A sophisticated and business-minded litigator with deep market insight, Gillian guides clients through the legal and regulatory developments on matters ranging from securities litigation to class actions.
Gillian is the co-head of the firm’s securities defence practice. Her practice focuses on securities litigation and corporate disputes.
On the securities side of her practice, Gillian frequently acts for capital market participants in securities class actions, professional liability claims and regulatory investigations involving the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, the Mutual Fund Dealers’ Association and the Ontario Securities Commission. As a complement to her securities regulatory work, she advises financial institutions on investigations involving consumer protection matters.
Gillian also maintains an active commercial litigation practice, representing corporations in contested transaction matters, shareholder disputes, breach of contract claims and other business torts. She has appeared as counsel in all levels of court in Ontario, the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Yukon Court of Appeal.
Gillian has an impressive balance of analytical focus and practical judgement. She does an excellent job helping her clients understand the broader legal issues and which will likely bear the most fruit during the course of the litigation.’
—Chambers Canada, 2023
2021-2025 | Chambers Canada—Leading lawyer in litigation: general commercial (Ontario) and litigation: securities (Ontario) |
2021-2025 | The Legal 500—Leading partner in dispute resolution: Ontario |
2023-2024 | Lexpert/American Lawyer’s Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada—Leading lawyer in securities litigation |
2022-2024 | Benchmark Litigation—Top 100 Women in Canadian Litigation |
2020-2024 | Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys—Future Star and Litigation Star (class actions, commercial and securities) |
2021-2025 | Best Lawyers in Canada—Leading lawyer in corporate and commercial litigation and securities law |
2020-2023 | The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory—Leading lawyer in securities litigation |
2016 | Lexpert’s Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40—One of Canada’s leading lawyers under 40 |
Before joining Torys, Gillian was senior in-house counsel at a Canadian financial institution.
Gillian sits on the Steering Committee of the OSC Litigation Assistance Program, which provides free legal assistance to unrepresented respondents to the OSC administrative proceedings.
In the community, she is a board member of Special Olympics Ontario, an organization that enriches the lives of Ontarians with an intellectual disability through sport. She also volunteers with Golden Future, an organization that performs outreach work with high school students in Khyelitsha township, South Africa.