Administrative Law

Administrative law involves non-judicial decision-makers, such as government officials, regulatory boards, professional disciplinary boards, commissions and administrative tribunals.  There are hundreds of administrative decision-making bodies in Canada.  A few examples include:

• the Human Rights Commissions and tribunals, 
• the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board,
• the Canada Pension Tribunal,
• the Municipal Board,
• the Liquor Control Board of Ontario,
• the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board,
• the Landlord and Tenant Board,
• the Military Police Complaints Commission,
• the Veterans Review and Appeal Board,
• the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and
• the National Energy Board.

Our Experienced Litigators provide Skilled Representation before Administrative Bodies and at Judicial Reviews of Administrative Decisions.

Our lawyers have successfully represented clients before numerous boards and tribunals, at the federal, provincial and municipal level.  If you are facing an administrative law matter, our experienced litigators can provide you with solid legal advice, craft persuasive written submissions and provide skilled representation at oral hearings.

It is important to realize that a decision made by an administrative authority is not necessarily the final word.  Courts can consider these decisions in a process called “judicial review.”  A judicial review is different from an appeal in that the court does not generally focus on whether the decision-maker reached the right decision, but rather, whether the decision was reached in the right way.  If there is something wrong with the way the decision was made—for example, if the decision-maker acted outside of its legislative authority or the process appeared biased—the court can overturn the decision or direct the decision-maker to reconsider the matter.

If you have received a decision from an administrative authority that you feel is unfair, our experienced administrative law lawyers can review the decision, explore the options available to you, advise you on the best way to proceed and provide you with skilled representation.

Contact our Toronto and Ottawa Lawyers to Discuss your Administrative Law Matter.

Contact the experienced administrative law lawyers at Spiteri & Ursulak LLP at 613-563-1010 or info@sulaw.ca to find out how we can assist you with your administrative law matter.

Civil Litigation

Our Civil Litigation Lawyers achieve the Best Possible Outcomes in an Efficient and Cost-Effective Manner.

Civil litigation is one of Spiteri & Ursulak LLP’s main areas of practice.  Our experienced litigators have successfully represented clients at trial before all levels of court and at numerous mediations and arbitrations.

Our priority is to assist our clients to achieve a successful resolution to their matter in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible.  We listen carefully to our clients to ensure that we fully understand their goals.  This allows us to advise our clients appropriately regarding the best way to proceed with their civil matter.  Often clients’ objectives can be met through an alternative dispute mechanism such as mediation or arbitration, which attempt to guide parties toward settlement without the need for a court trial.  However, at other times it is appropriate to proceed to trial.  Regardless of the process, the civil litigation lawyers at Spiteri & Ursulak LLP zealously protect our clients’ interests and ensure that our clients receive the best outcome possible.

Our Team Represents Plaintiffs and Defendants in a Wide Range of Civil Litigation Matters in Toronto and Ottawa.

Our civil litigation lawyers represent both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of civil litigation matters.  Matters that Spiteri & Ursulak’s experienced civil litigation lawyers deal with on a regular basis include:

• Contractual Disputes
• Breach of Privacy
• Negligence Claims/Defences
• Real Estate Litigation
• Landlord-Tenant Disputes
• Estate Litigation
• Family Law Litigation
• Product Liability
• Insurance Litigation
• Construction Liability Litigation
• Employment and Labour Litigation
• Debtor-Creditor Litigation
• Corporate/Commercial Litigation
• Municipal Disputes
• Civil Appeals

Contact our Civil Litigation Lawyers to Discuss how we can assist you in Toronto and Ottawa.

Contact Spiteri & Ursulak LLP at 613-563-1010 or info@sulaw.ca to find out how our experienced civil litigation lawyers can assist you with your matter.

Class Actions

What is a Class Action? 

A class action is a lawsuit started by one or more individuals on behalf of a group of people who claim that they have suffered losses as a result of actions of the same individuals or organization.  Once the lawsuit has been begun, others who have been affected have the opportunity to participate.

Class Actions benefit Plaintiffs and Create Positive Change.

A class action provides individuals with a low-risk, low-cost way to recover losses in situations where it would not be economically feasible or an efficient use of court time to bring individual actions.  Class actions also have the potential to create positive behavioural change.

For example, if a credit card company had consistently overcharged interest on late accounts, the amount lost by each individual would likely be small.  Therefore, it would not make economical sense for a single individual to bring a court action, and it would not be a good use of court time for several actions to be brought in regard to the same issue.

If a class action were brought against the company, all of the individuals who had been overcharged would have the opportunity to recoup their losses.  Furthermore, they could likely do so at no cost to themselves as class action lawyers do not generally charge any fees unless the lawsuit is successful. 

Bringing a class action in this case would promote efficiency as the court could resolve hundreds of individual claims against the company through a single action.  It would also promote positive behavioural change as it would send a message to the company and other credit card companies that they cannot get away with this type of dishonesty.

Our Legal Team Helps Plaintiffs Recover Losses.

Class action lawsuits are very different from most lawsuits.  They involve processes unique to class actions and can go on for years.  As these lawsuits require specialized knowledge and are incredibly resource-intensive, very few law firms are in a position to take them on.  At Spiteri & Ursulak LLP we have a designated team of knowledgeable class action lawyers who are dedicated to performing the intense work required to succeed in class actions.

For more information on the class action lawsuits Spiteri & Ursulak LLP is currently working on, please see our Active Class Actions page.

Our Legal Team Protects Defendants faced with Class Action Lawsuits.

We at Spiteri & Ursualk LLP recognize that individuals and organizations confronted with a class action lawsuit face not only the possibility of hefty monetary consequences, but also negative publicity and stigma.  While some cases call for an intense fight, in other cases, a quick and straightforward settlement would be more appropriate. 

The lawyers at Spiteri & Ursulak LLP have the knowledge and experience necessary to advise you on the best course of action that will allow you to minimize financial losses and negative publicity.  We can assess your case, advise on an appropriate strategy and assist you in handling the case in the best possible way.  

Contact Our Ottawa and Toronto Class Action Lawyers to Discuss your Case.

If you think you may have a claim that could affect other individuals or groups, or if you or your organization are facing the prospect of a class action lawsuit being brought against you, please contact the experienced lawyers at Spiteri & Ursulak LLP at 613-563-1010 or info@sulaw.ca to find out how we can help.

Compliance for Public Office Holders

All individuals employed by the federal government—Cabinet Ministers, Ministerial Staff, Members of Parliament and all members of the Public Service—are considered “public office holders.”  All public office holders are obliged to follow legislation and guidelines designed to ensure that they carry out their duties in a fair and unbiased way.  Public officer holders must disclose their financial information; avoid any real or perceived conflicts of interest; refrain from engaging in certain political activities; comply with ethical guidelines; and exercise caution regarding the acceptance of gifts.

The lawyers at Spiteri & Ursulak LLP have a wealth of experience in advising public office holders regarding their compliance obligations.  We assist our clients in exercising due diligence and ensure that they do not run afoul of any of their obligations through any unintentional missteps.  Moreover, we provide strong representation for any of our clients who have been accused of contravening their obligations.

Contact our Experienced Ottawa and Toronto Lawyers to Discuss how we can assist you in regard to Compliance for Public Office Holders.

If you are a public office holder who has questions regarding your compliance obligations, or if you have been accused of breaching any of your obligations, contact Spiteri & Ursulak LLP at 613-563-1010 or info@sulaw.ca to find out how our experienced lawyers can assist you with your matter.