Linda Galessiere

Linda’s practice focuses primarily on corporate commercial litigation, property leasing disputes, and retail bankruptcy and insolvency matters. She also represents both employers and employees in all matters relating to employment law and has experience with a wide range of product liability and construction contract disputes.

In advising clients on corporate commercial matters, Linda regularly litigates and resolves issues arising from commercial contracts, including purchase and sale of asset and share agreements and shareholder and joint venture agreements. She has also represented commercial clients before the courts in multi­party creditor disputes as well as proceedings wherein oppression remedies are sought by minority shareholders.

Linda advises and litigates on behalf of commercial landlords and tenants in all matters arising out of leasing contracts including the interpretation and enforceability of leases, termination and repudiation of leases, proper distress procedures and environmental issues. Linda was a working group member of the Uniform Law Conference of Canada reviewing and drafting commercial tenancies legislation for adoption by all province in Canada. The working group was comprised of 8 people from across Canada.

Linda regularly appears before the Ontario Commercial Court in retail bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings representing predominately landlord interests. She has represented landlords in connection with every major retail insolvency proceeding during the past 20 years including: Hudson’s Bay Company, Hakim Optical, Comark, Bootlegger, Cleo, Ricki’s, Stokes, Delta 9, Body Shop, Bad Boy Furniture, Frank and Oak, Fire and Flower, Nordstrom, Bed Bath and Beyond, David’s Bridal, Fire and Flower, JC Weight Loss, Cellicon, Dynamite/Garage, Aldo Shoes, Reitmans, David’s Tea, Laura Shoppe, GNC Holdings, Le Chateau, Sears, Target, Nygard, Forever 21, Pier 1, Stokes, Bouclair, Papyrus/Carlton Cards, Motherhood Maternity, Bentley Leathers, Clair De Lune, Toys R Us, Magnolia, Spareparts, Fluid Brand, Bikini Bay, Crabtree and Evelyn, Miniso Canada, Gymbroee, Things Remembered, Green Earth, Rockport, Nine West Shoes, Express Canada, Payless Shoes, Grafton Fraser, Golf Town, Aeropostale, Ben Moss Jewellers, Jones New York, Danier Leather, InterTAN/Circuit City, Blockbuster, Eddie Bauer, Jacob, Petcetera, Please Mum, Priszm (KFC), Sterling