Expertise
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Practice Areas:
Bar Admissions:
Education:
- University of Toronto (2009) JD
- University of Toronto (2009) MA (Economics)
- McGill University (2006) BA (Honours - Economics and Political Science)
Details
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Paul-Erik Veel
Paul-Erik has a broad commercial litigation practice that includes corporate disputes, class actions, competition law, employment disputes, and professional liability. He has extensive trial experience, having acted as counsel in trials involving a number of industries and subject-matters, including contractual disputes, a dispute over the implementation of a software package, an intellectual property matter relating to a pharmaceutical product, wrongful dismissal matters, and a misleading advertising case. He has also acted for clients in arbitrations, Coroner's inquests, commissions of inquiry, and various administrative tribunals. He has appeared repeatedly before both the Supreme Court of Canada and the Ontario Court of Appeal.
In addition to his commercial litigation practice, Paul-Erik has broad experience in public law, regulatory, and criminal law matters. He has represented clients in a number of criminal trials and preliminary inquiries, as well as in various regulatory hearings.
Prior to joining Lenczner Slaght in 2010, Paul-Erik graduated as the Gold Medalist from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and then clerked for Madam Justice Louise Charron at the Supreme Court of Canada.
Paul-Erik has previously taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and he is currently a sessional lecturer in the graduate program in the Department of Economics at the University of Toronto, where he teaches Economic Analysis of Law. He has published articles on a variety of legal topics, including contracts, competition law, and constitutional law.
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Counsel to a psychiatrist in an appeal raising the novel issue of the jurisdiction of the Consent and Capacity Board to grant remedies under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Successfully responded to the appeal.
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Subway Franchise Systems of Canada Inc. et al. v. CBC et al.
Counsel to Subway in a $210 million defamation action against the CBC and others relating to a Marketplace episode.
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Counsel to a mining company in an arbitration regarding liability and indemnification for historical environmental contamination.
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Conférence des juges de paix magistrats du Québec v Quebec (Attorney General)
Counsel to the intervener Association of Justices of the Peace of Ontario in an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada regarding judicial compensation.
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Cardinal v Cleveland Indians Baseball Company
Counsel for Douglas Cardinal in proceedings to restrain the use in Canada of the Cleveland baseball team's name and logo on human rights grounds.
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Cygnus Electronics Corporation v Hitachi AIC Inc
Counsel to a defendant electronics company in a proposed Ontario class action relating to allegations of price-fixing in the market for electrolytic capacitors.
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Counsel to an individual in a four week jury trial of first-degree murder charge.
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Counsel to a series of companies in proceedings involving a receivership over commercial real estate developments and efforts to recover $110 million in funds improperly diverted. The matter involved dozens of contested motions and several appeals on a variety of commercial, real estate issue and construction law issues.
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Angus v The Corporation of the Municipality of Port Hope
Counsel to the applicants in a successful proceeding to enforce a trust in favour of municipal ratepayers.
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Counsel to Atos in a dispute respecting the termination of a subcontract for data conversion and software support. The matter was subject to numerous motions and proceeded to a five week trial before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, where Atos was successful in recovering approximately $5.5 million in damages.
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Canadian Bar Association
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Ontario Bar Association - Member-At-Large of the Civil Litigation and Health Law Executives
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The Advocates' Society
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While competition law specialists are familiar with the ongoing debate about umbrella purchaser claims, most Canadian lawyers could be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about umbrellas. Far from being individuals who rejected raincoats or ponchos in favour of a more traditional option, umbrella purchasers are now at the center of a heated debate in Canadian competition law.
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Ontario Updates International Commercial Arbitration Act
Ontario’s new legislation governing international commercial arbitration, the International Commercial Arbitration Act, 2017, came into force on March 22, 2017, replacing the International Commercial Arbitration Act previously in place.
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A risky rule of thumb for estimating damages in competition class actions
Using rules of thumb to generate estimates can be very useful in a variety of circumstances: for example, when the detailed information necessary to generate a precise answer is unavailable, or when it’s too difficult to analyze that detailed information. Lawyers use such rules of thumb in a number of circumstances, sometimes as an initial rough estimate, and sometimes to confirm the results of more detailed analysis.
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In contractual disputes, after-the-fact conduct is admissible after all
To most people, a contract is a written agreement, typically signed by all parties, that sets out what different parties promise to do. But what happens that the written agreement is ambiguous? Courts have long held that evidence of the “factual matrix” of the contract—that is, the surrounding circumstances that inform the context in which a contract is created—is admissible in the interpretation of a contract. In its recent decision in Shewchuk v Blackmont Capital Inc, the Ontario Court of Appeal confirmed that evidence of subsequent conduct may also be admissible to interpret the agreement itself.
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Hundreds of walnuts: Just annoying, or a nuisance?
Lawyers sometimes describe cases as being like a law school problem. Sometimes that means that the case raises difficult and complicated questions of law and fact that are nearly impossible to resolve. And sometimes it means that the case raises an obscure issue that seems more like a dispute between property owners in 19th century England. Gallant v Dugard squarely falls into the latter category.
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The limitation period for claims under s. 36 of the Competition Act is a longstanding question of Canadian competition law. The plain language of the statute suggests that such claims must be brought within two years of the anticompetitive conduct. But in Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology v AU Optronics Corporation, the Ontario Court of Appeal has reached a conclusion that is much more generous to Plaintiffs, holding that such claims must be brought within two years of the Plaintiff discovering the anticompetitive conduct.
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Want an injunction? It could cost you
An interlocutory injunction is a valuable tool to maintain the status quo between parties, pending the resolution of litigation. Most disputes over whether an interlocutory injunction should be granted will depend on whether there will be “irreparable harm” if an injunction is not granted. However, as Guelph Taxi v Guelph Police Service shows, it is also critical that the party seeking an injunction give a meaningful undertaking to pay damages if the injunction is granted but the party is ultimately unsuccessful.
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The Rules of Evidence Still Apply in PMNOC Section 8 Cases
It’s no surprise to litigators that some courts tend to be relaxed with the rules of evidence in civil cases. In many contexts, courts are prepared to admit inadmissible hearsay evidence and simply address evidentiary concerns by noting that such evidence may be given less weight. That type of approach was often taken in cases under section 8 of the Patented Medicine (Notice of Compliance) Regulations.
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When does an Employer's Breach of Contract Make a Non-Competition Clause Unenforceable?
Non-competition clauses in employment agreements pose challenges for employers who seek to enforce them. Non-competes have to be reasonable in scope at the time they are agreed to; a perpetual or geographically unlimited non-compete covering a broad range of competitors is almost certain to be unenforceable. However, as the recent B.C. Supreme Court decision in P.R.I.S.M. v. Kramchynski highlights, an employer seeking to rely on a non-compete against a former employee must also uphold their obligations under their contract with that employee.
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No absolute privilege for city councillors' speech
In its recent decision in Gutowski v. Clayton, 2014 ONCA 921, the Ontario Court of Appeal provided helpful advice to two sets of professionals: municipal councillors and lawyers. First, the Court confirmed for municipal councillors that they do not enjoy absolute privilege for defamatory statements they make during municipal council meetings. Second, the Court signalled to litigators that a Rule 21 motion is not the "appropriate vehicle" through which to attempt to develop an area of law that is not fully settled.
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Lenczner Slaght Ranked Among the Best
Almost half of the leading litigation firm’s lawyers are recognized in the Best Lawyers in Canada.
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Cleveland Indians' logo still under fire from Canadian activist
Paul-Erik Veel was quoted in the CBC Sports article Cleveland Indians' logo still under fire from Canadian activist on July 13, 2017 regarding the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal deciding to move forward with Douglas Cardinal's discrimination case against the Cleveland team name and logo.
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Meet the man behind fight to keep Indians logo out of Canada
Paul-Erik Veel was quoted in the USA TODAY Sports article Meet the man behind fight to keep Indians logo out of Canada on June 28, 2017 regarding Douglas Cardinal and his discrimination case against the Cleveland team name and logo.
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MLB wants Human Rights Tribunal ruling on Cleveland logo thrown out
Paul-Erik Veel was quoted in the Toronto Star article MLB wants Human Rights Tribunal ruling on Cleveland logo thrown out on June 27, 2017 regarding Major League Baseball's application for judicial review before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice arguing that the case against the Cleveland team name and logo should be set aside due to jurisdictional issues.
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Challenge to Indians' Chief Wahoo case moves forward in Toronto
Paul-Erik Veel and Rebecca Jones were quoted in the USA TODAY Sports article Challenge to Indians' Chief Wahoo case moves forward in Toronto on June 6, 2017 regarding the recent Ontario Human Rights Tribunal green lighting the discrimination case against Cleveland major league baseball team name and logo.
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Human Rights Tribunal Green Lights Cardinal's case against Cleveland Major League Baseball Team
Ontario Human Rights Tribunal green lights discrimination case against Cleveland major league baseball team name and logo.
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New laws may spur more arbitration in Ontario
Paul-Erik Veel was quoted in the Law Times article New laws may spur more arbitration in Ontario on April 24, 2017 regarding the new International Commercial Arbitration Act.
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How to turn a clerkship into a job
Paul-Erik Veel was interviewed in a PrecedentJD article about finding a job as a lawyer after clerking.
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Lenczner Slaght Names Paul-Erik Veel Partner
Canada’s leading litigation firm continues to grow from within
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Ontario Superior Court of Justice awards $5.5 million to Atos Inc following successful trial
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5 things you can do on your first day of law school to build your career
Paul-Erik Veel's article 5 things you can do on your first day of law school to build your career appeared in PrecedentJD Magazine.
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Paul-Erik Veel served as a judge at this year's Wilson Moot on February 25, 2017.
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Law Practice Program: Trial Advocacy Workshop
Paul-Erik Veel acted as a trial advocacy advisor at the Law Practice Program Trial Advocacy Workshop on December 15, 2016.
- Paul-Erik Veel co-authored article Price-Fixing Actions After Pro-Sys v. Microsoft: Worrying Implications of the Supreme Court's Decision that appeared in...
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When medical records go missing
Legal regimes and remedies in Ontario differ depending on the source of the information
Nina Bombier and Paul-Erik Veel co-authored the article When medical records go missing which appeared in the July 11, 2014 issue of the Lawyers Weekly.
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High court's decisions ease fears of political bias
The nine judges who sit on the Supreme Court are the ultimate guardians of individuals rights guaranteed under the Charter. Those judges define the contours of those rights and order remedies to vindicate breaches of those rights.
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No-Fault Accident Compensation Systems
Paul-Erik Veel co-authored the article No-Fault Accident Compensation Systems that appeared in Research Handbook On The Economics of Torts, edited by Jennifer H. Arlen.
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Beyond Refusal to Deal: A Cross-Atlantic View of Copyright, Competition, and Innovation Policies
Paul-Erik Veel co-authored an article Beyond Refusal to Deal: A Cross-Atlantic View of Copyright, Competition, and Innovation Policies that appeared in Volume 79 of the Antitrust Law Journal.
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A Tamer Tort Law: The Canada-U.S. Divide
Paul-Erik Veel co-authored a chapter that appeared in The American Illness: Essays on the Rule of Law, edited by F.H. Buckley.
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Incommensurability, Proportionality, and Rational Legal Decision-Making
Paul-Erik Veel's article Incommensurability, Proportionality, and Rational Legal Decision-Making appeared in Volume 4 of the Law & Ethics of Human Rights.
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Best Lawyers (2018)
Health Care Law
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Dean's Key (2009)
University of Toronto, Faculty of Law
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Gold Medal (2009)
University of Toronto, Faculty of Law
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Precedent Setter Award (2014)