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This is a photo of Awanish Sinha

Awanish
Sinha

Partner
Co-Lead l Public Sector

Toronto

Contact by email at [email protected]

t. +1 416-601-8030

3556

Law School

McGill University

Bar Admission

Ontario, 2001

Awi solves problems.

Awi Sinha is a partner in our Toronto office. He advises major enterprises in extraordinary, high-stakes situations.

He has unique experience executing legal strategy to maximize results and reduce risk when dealing with social disruptions, political controversies, crises and scandals. Awi approaches often unprecedented legal issues with matrix thinking – multi-dimensional analysis of the special cross-pressures on legal decision making in novel circumstances. Leaders value Awi’s ability to see around corners, separate knowledge from noise and provide practical advice during uncertain times.

In 2023, Canadian Lawyer magazine named Awi to its Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers as one of the country’s five most influential lawyers in the Business category. He is also Lexpert-ranked in Commercial Litigation and Infrastructure.
 

" He has had an outsized impact on the evolution of law over the last decade. "
Canadian Lawyer

Special Advisory

Some examples of Awi’s mandates are below:

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) re: COVID-era “Return-to-Play” – The first phase of the COVID pandemic was one of intense and extreme regulatory reform in real time. Awi acted for MLSE in its processes with all levels of governments and commercial partners for development of a COVID-safe strategy for the iterative return to play of the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Soccer (MLS) in Canada. Awi advised on MLSE’s winning bid to the host the 2020 NHL “Playoffs Bubble” in Toronto and on the successful relocation from Tampa Bay to Canada of the Toronto Raptors after a COVID season in exile.

Canadian Universities re: Middle East Tensions – Awi acts as a special advisor to a number of Canadian universities dealing with a myriad of conduct controversies, security issues and academic freedom concerns arising from actions of students, faculty and campus groups regarding Middle East tensions.

Cadillac Fairview (CF) re: Freedom Convoy – When the “Freedom Convoy” parked trucks and created encampments in downtown Ottawa, the continued closure of CF Rideau Centre became a symbolic flashpoint for a national discussion on the convoy. Awi acted as special counsel for CF to coordinate with public authorities on legal strategy and practical situation management. The mandate included government relations, civil claim strategies and collaboration on an injunction application by the City of Ottawa to achieve a safe, strategic plan for reopening without any incidents.

Siemens Canada re: Nord Stream Pipeline – Awi helped the global industrial leader manage the extraordinary circumstance of holding a piece of critical European pipeline infrastructure frozen in a Canadian service dock by Canadian war sanctions and coordinating with the international diplomatic process to ensure European energy security.

Dentists of Canada – Awi acted as special counsel to a collective of national and provincial dental organizations to consult, collaborate and contribute to the new federal Canada Dental Plan.

 

Political law
Awi has a leading practice in lobbying law, elections law and political ethics. He advises major corporations and senior political figures on compliance strategies and acts for them in parliamentary commissioner investigations and parliamentary committee hearings. His mandates are confidential.

 

Crisis Law
Awi has elite experience as special counsel for enterprises facing high-stakes reputational risk, atypical threats and sensitive executive conduct matters. He has worked in concert with and is preferred counsel for the leading public communications and corporate issues management consultants in Canada. His mandates are confidential.

 

Community Champion 
Awi serves as McCarthy Tétrault’s ambassador to Legal Leaders in Diversity and is a prominent voice on diversity and inclusion issues in the Canadian business community.

Awi serves on the board of directors of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Awi is a former director of the Tim Horton’s Foundation and the Canadian Club (Toronto).