Our multidisciplinary team delivers deep expertise in responding to regulatory and criminal risks arising in diverse areas, including securities, anti-corruption, economic sanctions, export and technology transfer controls, foreign interference investigations, anti-money laundering, financial crimes, insider trading, fraud, bribery, tax, environment, and trust theft. Addressing such risks requires seasoned investigation and litigation counsel, and specialized advisors with industry knowledge and advanced regulatory insight.

We have successfully litigated some of the most complex white-collar crime and regulatory matters in Canada. We are known for our zealous advocacy in court and before administrative tribunals such as provincial securities commissions and professional disciplinary bodies. Many of our most high stakes investigations are highly confidential and remain out of the public realm.

With extensive experience in international matters, a national platform, and specialists in all key practice areas, we have the experience, depth and sophistication to handle the most difficult and complicated investigations. Our teams and mandates are tailored to our clients’ specific needs.

Through MT❯3 – our leading in-house e-discovery platform – we deliver the efficiency of cutting edge technology and a trusted data review team. By leveraging AI/machine learning tools, MT❯3 empowers us to analyse large volumes of evidence to identify critical insights quickly and reliably. Where appropriate, our capabilities can also be efficiently leveraged through another firm innovation, MT❯Align.

We collaborate across offices, specializations and industries to enable nimble, practical responses to clients’ needs. We frequently work closely with counsel in other jurisdictions in sensitive cross-border matters. We have deep experience in achieving best results with Canadian authorities, and making judgments regarding clients’ best interests within the context of complex international matters.

Representative Matters 

Internal Investigations

• Guided company client through sports industry investigation and parallel criminal investigation
• Resources client in internal investigation with respect to corruption concerns relating to Indigenous community
• Marijuana company which faced securities and regulatory inquiries in Canada and the U.S.
• Multinational corporation addressing corruption and securities issues in relation to an asset in Africa
• Major financial institution responding to tax authorities, and conducting a global review, as a result of the Panama Papers
• Advised a public company on Canadian implications of U.S. prosecution and eventual deferred prosecution agreement
• Aerospace company with corruption exposure in Eastern Europe
• TD Wealth in a multi-year investigation into potential issues that may arise from client investments and response to investor litigation and regulatory investigations
• Empire Life Insurance in an investigation into systemic breaches of policies and procedures, reconciliation matters for certain funds, and potential consequences with insurance and securities regulators
• OYA Renewables in an expediated internal investigation promoted by a whistleblower complaint alleging fraud against the lead director and CEO
• Desjardins Securities in discretionary option trading and failure to supervise

Criminal Investigations and Proceedings

• Stay of proceedings in favour of our client Benjamin Ahdoot in one of the largest insider trading cases in Canadian history
• Stay of criminal price-fixing charges against our client
• Acquittal of Frank Dunn, the former CEO of Nortel in the most complex accounting fraud case in Canadian history
• Successful quashing of a search warrant pre-charge in a criminal investigation into alleged fraudulent billing practices
• Achieving the withdrawal of an obstruction charge arising from a financial crime investigation
• Securing the withdrawal of a criminal charge for alleged cyber-hacking of public forum
• Secured withdrawal of criminal obstruction charge against a bank manager
• Negotiated the avoidance of criminal fraud charges against client following Ontario Police investigation
• Assisted financial institution in Canadian law enforcement and civil matters arising from U.S. money laundering allegations
• Secured withdrawal of criminal charge against client in alleged cyber attack
• Obtaining dismissals of Provincial Offences Act charges in various circumstances

Administrative Tribunals

• Representing the CEO of a crypto asset trading platform who settled with the Ontario Securities Commission in first whistleblower retaliation proceeding
• Obtaining the exclusion of evidence for breach of the right to search and seizure during office search

Compliance and Ethics

• Developed anti-foreign interference, security, and integrity policies for a major financial institution
• Independent review of compliance and ethic policies and procedures of a public company on behalf of Export Development Canada
• The Toronto-Dominion Bank in Cullen Commission inquiry into money laundering

Fraud Investigation and Recovery, and Other Urgent Relief

• Frequently securing Mareva (freeze), Anton Piller (search), and Norwich (pre-claim discovery) orders on behalf of aggrieved clients, including in an anti-hacking case for Tesla Motors

Constitutional Issues

• Counsel for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association in its landmark challenge to the constitutionality of prolonged solitary confinement in Canadian prisons
• Representing the Canadian Civil Liberties Association in a successful intervention at the Supreme Court regarding the test for abuse of process in criminal matters