Chris Paliare

Chris Paliare is one of Canada’s most highly sought after “Bet-the-Company” litigators. For nearly 50 years, Chris has acted in some of the most public, high-stakes litigation in Canada, spanning appeals, corporate and commercial litigation, class actions, high stakes estate litigation, constitutional litigation, employment law, administrative law, white collar crime, and more. He has dedicated his career to providing exceptional legal advice to all clients, including underserved individuals and communities.
Chris’ clients speak highly of his skill and expertise at his strategic approach to all of his cases. “He is professional in the way he does business, he is responsive to our requests or any needs we have, and he is thoughtful in the work he does.”
Chris, who was named one of Toronto’s most influential people by Toronto Life magazine, has earned vast range of accolades, including the Law Society Medal, the OBA Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He was inducted as a member of the Order of Ontario in 2011, and is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers.
Education
- Unversity of Texas at Austin, LL.M., 1971
- Osgoode Hall, LL.B., 1970
Bar Admissions
- Ontario, 1973
Professional Affiliations
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers (Eastern Canadian Chair), Fellow
- International Society of Barristers, Fellow
- American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow, former Ontario Provincial Chair and Honourary Member of COMBAR
- Canadian Bar Association
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
- LSUC, Certified Specialist in Civil Litigation
- The Advocates' Society
Practice Areas
- Appeals and Judicial Review
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Class Actions
- Commercial Litigation
- Constitutional Litigation
- Defamation, Libel and Slander
- Employment Law
- Estates and Trusts
- Judicial Inquiries and Inquests
- Mediation and Arbitration
- Professional Discipline and Regulation
- Public and Administrative Law
- Securities Litigation
- Shareholder Disputes
- White Collar Crime
Awards and Honours
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Ranking - Best Lawyers in Canada 2025 – Administrative and Public Law, Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Class Action Litigation, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Labour and Employment Law
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Ranking - Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: Class Actions; Employment (Employee); Employment (Employer); Labour Relations - (Labour); Litigation – Corporate Commercial; Litigation – Directors & Officers’ Liability; Litigation – Regulatory & Public Law; Workplace Human Rights (Employer)
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Member of the Order of Ontario - Inducted into the order in 2011
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Award - Toronto Lawyers Association Award of Distinction 2023
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Award - Ontario Bar Association - Award of Excellence in Civil Litigation - 2016
Representative Work
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Chris’ practice covers all aspects of counsel work, including appeals, complex corporate and commercial litigation, securities litigation, administrative law, public law, class actions, Charter of Rights and constitutional litigation, defamation, employment law, pension litigation, and white collar crime.
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Has appeared in every level of trial and appellate court in the Province of Ontario, and on numerous occasions before the Supreme Court of Canada.
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Acts on behalf of professionals who have come into conflict with their regulatory agencies, Chris regularly appears before the Divisional Court, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, and before disciplinary bodies, including on behalf of judges and lawyers.
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Has supervised the conduct of multi-jurisdictional litigation. He is a frequent lecturer and speaker to professional industry groups on the impact of litigation trends.
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SS&C v. Bank of New York Mellon and CIBC Mellon – breach of a licensing agreement in which liability was found against the defendants and our clients are claiming $880M in damages (2021 ONSC 2657).
Community Involvement
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Canadian Macedonian Place – Vice-President and Board Member
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Counsel to the Honourable Madam Justice Gloria Epstein with respect to the Dionne Quintuplet Review – 1998-99