Expertise
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Practice Areas:
- Bar Admissions:
- Education:
- University of Toronto Faculty of Law (2016) JD (Honours)
- Queen’s University (2008) BA (Honours) (History & Politics) (with Distinction)
- Osgoode Hall Law School (2023) OsgoodePD Advanced Certificate in Workplace Investigations
Details
- Bio
- Cases
- Associations
- Blog Posts
- News & Media
- Publications & Presentations
- Recognition
David Salter
is an associate at Lenczner Slaght.
David’s civil litigation practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, investigations, employment disputes, and public law matters. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.
David joined the firm after practicing in the New York office of a leading international law firm for five years, where he also served as Acting Assistant District Attorney in Kings County, New York.
David obtained his law degree from the University of Toronto, where he graduated with honours and received the Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Prize for Academic Excellence, the Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP Award for Academic Excellence, and the Laskin Prize in Constitutional Law.
Prior to attending law school, David held a variety of positions in the Government of Ontario, including as director of communications to the Minister of Energy and press secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation. David served in the Canadian Armed Forces as a Reservist for nearly nine years.
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Mittra v Royal Bank of Canada et al
Counsel to RBC in this $10 million wrongful dismissal claim. After a three-week trial, the Court held that RBC had just cause to dismiss the plaintiff without notice. Reported at 2024 ONSC 636.
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Bluemoon Capital Ltd v Ceridian HCM Holding Inc et al
Counsel to applicant in Norwich application seeking information relating to the acquisition of Lifeworks.
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Internal investigation into allegations of harassment, discrimination, and self-dealing made by former general counsel of an organization against its senior leadership.
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Counsel to CBRE in an oppression claim in the Supreme Court of British Columbia against HBC arising from the breach of department store leases in The Netherlands. Successfully opposed HBC’s application to strike CBRE’s claim.
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Internal investigation into allegations of interference in a quasi-judicial process.
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Counsel to York University in judgment enforcement proceedings arising from a multi-million dollar fraud against the University. Most recently, successfully resisted an application by a judgment debtor which sought to drawn down equity in assets available to York for enforcement purposes.
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Counsel to the Mayor of Mississauga in various proceedings initiated by a former member of Council.
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Laurentian University of Sudbury
Counsel to the Board of Governors of Laurentian University in CCAA insolvency proceedings.
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Counsel to Former GC of Crown Corporation
Represented the former General Counsel of a significant public sector organization in relation to a wrongful dismissal claim, achieving a substantial settlement.
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Counsel to a leading investment bank in relation to securities investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and the Federal Reserve. (Prior to joining Lenczner Slaght)
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Canadian Bar Association
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Ontario Bar Association
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The Advocates’ Society
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New York State Bar Association
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Court Puts Bankers on Notice: “Exceptional” Integrity and Honesty Required
After a three-week trial, the Ontario Superior Court has held that the Royal Bank of Canada had after-acquired cause to terminate a senior banker, Aidan Mittra, and dismissed Mittra’s $10‑million lawsuit.
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The bench and bar have long recognized that lengthy trials decrease access to justice. That is no surprise: trials are expensive, long trials more so, and lawyers generally think that the longer the trial, the longer it takes to receive a decision.
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Lenczner Slaght Litigators Recognized as the Best Lawyers in Canada
In the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers in Canada, Lenczner Slaght is proud to receive 168 total rankings, with 45 of our expert litigators recognized for their expertise across 25 practice areas.
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Lenczner Slaght Stands Out as a “Litigation Powerhouse” in Legal 500 Canada
Canada’s leading litigation firm is once again ranked in Tier 1 for Dispute Resolution by Legal 500 Canada.
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Legal 500 Highlights Lenczner Slaght’s Litigation Dominance
Legal 500 recognizes Canada’s leading litigation firm as “a regular fixture in the country’s ground-breaking contentious cases”.
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Defending Democracy: The Status of “false News” in Canada
David Salter spoke to Julius Melnitzer about the status of “fake news” and defamation law in the U.S. and Canada for a LegalWriter.net article.
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Narcissism of Small Differences: A Defamation-law Lesson From Trump’s 2020 Election Fraud Claims
The Law Times interviewed David Salter on the high-profile defamation lawsuits underway in the U.S., in which two election-technology companies are suing figures associated with former president Donald Trump’s post-election voter fraud claims. In this article, David highlights the differences between Canadian and American defamation law.
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Lenczner Slaght Welcomes David Salter
Canada’s leading litigation firm adds another exceptional litigator to its talent pool.
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Civil Procedure in the Common Law Section
David Salter was invited to speak as a guest lecturer at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law on the topic of cost awards.
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Case Preparation for Litigators
David Salter was invited to share his expertise at The Advocates’ Society’s program on Case Preparation for Litigators. This program featured leading litigators from different practice areas breaking down their most effective trial preparation techniques and comparing and contrasting their time-tested styles and methodologies. David was a panelist on the topic, “Show to Tell: Tools to Prepare and Present Documentary Evidence”.
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In the Summer 2022 edition of The Advocates' Journal, David Salter co-authored an article analyzing whether trials should be time-limited.
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The Length of Civil Trials and Time to Judgment in Canada: A Case for Time-limited Trials
David Salter co-authored the article The Length of Civil Trials and Time to Judgment in Canada: A Case for Time-limited Trials, which was published in The Canadian Bar Review. This article explores both quantitative and normative factors informing the debate over time-limited trials, concluding that Canadian civil justice systems are well-placed to begin implementing discretionary, judge-ordered time-limited trials.
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Advocacy and Defamation Collide: Giuliani, Powell and Claims of Stolen Election
In The Lawyer's Daily, David Salter writes about why defamation claims against U.S. lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell are blurring lines between advocacy and politics.
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Dominion Voting Systems: Explaining the Defamation Suits Against Fox News & Trump's Allies
David Salter authored the Lexpert article Dominion Voting Systems: Explaining the Defamation Suits Against Fox News & Trump's Allies. This article breaks down the U.S. defamation cases pushing back against claims of a stolen election.
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Impact of US Tort Law on Canadian Common Law
David Salter shared his expertise at uOttawa’s JD National Program on the Impact of US Tort Law on Canadian Common Law.
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The Impact of U.S. Tort Law on Canadian Tort Law
David Salter presented a guest lecture at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law’s First Year Torts class on the impact of American tort law on the development of Canadian tort law. (Prior to joining Lenczner Slaght)
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What Asian Manufacturers Should Know About U.S. Markets
David Salter co-authored What Asian Manufacturers Should Know About U.S. Markets, an article discussing legal and reputational risks associated with operations in U.S. markets, for Hong Kong Lawyer, the journal of the Law Society of Hong Kong. (Prior to joining Lenczner Slaght)
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A Case for Time-Limited Trials
David Salter co-authored with Kevin LaRoche and M. Laurentius Marais The Length of Civil Trials and Time to Judgment in Canada: A Case for Time-Limited Trials, an original study regarding the length and duration of Canadian civil trials. The authors argue that Canadian courts can improve access to justice by implementing time-limited trials on a discretionary basis. The article has been accepted for publication in the Canadian Bar Review. (Prior to joining Lenczner Slaght)
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The Legal 500 Canada (2022-2023)
Labour and Employment (Recommended Lawyer)
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Best Lawyers in Canada (2025)
Ones to Watch – Corporate & Commercial Litigation
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Empire State Counsel (2017-2020)
Designation for outstanding pro bono service in New York State