Sarah J. Armstrong

Sarah Armstrong has a broad litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution practice with a focus on complex commercial and contractual disputes and class actions. Sarah has courtroom advocacy experience at both the trial and appellate levels, having acted as lead counsel and co-counsel in a range of matters before all levels of court in Ontario. Sarah has also appeared as counsel before arbitration panels and administrative tribunals.

Sarah has represented clients in disputes over commercial contracts, shareholder's rights, oppression, securities, injunctive relief, competition, arbitration, product liability, negligence, executive employment and health. Sarah has worked on a number of complex class action proceedings including actions dealing with medical devices, securities law and competition law. Sarah played an active role as co-counsel to a private Canadian company in a lengthy trial involving a wrongful dismissal claim brought by a former executive of the company. Sarah also acted as co-counsel in an extensive arbitration hearing involving a complex, multi-million dollar commercial dispute between large international corporations.

Sarah was a summer student with the firm in 2001, during which she took part in a secondment to Interights, an international human rights law organization in London, England. Sarah completed her articles with the firm in 2002/2003 and joined the firm's litigation department in September 2003. Sarah is a member of the firm's Student Development Committee, which is responsible for the hiring, supervising and mentoring of the firm's summer and articling students. 

Selected Experience

• Verdellen v. Monaghan Mushrooms Ltd. et al, 2011 ONSC 5820
• IAMAW v. Air Canada et al, 2011 ONSC 3190

News

• The Toronto Star quotes Sarah Armstrong on her involvement with the Child Advocacy Project which provides free services to students and their parents

Publications

• Crystal Ball Gazing - Potential Effects of the CCPSA on Class Action Litigation in Canada
• Case Comment: T A & K Enterprises Inc. v. Suncor Energy Products Inc. and Suncor Energy Inc.

Presentations

• The 2011 Case Law Review: Key Legal Developments You Need to Know
• Litigation Discovery Toolkit: A Client's Guide to Proportionality and the Obligation to Preserve and Produce Documents - Part 2

Membership/Affiliations

• Contributing Editor, Williston & Rolls Court Forms
• Member, The Advocates' Society
• Member, Canadian Bar Association
• Member, Ontario Bar Association
• Member, Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners
• Member, Toronto Lawyers' Association 

Community Involvement

• Volunteer Lawyer, Child Advocacy Project
• Member, Screening Committee of National Advocacy Council, Canadian Diabetes Association
• Member, United Way Women Gaining Ground
• Former Director, Working Skills Centre, Toronto
• Former Director, Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR)