardo, Steven L. Graff, Tom Halinski, Patrick Harrington, Randy T. Hooke, L.E. Trent Horne, Michael F. Horvat, Donald B. Johnston, Norman I. Kahn, Neill Kalvin, Steven Kelman, Richard M. Kimel, Kim Kovar, Martin Kovnats, Lorenzo Lisi, Leo F. Longo, John Mascarin, Derek J. McCallum, Bernie McGarva, Andrea McEwan, David P. Neligan, Margaret T. Nelligan, Dennis M. O'Leary, N. Jane Pepino, Joel M. Rose, Cynthia R. C. Sefton, Michael D. Smith, David Stevens, Hayden Solomons, Sanj Sood, Scott Stoll, Louise R. Summerhill, Steve J. Tenai, Jennifer A. Wainwright, Hon. Peter Van Loan, Monty Warsh, Andrew Webster, Donald L. West, Barbara Worndl, Christopher J. Williams, Melanie A. Yach, Steven Zakem and Stephen Zolf

Aird & Berlis is proud to announce that 65 members of the firm were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada.

The firm is recognized across 39 practice areas and received 12 new listings*.

Alternative Dispute Resolution
Bernie McGarva

Asset-Based Lending Practice
Jill Fraser

Banking & Finance Law
Ian Aversa*
Aaron Collins*
Robb English*
Richard Epstein
Jill Fraser

Cannabis
Sherri Altshuler
Richard Kimel

Charities / Non-Profit Law
Rachel Blumenfeld*

Class Action Litigation
Steve Tenai

Commercial Leasing Law
Faruk Gafic*
Marco Gammone
Randy Hooke
Derek McCallum
Monty Warsh

Communications Law
Stephen Zolf

Construction Law
Bernie McGarva

Corporate & Commercial Litigation
Steve Tenai

Corporate Law
Richard Epstein
Steven Kelman
Margaret Nelligan

Defamation & Media Law
Stephen Zolf

Director & Officer Liability Practice
Steve Tenai

Energy Law
Ron Clark

Energy Regulatory Law
Fred Cass 
Dennis O’Leary*
David Stevens
Scott Stoll

Environmental Law
Scott Stoll

Equipment Finance Law
Jill Fraser - "Lawyer of the Year" (Toronto)

Expropriation Law
David Neligan

Gaming Law
Peter Czegledy
Joel Rose QC

Information Technology Law
Donald Johnston

Insolvency & Financial Restructuring Law
Robb English
Harry Fogul
Steven Graff

Intellectual Property Law
Trent Horne

Labour & Employment Law
Michael Horvat*
Lorenzo Lisi

Leveraged Buyouts & Private Equity Law
Tony Gioia

Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Steven Kelman*
Martin Kovnats
Donald West

Municipal Law
Eileen Costello
Patricia Foran
Tom Halinski
Patrick Harrington
Kim Kovar
Leo Longo
John Mascarin
Jane Pepino QC
Hon. Peter Van Loan*
Christopher Williams
Steven Zakem

Oil & Gas Law
Fred D. Cass

Privacy & Data Security Law
Paige Backman
Donald Johnston

Product Liability Law
Cynthia Sefton

Public Procurement Law
Donald Johnston

Real Estate Law
Norman Kahn
Neill Kalvin
Leo Longo
John Mascarin
Jane Pepino QC
Michael Smith
Hayden Solomons
Monty Warsh
Andrew Webster
Steven Zakem

Securities Law
Margaret Nelligan
Steve Tenai
Jennifer Wainwright

Sports Law
Paige Backman

Structured Finance Law
Jill Fraser

Tax Law
Neil Bass
Jack Bernstein
Francesco Gucciardo*
Louise Summerhill
Barbara Worndl

Technology Law
Paige Backman
Donald Johnston

Transportation Law
Joanne Coldwell
Sanj Sood*

Trusts & Estates
Jack Bernstein
Rachel Blumenfeld
Donald Carr QC
Ed Esposto
Andrea McEwan
Melanie Yach

Venture Capital Law
Tony Gioia*

Sherri Altshuler
Short Bio

Sherri earns the trust of her clients by adeptly managing complex and time-sensitive corporate finance transactions and by providing relevant, busines...

Full Bio

Sherri M. Altshuler

Partner

saltshuler@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3081 T 416.865.3081

Ian Aversa
Short Bio

As a corporate solicitor and litigator, Ian has the expertise required to guide his clients through all aspects of a restructuring file.

Full Bio

Ian Aversa

Partner

iaversa@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3082 T 416.865.3082

Paige Backman
Short Bio

Paige has earned a reputation as an exceptional corporate/commercial legal advisor to both domestic and multinational entities.

Full Bio

Paige Backman

Partner

pbackman@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7700 T 416.865.7700

Neil Bass
Short Bio

Neil is a highly-acclaimed and widely-respected tax lawyer.

Full Bio

Neil Bass

Partner

nbass@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3071 T 416.865.3071

Jack Bernstein
Short Bio

Jack is one of Canada’s preeminent tax lawyers. He is a prolific writer and speaker and is internationally-recognized for excellent service and ...

Full Bio

Jack Bernstein

Partner

jbernstein@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7766 T 416.865.7766

Rachel Blumenfeld
Short Bio

By asking the right questions and listening carefully, Rachel gets the information she needs to structure her clients’ affairs effectively. ...

Full Bio

Rachel L. Blumenfeld

Partner

rblumenfeld@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3413 T 416.865.3413

Donald Carr
Short Bio

Donald Carr is a highly-regarded legal practitioner, with expansive experience dating back to 1951. After practising litigation, commercial leasing an...

Full Bio

Donald Carr

Counsel

dcarr@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3429 T 416.865.3429

Fred Cass
Short Bio

Fred is a well-regarded energy lawyer who literally wrote the book on Ontario energy law. 

Full Bio

Fred D. Cass

Partner

fcass@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7742 T 416.865.7742

Ron Clark
Short Bio

Ron loves the challenge of operating a practice at the intersection of corporate/commercial, energy and municipal law.

Full Bio

Ron W. Clark

Partner

rclark@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7701 T 416.865.7701

Joanne Coldwell
Short Bio

Joanne is skilled at negotiating and structuring business transactions for clients across a variety of sectors.

Full Bio

Joanne C. Coldwell

Partner

jcoldwell@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.4642 T 416.865.4642

Aaron Collins
Short Bio

A self-described deal junkie, Aaron thrives on getting deals done, and will make sure your transaction gets across the finish line.

Full Bio

Aaron Collins

Partner

acollins@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3412 T 416.865.3412

Eileen Costello
Short Bio

Eileen advises clients on a broad range of development law matters.

Full Bio

Eileen P. K. Costello

Partner

ecostello@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.4740 T 416.865.4740

Peter Czegledy
Short Bio

Whether he is working on a transaction or providing strategic advice, Peter puts himself in the shoes of the client to gain a better understanding of ...

Full Bio

Peter K. Czegledy

Partner

pczegledy@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7749 T 416.865.7749

Robb English
Short Bio

Robb’s decades of experience in financial services law give him a deep understanding of his clients’ business needs.

Full Bio

D. Robb English

Partner

renglish@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.4748 T 416.865.4748

Richard Epstein
Short Bio

Prior to joining Aird & Berlis, Richard was an entrepreneur, operating various car leasing, automotive and light manufacturing businesses in the T...

Full Bio

Richard Epstein

Partner

repstein@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3437 T 416.865.3437

Ed Esposto
Short Bio

As an estate planning lawyer, Ed develops personal relationships with his clients and helps them to understand and manage their wealth.

Full Bio

Ed Esposto

Partner

eesposto@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7786 T 416.865.7786

Harry Fogul
Short Bio

Harry’s financial services practice is built on his negotiating and problem solving experience in insolvency and restructuring matters.

Full Bio

Harry M. Fogul

Partner

hfogul@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7773 T 416.865.7773

Patricia Foran
Short Bio

Patricia ensures that her clients’ needs are taken care of from the beginning of a land development proposal to final approval.

Full Bio

Patricia A. Foran

Partner

pforan@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3425 T 416.865.3425

Jill Fraser
Short Bio

With a calm demeanor and extensive experience in banking law, Jill remains poised in even the most testing circumstances. 

Full Bio

Jill P. Fraser

Partner

jfraser@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7744 T 416.865.7744

Faruk Gafic
Short Bio

Faruk has significant experience in advising clients in commercial real estate matters. 

Full Bio

Faruk Gafic

Partner

fgafic@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.4629 T 416.865.4629

Marco Gammone
Short Bio

The retail leasing space in Canada is a relatively small community with only a handful of major players, particularly on the landlord side.  

Full Bio

Marco Gammone

Partner

mgammone@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.4627 T 416.865.4627

Tony Gioia
Short Bio

As a tenacious and tactical corporate commercial lawyer, Tony is passionate about helping his clients prosper and thrive.

Full Bio

Tony Gioia

Partner

tgioia@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3403 T 416.865.3403

Francesco Gucciardo
Short Bio

Francesco’s clients rely on his sophisticated knowledge of domestic and international tax to further their business objectives.

Full Bio

Francesco Gucciardo

Partner

fgucciardo@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.4704 T 416.865.4704

Steve Graff
Short Bio

Steve’s practice has been built on his ability to think clearly in a crisis and communicate effectively with clients.

Full Bio

Steven L. Graff

Partner

sgraff@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7726 T 416.865.7726

Tom Halinski
Short Bio

Tom works with his municipal and land development clients, guiding them through the ever-evolving provincial policy framework.

Full Bio

Tom Halinski

Partner

thalinski@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7767 T 416.865.7767

Patrick Harrington
Short Bio

Patrick excels at narrowing issues through research and consensus and devising comprehensive solutions.

Full Bio

Patrick Harrington

Partner

pharrington@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3424 T 416.865.3424

Randy Hooke
Short Bio

With nearly 30 years of experience, Randy has a broad range of expertise across all major areas of real estate law.

Full Bio

Randy T. Hooke

Partner

rhooke@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7784 T 416.865.7784

L.E. Trent Horne
Short Bio

Trent Horne has been guiding clients to successful resolution of intellectual property disputes for 20 years. 

Full Bio

L.E. Trent Horne

Partner

thorne@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3428 T 416.865.3428

Michael Horvat
Short Bio

Michael guides his clients through their labour and employment law issues by providing them with practical solutions that balance their workplace issu...

Full Bio

Michael F. Horvat

Partner

mhorvat@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.4622 T 416.865.4622

Donald Johnston
Short Bio

Don offers his clients more than legal advice – he enjoys getting to know them and uncovering their goals in order to offer the right advice.

Full Bio

Donald B. Johnston

Partner

djohnston@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3072 T 416.865.3072

Norman Kahn
Short Bio

Norman is widely sought after for his wealth of knowledge and experience in negotiating complex commercial real estate transactions.

Full Bio

Norman I. Kahn

Partner

nkahn@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3420 T 416.865.3420

Neill Kalvin
Short Bio

Clients appreciate Neill’s pragmatic style, attention to detail and responsiveness.

Full Bio

Neill Kalvin

Partner

nkalvin@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7733 T 416.865.7733

Steve Kelman
Short Bio

Steve prides himself on building strong relationships and getting to know his clients and their organizations well.

Full Bio

Steven Kelman

Partner

skelman@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3446 T 416.865.3446

Richard Kimel
Short Bio

Richard is a creative and results-driven corporate finance lawyer. Both domestically and internationally, Richard brings his business knowledge to th...

Full Bio

Richard M. Kimel

Partner

rkimel@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3961 T 416.865.3961

Kim Kovar
Short Bio

Kim is adept at guiding clients through the many layers of approvals necessary for urban, commercial and residential development, particularly in the ...

Full Bio

Kim Kovar

Partner

kkovar@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7769 T 416.865.7769

Martin Kovnats
Short Bio

Martin practises primarily in the areas of merger and acquisition activities, capital markets matters and corporate commercial matters.

Full Bio

Martin Kovnats

Partner

mkovnats@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3419 T 416.865.3419

Lorenzo Lisi
Short Bio

Lorenzo’s clients look to him for guidance on navigating increasingly complex labour and employment law issues in a way that respects both the p...

Full Bio

Lorenzo Lisi

Partner

llisi@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7722 T 416.865.7722

Leo F. Longo
Short Bio

Leo's experience enables him to isolate issues quickly and arrive at a creative solution that advances his clients’ objectives.

Full Bio

Leo F. Longo

Partner

llongo@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7778 T 416.865.7778

John MASCARIN
Short Bio

John is widely regarded as a leader in municipal, planning and local government law. 

Full Bio

John Mascarin

Partner

jmascarin@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7721 T 416.865.7721

Derek McCallum
Short Bio

Derek brings a unique business-minded perspective to his commercial real estate practice, having worked as in-house counsel for many years prior to pr...

Full Bio

Derek J. McCallum

Partner

dmccallum@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7728 T 416.865.7728

Bernie McGarva
Short Bio

Bernie is an experienced litigator, mediator and arbitrator with an excellent track-record of resolution.

Full Bio

Bernie McGarva

Partner

bmcgarva@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7765 T 416.865.7765

Andrea McEwan
Short Bio

Andrea is an experienced and compassionate litigator who works closely with her clients to ease the stress of estates and trusts disputes. 

Full Bio

Andrea McEwan

Partner

amcewan@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3444 T 416.865.3444

David P. Neligan
Short Bio

David combines strong advocacy and research skills with the ability to remain composed in high-pressure situations to effectively represent his munici...

Full Bio

David P. Neligan

Associate

dneligan@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7751 T 416.865.7751

Margaret Nelligan
Short Bio

With over 30 years of experience as a corporate and securities lawyer, Margaret provides reliable and incisive advice clients can use with confidence.

Full Bio

Margaret T. Nelligan

Partner

mnelligan@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7710 T 416.865.7710

Dennis OLeary
Short Bio

As an experienced litigator and commercial lawyer, Dennis’ clients trust his judgement on pressing energy, environmental and transportation law ...

Full Bio

Dennis M. O'Leary

Partner

doleary@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.4711 T 416.865.4711

Jane Pepino
Short Bio

Jane’s experience of more than 40 years allows her to guide her clients through the unpredictability of municipal law and land use planning.

Full Bio

N. Jane Pepino

Partner

jpepino@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7727 T 416.865.7727

Joel Rose
Short Bio

Joel’s strengths lie in building strategic relationships and leveraging connections with stakeholders across a range of industries. 

Full Bio

Joel M. Rose

Partner

jrose@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3408 T 416.865.3408

Cynthia Sefton
Short Bio

Over many years of practice as a litigator, focusing on operational risk management, product liability, workplace law and insurance related matters, C...

Full Bio

Cynthia R. C. Sefton

Partner

csefton@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.4730 T 416.865.4730

Michael D. Smith
Short Bio

Mike has been practising real estate law at Aird & Berlis LLP for over 35 years, advising and supporting both entrepreneurial and institutional cl...

Full Bio

Michael D. Smith

Partner

msmith@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7731 T 416.865.7731

David Stevens
Short Bio

David is dedicated to understanding his clients’ businesses and creates and implements solutions to advance their objectives.

Full Bio

David Stevens

Partner

dstevens@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7783 T 416.865.7783

Hayden Solomons
Short Bio

Hayden’s genuine interest in real estate and extraordinary commitment to get the deal done in spite of obstacles and time constraints have earne...

Full Bio

Hayden Solomons

Partner

T 416.863.1500 T 416.863.1500

Sanj Sood
Short Bio

Employing a creative and strategic approach, Sanj works with clients to resolve their most complex matters by providing practical, business-minded sol...

Full Bio

Sanj Sood

Partner

ssood@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3083 T 416.865.3083

Scott Stoll
Short Bio

Scott’s education and experience in both the technical and legal aspects of energy and environmental law, make him a unique expert in the field.

Full Bio

Scott Stoll

Partner

sstoll@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.4703 T 416.865.4703

Louise R. Summerhill
Short Bio

A creative thinker and natural problem solver, Louise continuously looks for new ways to approach and resolve her clients’ tax issues.

Full Bio

Louise R. Summerhill

Partner

lsummerhill@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3416 T 416.865.3416

Steve J. Tenai
Short Bio

Steve is a skilled advocate with more than 25 years' experience.

Full Bio

Steve J. Tenai

Partner

stenai@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.4620 T 416.865.4620

Jennifer Wainwright
Short Bio

With over 28 years of corporate, corporate finance and real estate law experience, Jennifer offers her clients exceptional legal problem-solving skill...

Full Bio

Jennifer A. Wainwright

Partner

jwainwright@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.4632 T 416.865.4632

Hon. Peter Van Loan
Short Bio

Peter is a strong, tactical communicator with a track record of delivering results and achieving approvals for clients in complex regulatory and proce...

Full Bio

Hon. Peter Van Loan

Partner

pvanloan@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3418 T 416.865.3418

Monty Warsh
Short Bio

A distinguished legal expert in commercial leasing, Monty is dedicated to fostering dynamic partnerships with his clients.

Full Bio

Monty Warsh

Partner

mwarsh@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.4626 T 416.865.4626

Andrew Webster
Short Bio

Andrew is one of Toronto’s go-to lawyers for complex, multi-phase high-rise residential developments.

Full Bio

Andrew Webster

Partner

awebster@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7777 T 416.865.7777

Don West
Short Bio

Don’s technical corporate/commercial expertise, combined with his ability to understand his clients’ needs, helps him to identify solution...

Full Bio

Donald L. West

Partner

dwest@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7737 T 416.865.7737

Barbara Worndl
Short Bio

Clients appreciate Barbara’s dedication to finding the most tax efficient structures for their business. She thrives on the complexities of tax ...

Full Bio

Barbara Worndl

Partner

bworndl@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7754 T 416.865.7754

Christopher Williams
Short Bio

Chris offers his clients an analytical perspective and sensible solutions to difficult municipal and land use planning issues.

Full Bio

Christopher J. Williams

Partner

cwilliams@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7745 T 416.865.7745

Melanie A. Yach
Short Bio

Melanie is a dedicated expert in estates and trusts law.

Full Bio

Melanie A. Yach

Partner

myach@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.7770 T 416.865.7770

ZAKEM_Steve-1670_web
Short Bio

Steven Zakem is widely recognized as an expert in municipal planning. 

Full Bio

Steven Zakem

Managing Partner

szakem@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3440 T 416.865.3440

Stephen Zolf
Short Bio

Stephen guides clients through the rapidly evolving regulatory environment governing the telecommunications and media industry in Canada.

Full Bio

Stephen Zolf

Partner

szolf@airdberlis.com

T 416.865.3062 T 416.865.3062

Areas of Expertise

Venture Finance
Charities & Not-for-Profits
Workplace
Technology
Tax Litigation
Insolvency & Restructuring
Real Estate
Procurement
Privacy & Data Security
Municipal & Land Use Planning
Mergers & Acquisitions/Private Equity
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Labour & Employment
International Taxation & Cross-Border Tax
Intellectual Property
Financial Services
Estates & Trusts
Tax & Succession Planning
Environmental
Energy
Corporate/Commercial
Construction
Commercial, Corporate & Securities Litigation
Commercial Leasing
Banking & Finance

Related Industries

Transportation
Telecommunications
Sports & Media
Cannabis
Gaming
Expropriation

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