Master the art of drafting effective, evidence-based affidavits that stand up to scrutiny in court.
With a growing emphasis on efficient access to justice, affidavit drafting is becoming a crucial instrument in every litigator’s toolbox. In this session, Associate Justice Todd Robinson and experienced litigation counsel Melanie Ouanounou and Michelle Stephenson will cover the do’s and don’ts of affidavit preparation and will provide insights and tips on how to put your best affidavit-drafting foot forward.
It covers the strategic selection of affiants, the importance of personal knowledge versus information and belief, and the effective use of exhibits. The content emphasizes the role of affidavits as a form of written advocacy, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and the avoidance of common pitfalls like hearsay or excessive, irrelevant documentation. Participants will gain insights into the perspective of the bench regarding what makes evidence compelling and how to structure documents to support legal arguments effectively.
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Toronto Lawyers Association
For more than 135 years, the Toronto Lawyers' Association, located within the Courthouse Library, has represented the interests of lawyers practising in the City of Toronto. The association was founded to support its members in three key areas: Knowledge, Advocacy, and Community.To uphold these pillars, the association offers a year-round mix of online and in-person education programs for lawyers, hosts both free and paid events to foster in-person networking, and submits advocacy pieces on behalf of its members to the Ontario bench and bar, all levels of government, and the broader public.
Associate Justice, Superior Court of Justice for Ontario
Associate Justice Todd Robinson is an associate judge of the Superior Court of Justice at Toronto, Ontario, devoting three-quarters of his time exclusively to construction litigation, including hearing ex parte, unopposed and contested motions and conducting lien references and trials. Associate Justice Robinson graduated from law school at Dalhousie University, and was called to the bar in 2008. Prior to his appointment, Associate Justice Robinson was a partner at Cassels Brock and Blackwell LLP practising in the Construction Law and Advocacy Practice Groups. He also served for 6 years on the Executive of the Construction and Infrastructure Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association, serving as Vice-Chair at the time of his appointment. Before being appointed, Associate Justice Robinson practised exclusively in the areas of construction and commercial litigation, with a focus on construction and tendering advice and litigation (including construction liens, breach of trust claims, deficiency claims and delay claims), while also maintaining a broad commercial litigation practice for both construction and commercial clients. During his practice, Associate Justice Robinson partnered with a wide variety of clients, including a diversity of businesses in the construction industry (such as owners, general contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, pre-construction managers and project managers) as well as security guard services, banks, leasing and financing companies, municipalities, public institutions and individuals. Prior to focusing on construction, Associate Justice Robinson’s commercial litigation practice included construction litigation, real estate litigation (including mortgage enforcement and lease disputes), personal property disputes (including leasing and lien priority disputes) and creditor-debtor disputes, with experience in professional negligence matters, occupiers’ liability, environmental contamination, and various other types of negligence claims.
Partner at Goodmans LLP
Melanie Ouanounou is a partner in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group at Goodmans. Melanie has a diversified litigation practice, specializing in general commercial litigation, class action defence litigation, electricity law and estate litigation. Melanie’s commercial and class action defence litigation practices encompass a wide variety of business disputes with a focus on securities litigation, contract disputes, product liability and plans of arrangement. Melanie acts for clients involved in disputes across many different sectors, including clients in the health care, mining, oil and gas, energy, real estate, technology and entertainment industries. Melanie has trial and appellate experience and has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario as well as the Supreme Court of Canada. She has also been involved in proceedings before the Ontario Securities Commission and has appeared before the courts of several other provinces. Melanie is recognized by Benchmark Litigation Canada as a “Litigation Star”, by The Legal 500 Canada as a “Next Generation Partner”, and by Best Lawyers in Canada for class action litigation and corporate and commercial litigation. She was also included in the 2023 Benchmark Litigation’s 40 & Under List – Canada.
Litigation Associate at Corman Feiner LLP
Michelle Stephenson is a civil litigator based in Toronto with a broad range of legal experience. Her particular focus is on contract disputes, employment law, defamation, and other intentional torts. Prior to joining Corman Feiner LLP, Michelle completed a clerkship at the Superior Court of Justice and worked as a staff lawyer for the Ontario Court of Appeal. She obtained her law degree from Queen's University and was called to the Ontario bar in 2016. With her experience working on complex legal matters, Michelle is well-equipped to navigate challenging cases. She has a reputation for providing excellent legal representation to her clients and has established herself as a reliable and dedicated litigator. Michelle is always looking to improve her skills and knowledge in the legal field and welcomes new challenges to help her grow as a professional. Her expertise and work ethic make her an asset to any legal team.
