John Pirie leads Baker McKenzie’s Canadian litigation and government enforcement group and is a member of the North American group’s Steering Committee. A Chambers ranked trial lawyer, he handles complex business disputes, investigations and white-collar matters, particularly those with multi-jurisdictional aspects. John’s focus includes a significant fraud and financial recovery component, having pursued and defended a range of leading cases in the area. He has deep experience with emergency relief measures, including global asset freeze orders and remedies available in bankruptcy and receivership. John has acted for governments, banks, investors, multinational corporations, officers and directors, a stock exchange, a securities regulator, members of the judiciary and an array of professionals. Clients interviewed by Chambers Global say: “John Pirie has an excellent command of the law and clients’ needs and expectations” and “he is an experienced courtroom advocate who is particularly well regarded for his civil fraud expertise.”

Matt Latella is a veteran in Baker McKenzie’s Litigation and Government Enforcement Group. A trial lawyer with over 20 years experience, Matt has deep expertise in recovering assets from fraudsters, regardless of where the funds are located. He has particularly deep aptitude and familiarity with a powerful tool for freezing assets: the Mareva injunction. On multiple occasions, he has represented plaintiffs before courts across Canada, obtaining the most rare and powerful form of that extraordinary remedy, the worldwide Mareva injunction. While on secondment to the Firm’s London, England office, Matt focused on multijurisdictional fraud litigation and “trust-busting” asset tracing proceedings in multiple offshore jurisdictions, including in appeal proceedings before the UK Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Over the years, he has handled multiple complex commercial disputes, resulting in the successful recovery of many millions of dollars. In matters where the preservation of evidence held by adverse parties was at risk, Matt has obtained and overseen the execution of ex parte Anton Piller orders, allowing the evidence to be seized and preserved. Matt has litigated fraud matters at all levels of Court, including the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada, representing a wide range of clients from large multinational Fortune 500 companies and global financial institutions to small businesses and individuals.

George Avraam was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1999 and has since practiced as a trial and appellate litigator. George’s practice is focused on labour, employment, public and administrative law, class actions, education law, and fiduciary duties. He has acted as lead counsel in arbitrations, administrative proceedings, trials, appeals, judicial reviews, class actions, and injunctions.

George is designated by the Law Society of Ontario as a specialist in civil litigation. He is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, has been ranked in Chambers Global and Chambers Canada and Ontario (Band 2), has been recommended as a leading lawyer in Legal 500 for Labour and Employment, and has been recommended as a leading employment lawyer in Lexpert. George is also the Chair of the North America Employment and Compensation Law Practice Group and a member of the Global Employment and Compensation Law Practice Group’s Steering Committee.

Michael Nowina’s litigation practice focuses on a broad range of commercial disputes including advising on the recovery from fraudulent investment schemes, mortgage fraud and credit fraud. Michael’s fraud-related and investigations experience includes representing victims of a Canada-wide investment fraud and ultimately securing recovery of a majority of the proceeds from the fraud, advising numerous creditors in proceedings commenced to recover fraudulent conveyances and preferential payments in multi-jurisdictional litigation, and representing financial institutions in identity fraud cases and in proceedings to recover funds from fraudulent borrowers. Michael also frequently advises clients on insolvency matters involving fraud.

David Gadsden has deep experience in fraud and financial crime matters.  He is counsel on multijurisdictional fraud investigations, including related civil disputes and regulatory proceedings.  David acted as counsel for a primary defendant in the Sino-Forest litigation, the largest securities fraud class action in Canada.  He is known for his pragmatic advice on fraud prevention and investigations, and has extensive expertise in ‘Ponzi scheme’ litigation and asset recapture, including cross-border tracing, Anton Piller orders and Mareva injunctions.  David has been recognized as a “Litigator to Watch” in Lexpert’s annual Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-border Litigation Lawyers in Canada and has been ranked in Legal 500 for dispute resolution.

Ahmed Shafey practices commercial litigation, providing advice in the context of fraud/misrepresentation claims, contractual disputes, professional liability actions, shareholder disputes, government procurement litigation, international commercial arbitrations and bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings. Ahmed has been engaged in a number of civil fraud and asset recovery matters as well as complex business crime investigations, including in tracing preferential payments, investigating complex investment frauds and moving for emergency injunctive relief to preserve and protect assets in Canada and beyond.

Arlan Gates is a partner in the Firm’s Global Antitrust & Competition and International Commercial & Trade groups. He leads the Canadian Antitrust, Competition and Foreign Investment practice and has been ranked in Chambers, as well as in Legal 500. Arlan advises on Canadian and international merger control and foreign investment (including national security), cartels, and competition investigations and inquiries, and provides counselling on competitor collaboration, abuse of dominance, pricing policies, distribution arrangements, and the implementation of industry-tailored compliance programs. Arlan also leads the Firm’s Canadian Advertising, Marketing and Regulatory Practice, providing support to domestic and international businesses on regulatory compliance aspects of market entry, ongoing commercial operations in Canada and abroad, marketing practices, and misleading advertising.

Stephanie Vaccari has extensive trade secret litigation and prosecution experience.  Stephanie has participated in a variety of complex lawsuits dealing with, among others, breach of confidentiality, trade mark and copyright infringement, grey market and counterfeit goods,  patent infringement and validity, Internet issues, licensing issues, unfair competition and passing off.  She has also assisted large multinational clients, including those in the technology, confectionery, pharmaceutical and fashion industries, with their worldwide trade mark portfolios, protecting their brands and preventing sales of unlawful products into Canada and other jurisdictions.  In addition to her practice, Stephanie serves as co-chair of Baker McKenzie’s Toronto Women’s Networking Group (where she has been recognized as a woman “who has made significant achievements advancing women and promoting gender equality” (International Women’s Day, March 2012)) and is spearheading the Toronto office’s Luxury and Fashion Group.

Christina Doria practices complex commercial litigation and arbitration matters and has experience coordinating large-scale internal investigations. She assists clients with cross-border and domestic cases, and is experienced in the enforcement of foreign judgments, recovery in fraud litigation and arbitration, as well as defending fraud allegations in the class action context. Christina is recognized as a leader by WWL Canada, WWL Arbitration, and the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, and is recognized as a rising star by the Legal 500 and Euromoney’s Expert Guide. Clients interviewed by WWL say she has “extraordinarily strong counsel skills and an excellent command of international arbitration practice”.

Brendan O’Grady is a member of Baker McKenzie’s Litigation & Government Enforcement Practice Group in Toronto. He advises on commercial litigation matters with an emphasis on fraud law and asset recovery. Brendan has represented government agencies, financial institutions and individual victims of investment and mortgage fraud schemes in asset recovery actions and insolvencies. Brendan has also acted in securities class proceedings involving misrepresentations to shareholders.

Eleanor Dennis is an Associate in Baker McKenzie’s Litigation & Government Enforcement Practice Group in Toronto. She joined the firm as a summer student in 2020 and completed her articles in 2022. Eleanor focuses her practice on a wide range of commercial litigation and arbitration matters, assisting clients in navigating complex commercial and contracts disputes. Eleanor is fluent in English, French and Spanish.

Akkila Thirukesan is an Associate in Baker McKenzie’s Litigation & Government Enforcement Practice Group in Toronto. Prior to joining the firm in 2025, Akkila practiced civil litigation for the federal government. She has appeared and assisted on matters before Ontario and Federal courts.  Akkila is developing a broad arbitration, class action and litigation practice, including in civil fraud and asset recovery matters.

Anton Rizor is an Associate in Baker McKenzie’s Litigation & Government Enforcement Practice Group in Toronto. Anton joined the Firm as a summer student in 2021 and completed his articles in 2023. Anton is fluent in English and German. Anton is developing a broad arbitration, class action and litigation practice, including in civil fraud and asset recovery matters.

Bryan Hsu is an Associate in Baker McKenzie’s Litigation & Government Enforcement Practice Group in Toronto. He joined the firm as a summer student in 2021 and completed his articles in 2023. Bryan is developing a broad litigation and arbitration practice, with interest in civil fraud and asset recovery matters.