Emily Lawrence is the Managing Partner of Paliare Roland. She is an advocate with substantial expertise in professional regulation, pension litigation, employment and labour law, constitutional litigation, civil disputes, and privacy matters. Emily is recognized as an expert in administrative law, as counsel appearing before numerous administrative law tribunals, the co-author of a book on administrative law practice, a sought-after presenter on the topic, and adjunct faculty in administrative law at Osgoode Hall Law School. She has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario and at the Supreme Court of Canada.
Prior to becoming Managing Partner, Emily was the head of the firm’s student program, helping grow its associate ranks through student recruitment and is an active mentor within the legal community. Emily is the chair of the 10+ Committee of The Advocates’ Society and has been ranked by Lexpert as a Leading Lawyer to Watch, and by Best Lawyers in Canada for commercial litigation. She is also Repeatedly Recommended for litigation (Regulatory & Public Law) in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory.
Education
- Osgoode Hall Law School, Osgoode Certificate in Pension Law, 2011
- Osgoode Hall Law School, Specialization in Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Administration of Justice, LL.B., 2005
- Concordia University, B.A. (Hons.) (Political Science), 2002
Professional Affiliations
- Ontario Bar Association
- Toronto Lawyers’ Association
- The Advocates’ Society
Representative Work
- Inquiry Counsel to The Honourable Mr. Justice Herman J. Wilton-Siegel who was appointed Commissioner of the City of Hamilton's Red Hill Valley Parkway Inquiry in May 2019.
- Acts for a large multinational corporations on complex civil and product liability litigation;
- Has acted for large and small companies in breach of contract cases with service providers and suppliers;
- Frequently appears as prosecution counsel and defence counsel for colleges of regulated professionals before discipline committees and on appeal or judicial review in the courts;
- Represents unions, pension plan administrators and individuals in pension matters, before the courts, the Financial Services Tribunal, and in labour arbitrations; and
- Acts for executives and other employees in employment and pension matters.
Awards and Honours
Recognized in the 2021 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as Repeatedly recommended - Litigation - Regulatory & Public Law
Recognized in the 2020 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as Leading Lawyers to Watch - Litigation - Regulatory & Public Law
Recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada for Administrative and Public Law, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Labour and Employment Law
Publications and Presentations
- Emily regularly speaks at continuing legal education programs and conferences in the areas of administrative law, employment law and professional regulation.
- Co-authored Administrative Law in Practice: Principles and Advocacy with Justice Lorne Sossin (Emond, 2018), a practical guide to administrative law.
- Ryder, Bruce, Lawrence, Emily and Faria, Cidalia, What's Law Good For? An Empirical Overview of Charter Equality Rights Decisions (June 1, 2004). Supreme Court Law Review (2d), Vol. 24, p. 103, 2004.