Vera is a Partner and Vice-Chair of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group in Ontario. She is an experienced litigator and provides practical advice and representation to clients in commercial and civil litigation matters, with a focus on class actions and complex business disputes.
Vera is recognized as a leading class actions lawyer. She has represented clients in significant cases addressing groundbreaking legal issues and has appeared at trial and appellate courts across the country, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
Vera regularly represents clients on a broad range of class action claims. These include privacy and cybersecurity; product liability; price-fixing and other antitrust claims; breaches of contract and consumer protection law; human rights; and securities misrepresentation.
Vera also represents clients in complex commercial disputes, including before domestic and international arbitration panels. Many of Vera's cases have a cross-border component, and she works closely with U.S. and international law firms on the joint defence of clients’ litigation matters worldwide. Vera is also a member of the firm’s U.S. Committee.
Vera’s knowledge and client service are recognized by numerous legal directories, including Best Lawyers, The Legal 500, Lexpert and Benchmark. In 2020, Vera was named a “Rising Star: Leading Lawyer under 40” in Canada by Lexpert.
Vera is active in the legal community and holds numerous leadership positions, including as the Vice-Chair of the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) Class Actions Section and Co-Chair of the 17th Annual OBA Class Actions Colloquium. She is a member of the Federal Court Class Actions Bench-Bar Liaison Committee and the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) Liaison Committee for the Federal Courts. Vera is also on the Board of Directors of The Advocates’ Society, and a director of the not-for-profit organization The Shoebox Project for Women.
Previously, Vera was Chair of The Advocates Society Class Actions Practice Group, Chair of the national Competition Litigation Committee of the CBA and Secretary of the ADR Section of the OBA. She has also been an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School’s Lawyer As Negotiator course, and is a recurring guest lecturer for the Windsor Law School Class Actions course. Vera is one of the founders of the Osgoode Hall Law School Mediation Clinic and the school’s Mediation Intensive Clinical Program.
Representative Experience
- Representing Capital One in privacy and cybersecurity class actions
- Representing Sandoz, Fougera and Novartis in class action alleging price-fixing in the generic drug industry
- Representing Equifax in privacy and cybersecurity class action
- Representing TD Waterhouse in trailer fee commissions class action
- Representing the Government of Canada in discrimination class action
- Representing Oshkosh Corporation in distributorship dispute
- Representing Masonite in price-fixing/competition class action relating to interior doors
- Representing international food manufacturer in confidential arbitration
- Representing real estate industry participant in real estate commissions class action
- Representing the Government of the Northwest Territories in privacy class action
- Representing the Government of the Northwest Territories in aboriginal rights class action
- Representing Canadian public mining company in contract dispute
- Representing the Assembly of First Nations in historic child welfare class action
- Representing a large international manufacturer in PFAS/forever chemicals class action
- Representing Google in privacy disputes
- Representing Suncor in privacy and cybersecurity class action
- Representing Daimler and Mercedes-Benz in diesel emissions class action
- Advising Airbus in contractual dispute
- Representing Airbus Helicopters in cross-border commercial dispute
- Representing Maruyasu in price-fixing/competition class actions relating to auto parts (steel tubes; fuel injection systems)
- Representing Inoac in price-fixing/competition class actions relating to auto parts (interior trim)
- Representing Yamashita Rubber in price-fixing/competition class action relating to auto parts (anti-vibration rubber parts)
- Representing Toshiba in numerous price-fixing/competition class actions relating to computer components, television components and batteries (ODD, LCD, CRT, Lithium-Ion Batteries, DRAM)
- Representing PwC in securities class action
- Representing wealth management firm in confidential commercial arbitration
