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More than a law firm – that’s the
Foglers Advantage.
Scotia Plaza
40 King Street West, Suite 2400
P.O. Box #215
Toronto, ON M5H 3Y2
2025 Fogler, Rubinoff LLP
Alain Bartleman is a partner in the firm’s Indigenous Practice Group and a member of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation. He advises First Nations in complex negotiations involving Aboriginal and Treaty rights, governance, and major resource and infrastructure projects.
Alain’s practice focuses on the negotiation and implementation of Impact Benefit Agreements (IBAs), as well as consultation, regulatory, and economic development matters. He advises First Nations on strategic engagement with all levels of government and negotiates with proponents in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors. His work also includes land management, project approvals, on-reserve leasing, and the structuring and governance of band-owned enterprises.
Alain brings a strategic, principled, and solutions-oriented approach to all of his work. His practice is grounded in the belief that legal tools must reflect the values and priorities of the communities they are built to serve.
Alain has held leadership and advisory roles with several national and community-based organizations, including as Treasurer of the Indigenous Bar Association, Special Advisor on Indigenous Issues to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and as a board member of Native Child and Family Services of Toronto. He regularly mentors Indigenous law students and early-career lawyers, and speaks on Indigenous legal issues at civic, legal, and educational forums. He is also the founder of the Bartleman Award for First Nations students at Western University. In recognition of his contributions to the profession and to Indigenous communities, Alain was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Catherine is a Partner in the Litigation Group and Bankruptcy and Insolvency Group. Her practice is devoted largely to corporate/commercial, real estate, banking, and insolvency litigation.
Catherine has handled a diverse range of legal cases, including complex fraud investigations, lender liability lawsuits, oppression remedy applications, construction disputes, commercial tenancy disputes, environmental claims, employment-related matters, professional malpractice allegations against lawyers, accountants, appraisers and other professionals, and a wide variety of bankruptcy, receivership and other insolvency proceedings. She is extremely well-versed in the intricacies of bankruptcy and insolvency law and has represented debtors, receivers, trustees in bankruptcy, foreign representatives, and secured and unsecured creditors in numerous proceedings under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, Personal Property Security Act, Business Corporations Act, and other commercial and insolvency-related statutes. She is regularly consulted by other law firms and sole practitioners on insolvency-related issues.
Catherine has acted as lead counsel for both debtors and financial institutions in several major “lender liability” lawsuits. In the early and mid- 2000’s, she acted as counsel for the trustee in bankruptcy of Dylex Limited and spearheaded an extensive forensic investigation and legal action that resulted in the recovery of tens of millions of dollars for unsecured creditors. She has regularly achieved exceptional monetary recoveries for lending clients through fast and innovative approaches.
She has appeared at all levels of courts in Ontario, including the Commercial List and the Ontario Court of Appeal, as well as in private arbitrations. In 2002, Catherine served as a member of the Oral Board of Examiners for licensing trustees in bankruptcy. She has sat for a number of years on the Commercial List Users Committee of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto, including as a member of subcommittees dealing with the implementation of the rule changes under the Rules of Civil Procedure and dealing with issues related to Access to Justice.
Catherine has presented and published various papers and lectures on issues arising in the areas of commercial, banking and insolvency matters, including the rights and duties of directors and officers in insolvency, recognizing the warning signs of insolvency and recovering assets.
Clients come to Catherine for her expertise and her no-nonsense attitude. She is approachable and frank with a strong reputation in the legal community and the judiciary for her integrity, oral and written advocacy skills and passion for the law. She approaches every case in a very detailed, analytical and tenacious fashion, with an unyielding determination to get the best possible result for her clients, whether through an early negotiated settlement or, where appropriate and necessary, litigating the issues by means of a full-blown trial and appeal process.
Ryan has a broad corporate and commercial practice with an emphasis on debt finance and private business transactions.
As part of his financing practice, Ryan acts regularly for both lenders and borrowers on a range of transactions often involving complex structures and multiple jurisdictions. Additionally, he has a particular expertise in automotive finance and is known as a “go to” service provider to the leading lenders across Canada in this dynamic sector.
In his private business practice, he represents clients across a range of industries. His experience covers: mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, estate/succession planning, private equity investments, shareholder and partnership disputes and corporate governance. Ryan also frequently advises real estate developers on the corporate side of their development projects including, corporate structuring, capital raises and the various stages of project financing.
Marie’s practice extends to all facets of branding and advertising law, and her expertise lies in helping businesses acquire, manage and defend their trademarks in Canada and abroad.
Marie has worked with and managed the international trademark portfolios of many of Canada’s largest corporations and the Canadian portfolios of some of the world’s largest trademark owners. She is ranked as a leading trademark lawyer by both World Intellectual Property Review and WTR 1000 – the World’s Leading Trademark Professionals.
Marie is a member of the Institute of Intellectual Property of Canada (IPIC). She served for several terms as an instructor in its trademark agent training course and for two terms on the committee charged with administering the trademark agent examination. She is also the former Director of the McGill-IPIC course on Managing Trademark Disputes. Marie is also actively involved with the International Trademark Association (INTA). She has worked on several of its committees, including the Trademark Reporter Committee, the Building Bridges Committee, and is a former co-chair of the Law and Practice North America Subcommittee of the INTA Bulletin. In 2021, she was appointed to the Trademark Examining Board of the newly created College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents.
Marie is fluent in both French and English and has studied and worked in both languages. She received a B.Sc. in 1987 from Queen’s University, specializing in Life Sciences. She then attended McGill University and obtained her common and civil law degrees in 1991. While at McGill, she was Comments Editor of the McGill Law Journal. Subsequently, as part of her articles, Marie clerked with Madam Alice Desjardins of the Federal Court of Appeal.
Paul has extensive experience in employment related litigation, grievance arbitrations, labour board hearings and human rights applications. He regularly appears before the courts, administrative tribunals and arbitrators. Paul also provides sound strategic advice tailored to clients seeking to avoid litigation. Paul takes a practical, customary and creative approach to his practice in ensuring that his clients achieve their desired outcome.
Paul is consulted daily to provide prompt and sage advice on all human resources matters affecting the workplace. In addition, Paul is regularly retained as counsel in connection with labour and employment implications arising out of complex corporate transactions.
Paul is a graduate of Queen’s University’s joint Master of Industrial Relations/Juris Doctor (MIR/JD) Program. Prior to law school, Paul obtained a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University where he graduated with “distinction” and pursued a concentration in labour-management relations.
Julien is a partner in our tax department.
Julien’s practice consists of corporate and personal tax planning, estate planning, corporate reorganizations, cross-border structuring, and the taxation of trusts. Julien also has experience with voluntary disclosures and regularly advises clients on departure tax.
Prior to joining the firm, Julien was an associate in a Montreal law firm specializing in taxation law.
Michael practices in all areas of estates, trusts, incapacity and not-for-profit law.
His expertise includes the planning and drafting of wills, trusts and powers of attorney, the administration of estates and trusts and business succession planning. He also advises clients in both contentious and non-contentious estate litigation matters, including mental capacity matters, guardianship application, passing of fiduciary accounts and disputed wills.
Michael also works in the not-for-profit and charities area, advising charities, not-for-profit organizations, and donors regarding the establishment, governance and regulation of charities and not-for-profit organizations.
Michael’s experience includes:
- Planning and implementing effective estate plans for individuals and business owners
- Acting for individuals and families to implement practical and solution-oriented estate plans, including drafting wills, powers of attorney and trusts for business owners, and parents and guardians of persons with disabilities
- Advising regarding cross-border and international estate and trust matters
- Assisting clients with planning for incapable family members
- Advising financial institution regarding complex estate, trust and incapacity issues and best practises
- Working with not-for-profits and charities
- Advising individuals and non-profit organizations on charitable giving and related issues
- Advising executors and estate trustees on how to efficiently manage the estate administration process from beginning to end
Michael is a designated Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) from the Society of Estate and Trust Practitioners, and is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Toronto. He is also a member of the Trusts and Estates Law, Charity and Not-for-Profit Law, and Elder Law sections of the Ontario Bar Association.
Michael previously held positions as an estates and trusts lawyer at a national law firm, in the estate and trust group of a major financial institution, and as a lawyer at a Toronto estate and trust litigation firm.
Debra is a dynamic lawyer and natural storyteller who has passionately advocated for children and families throughout her 30 year career. Debra is a Partner with the firm’s Indigenous Practice Group. She is a working with various Indigenous Governing Bodies and First Nations in recovering, revitalizing and drafting their child wellbeing laws in their reassertion of Inherent Jurisdiction over their children and families.
In addition to legislative drafting of First Nations’ laws, Debra also appears in various levels of court representing First Nations pursuant to provincial and federal child welfare statutes. She will also be working with First Nations in relation to unmarked burial investigations and other forms of investigation, employment matters, and other litigation.
Prior to joining Fogler Rubinoff, Debra was a self employed sole practitioner practicing criminal, family and child protection litigation, including high conflict and complex litigation. Debra has also represented children as a Children’s Lawyer with the Office of the Children’s Lawyer in family court proceedings and in child protection proceedings. Throughout her career, her clients appreciated her practical, commonsensical and purposeful approach with an emphasis in moving their matters out of litigation and into restorative family healing through alternative forms of resolution.
Debra has been involved as a volunteer with the Lawyers Feed the Hungry Program, serving breakfast to those who are hungry and in need of a hot nutritious meal. She also volunteered her time with the Flemingdon Legal Clinic providing pro bono legal advice and services. In addition, Debra has frequently presented seminars involving criminal, family and child protection cross over issues as well as being a member of the Cross Over Youth Project Committee with an emphasis in keeping youth in care out of the criminal justice system.
Katherine is a citizen of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) Nation. Katherine has built a diverse practice providing advice and acting in disputes concerning the assertion of inherent jurisdiction and other Indigenous and treaty rights, the duty to consult, commercial matters, public inquiries (including as Assistant Commission Counsel to Ontario’s Ipperwash Inquiry, and counsel to a number of parties at Canada’s Missing and Murdered Women’s Inquiry), coroners’ inquests, employment law and workplace investigations, child welfare matters, and select criminal cases.
Katherine is the recipient of a number of awards for her innovative and passionate advocacy for human rights and the advancement of social justice, including the Minaake Award for Human Rights and Advocacy from the Native Women’s Resource Centre and the Arleen Goss Young Advocates Award from the Advocates Society.
Katherine is regularly asked by law faculties, professional associations and regulatory bodies, First Nations and Tribal Councils, and others to speak and teach in her field of practice. She served as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law from 2011 to 2019. Katherine was also a member of Ontario’s Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee from 2017 to 2020.
Prior to joining Foglers, Katherine founded and served Indigenous clients through her own firm, Hensel Barristers, from 2011 to 2021. During that time, she was repeatedly acknowledged by The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory and The Best Lawyers ™ in Canada in their rankings. In 2021, the Globe and Mail recognized Hensel Barristers as one of the top 19 law firms in Canada practicing in the field of Aboriginal and Indigenous law. In 2023, she was named one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer.
Shirley’s practice encompasses all aspects of commercial real estate. She acts for land owners, developers, banks and surety companies on matters relating to acquisitions and dispositions, land development, commercial leasing, and real estate financing.
Shirley represents developers throughout the complete lifecycle of residential and commercial projects in the Greater Toronto Area and Golden Horseshoe—from land acquisition and development to sales, condominium registration, and final closings.
She also acts for landowner groups with respect to cost-sharing and infrastructure agreements. In addition, Shirley also practices transactional real estate, including the acquisition and disposition of vacant land, agricultural properties and commercial and retail properties. Clients appreciate her business background, which allows her to approach legal issues from a practical business perspective. She is also fluent in Mandarin.
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