Mary Jane Paterson

Mary positions her clients to succeed at trial or achieve positive settlements. She has appeared in courts across Canada, developing a nuanced understanding of strategies that work to win or resolve disputes.

Her focus is on contentious disputes and disputes with complex facts or economic/financial expert evidence. As a result, her areas of specialty include tax litigation in the Tax Court of Canada, insolvency work (receiverships, bankruptcies and proceedings pursuant to the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act) contract disputes and other general commercial litigation

Mary has been recognized by multiple organizations, including in the 2022 edition of Best Lawyers Canada, as a 2019 Lexpert Rising Star, the 2021 and 2020 Benchmark Litigation 40 & Under Hot List, and as an Acritas 2018 Star Lawyer. She was also recognized by Osler associates in 2019 as an Osler Star Advisor for her work mentoring associates.

Mary is a member of the Board of Directors for Pro Bono Ontario. Throughout her career she worked to establish several pro bono programs within the firm and has appeared in the Court of Appeal on a pro bono basis numerous times. She won a 2011 Lexpert Zenith Award for her work assisting a UN employee obtain a widower’s benefit after his same-sex partner died while working for the UN.

Mary is certified in “The Path – Your Journey through Indigenous Canada”, an online program offered by the CBA. This program serves as an introduction to the history of Indigenous peoples and their relationship with European settlers, the British Crown and Dominion of Canada.

The corporate attribution doctrine is refined to ensure that it does not undermine the policy of bankruptcy and insolvency legislation.