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This is a photo of Ljiljana Stanic

Ljiljana cuts through legal complexity to find straightforward business results.

She helps international and domestic clients navigate the dynamic landscape of international trade and sanctions regulations with deep insight and pragmatic advice. Ljiljana brings her strengths in advocacy and incisive approach to bear in her trade law practice, which centres on enforcement and compliance matters relating to economic sanctions and trade and export controls, as well as anti-dumping and countervailing trade remedy disputes.

In her litigation practice, she represents companies in contentious, high-stakes disputes, with a particular focus on class actions, procurement matters, and shareholder disputes and fraud investigations. She has significant experience in fiduciary and breach of trust issues, and particular expertise in commercial and shareholder disputes involving trust and estate law issues, including high net worth family disputes.

She has acted as lead or co-counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court of Canada, and all levels of court in Ontario. She has also represented clients before arbitral and administrative tribunals, including the Canadian International Trade Tribunal and the first binational panel under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA/USMCA/T-MEC).

Ljiljana’s recent significant mandates include:

  • assisting clients in obtaining permits pursuant to the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Permit Authorization Order and other sanctions permit authorization orders
  • assisting clients with delisting applications in reference to the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations and other Canadian sanctions listings
  • resisting an attempt by defendant insurers to force individual plaintiffs into an unwieldly class proceeding
  • successfully representing the winner of a procurement in five judicial review applications (Heiltsuk Horizon Maritime Services Ltd. v. Atlantic Towing Limited, 2021 FCA 26)
  • proposing, on behalf of a community group, a framework for considering “combined effect” discrimination claims under section 15.1 of the Charter adopted by the Supreme Court of Canada (Ontario (Attorney General) v. G, 2020 SCC 38)
  • representing a Canadian bank in connection with litigation under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act
  • representing a foreign national in a judicial review application concerning the application of sanctions law
  • successfully resolving complex disputes involving business structuring and estates and trusts disputes
  • conducting an investigation of the anti-corruption and compliance program of a major multinational corporation
  • representing the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in TELUS Communications Inc. v. Wellman, an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada concerning the enforcement of arbitration agreements in proposed class proceedings
  • representing a foreign company in a multi-jurisdiction price-fixing class action
  • representing an international company in a $400 million Canadian class action alleging unlawful competition
  • representing a multi-national defence contractor in relation to a procurement award
  • representing a foreign bank in relation to a Canadian fraud investigation

In addition to her private practice, Ljiljana is committed to providing pro bono legal assistance to individuals and organizations where it will have the greatest impact and practising in a trauma-informed manner. She is a supervising lawyer at the 519 Trans ID Clinic. Ljiljana provides summary legal advice through the Indigenous Human Rights Clinic, administered by Pro Bono Students Canada (PSBC) in collaboration with the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres and Odawa Native Friendship Centre. She is also a supervising lawyer for the Atlohsa Restorative Justice (Zhawenjigewag Inawemaaganag) Program through PBSC. Ljiljana also provides pro bono legal services to community groups in Canada, and has represented them in interventions before the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as to organizations abroad in partnership with TrustLaw.

Ljiljana is actively engaged in the firm’s Inclusion Now initiative, and on diversity and inclusion issues.

She currently serves on the board of Directors of Theatre Passe Muraille, an alternative Canadian theatre company dedicated to supporting and showcasing marginalized voices and independent and emerging artists and companies.

Ljiljana is the Chair of the International Law section of the Ontario Bar Association, as well as a member of the Civil Litigation section executive. She is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Bar Association, the Advocates’ Society, and the Canadian Maritime Law Association.

Ljiljana received her law degree from the University of Toronto, where she was Co-Editor-in-Chief of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review and a member of the Grand Moot team. During law school, she was awarded a fellowship sponsoring her work in forensic legal services. Ljiljana also studied at the University of Copenhagen Faculty of Law, with a focus on international and EU trade and development law.

Prior to entering law, Ljiljana received a SSHRC grant to conduct her graduate studies in epistemology and metaphysics at the University of Toronto, from which she holds both Honours Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in philosophy.