Expertise
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Practice Areas:
- Bar Admissions:
- Education:
- Osgoode Hall Law School (2015) JD
- University of Victoria (2010) MA (History)
- University of Saskatchewan (2008) BA (History and Indigenous Studies) (Double Honours)
Details
- Bio
- Cases
- Associations
- Blog Posts
- News & Media
- Publications & Presentations
- Recognition
Margaret Robbins (she/her)
is a partner at Lenczner Slaght.
"Margaret is a hardworking, dependable and smart lawyer." — Chambers Canada
Margaret maintains a broad commercial litigation practice, with a particular focus on professional liability, class actions, and public law.
Margaret has represented clients at trial and in regulatory proceedings before several administrative tribunals. In addition, she has significant appellate experience, including appearing before the Divisional Court, the Court of Appeal of Ontario, the Federal Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal.
Prior to joining Lenczner Slaght, Margaret clerked for the Honourable Justice Mandamin of the Federal Court of Canada. During law school, Margaret participated in the Intensive Program in Indigenous Lands, Resources and Government. Through this program she worked in Maya communities in rural Belize on land and resource management issues. She earned numerous awards while attending law school, including prizes in constitutional law, legal ethics and legal research and writing.
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Aecon Mining Construction Services v K+S Potash Canada GP
Counsel to Aecon in complex litigation involving multiple parties and claims, in respect of the Legacy potash mine and production facility in Saskatchewan.
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GCT Canada Limited Partnership v Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and Attorney General of Canada
Counsel to Global Container Terminals in a judicial review of a decision of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority refusing to consider Global Container Terminal’s proposed port expansion project.
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Counsel to the successful defendant physician in a trial in which the patient alleged delay in the diagnosis of lymphoma and insufficient pain management. The trial judge reinforced that a “worst first” principle (that physicians must take action based on the worst possible potential outcome) is not the law in Ontario and a stepwise approach to diagnosis is appropriate.
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Muelenaere v Great Gulf Homes Limited
Counsel to the defendants in a proposed class action relating to alleged deficiencies in a condominium building.
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ALYU Inc v Dec-Yorkville Building Group Inc
Counsel to the purchaser in an Application regarding the interpretation of an Agreement of Purchase and Sale.
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Counsel to the successful defendant physician in the trial of an action involving a bowel perforation in a laparoscopic hysterectomy.
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Bronson Consulting Group v Defence Construction Canada
Counsel to Defence Construction Canada in successfully defending a procurement complaint before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal involving allegations of breach of trade agreements in the procurement of geospatial systems for use by the Department of National Defence.
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Counsel to Public Works and Government Services Canada in successfully defending a procurement complaint before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal involving allegations of patent and trademark infringement by Natural Resources Canada in respect of its early earthquake warning system.
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Counsel for the successful respondent in an appeal before the Superior Court, arising from a decision of the Consent and Capacity Board.
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Musllam v Hamilton General Hospital et al
Counsel to the Defendant Physician in successfully resisting proposed amendments to the Statement of Claim after the expiry of the limitations period.
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The Advocates’ Society
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Ontario Bar Association
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The complexity of regulating environmental impacts in Canada has proven to be a thorny issue on both constitutional and practical fronts. On the heels of 2021’s carbon pricing decision, the Supreme Court of Canada has again weighed in on how the division of powers can impact environmental regulation. This time, the Court considered the federal environmental assessment regime, ultimately finding that the federal legislation waded too far into provincial waters.
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On October 1, 2020, section 29.1 of the Class Proceedings Act (“CPA”) took effect. This provision, designed to address the phenomenon of class actions being started and then languishing in the system without advancement, provides for a mandatory dismissal of an action where, by the one year anniversary of the claim, the plaintiffs certification record has not been filed or there is no established timetable (by consent or Court order). This was a significant improvement to a class actions system that previously had no real tool for dealing with class actions that were languishing.
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Inside or Out: Jurisdiction in the Context of Copyright
The application of the test for jurisdiction in the copyright context can sometimes be an exercise in gut feel. Luckily for litigants who prefer to make decisions based more on case law than feelings, the Divisional Court recently provided clarification on the application of the test for jurisdiction for statutory torts, like copyright infringement. The Ontario Divisional Court’s decision in Pourshian v Walt Disney Company (“Pourshian”), an appeal of a motion for an order to stay the plaintiff’s copyright infringement action on the basis of lack of jurisdiction, will hopefully take some of the guess work out of jurisdictional issues in the future.
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The Disaster Sequel: The Court of Appeal Weighs in on Tommy Wiseau’s Best Worst Appeal Strategy
Sequels in the movie business, just like appeals in the judicial system, carry certain undeniable risks. For every triumphant The Empire Strikes Back, there are dozens of Speed 2: Cruise Control, Jaws: The Revenge, Weekend at Bernie’s II (or, heaven forbid, Return of the Jedi) which exist as a cautionary tale to revisiting the same material again.
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On December 13, 2020, news broke that Cleveland’s professional baseball team was changing its name. After the 2021 season, the Cleveland baseball team will no longer use the name “Indians”.
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The Disaster Plaintiff: The Best Worst Litigation Strategy Created by and Starring Tommy Wiseau
The legacy of the movie The Room, Tommy Wiseau’s infamously terrible 2003 cult classic, reached new heights (or lows depending on your point of view) last week when it made its mark on Canadian law in Justice Schabas’ decision in Wiseau Studio, LLC v Harper. A movie lovingly advertised as providing a viewing experience akin to “getting stabbed in the head” prompted copyright litigation and, in the process, has provided a new story of the risks of pursuing an ill-advised litigation strategy through trial.
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It is not uncommon in the Canadian class action landscape for competing class actions to be commenced in multiple jurisdictions, each procedurally vying in the horse race of who will be named the nation’s choice as national class action. Competitors who lose that race are stopped in their tracks, having to sit along the side lines as the blue-ribbon action proceeds to trial.
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In the season of giving the Supreme Court of Canada has given lawyers and legal scholars the greatest gift of all: a new approach to the standard of review.
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Dissent on the Standard of Review: The SCC Splits on True Questions of Jurisdiction
To what extent can, or should, courts review decisions by government decision-makers? Administrative law is all about finding the right balance.
The Supreme Court of Canada announced this spring it has plans to revisit that balance and the standard of review for administrative decisions in a trilogy of cases to be heard by the Court in the fall of 2018. Its recent decision in West Fraser Mills Ltd v Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal and Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia, released last week, might hint at how.
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The regulated conduct defence: we’ll drink to that
It says something about Canada that many famous cases throughout Canadian legal history relate to the regulation of alcohol. Through the early 20th century, the regulation of alcohol was a fertile domain for disputes about Canadian federalism. Now, in the 21st century, the complicated regulatory scheme of governing alcohol sales in Ontario is once again making new law. This time, however, the dispute is not over arcane principles of federalism, but rather over the scope of the regulated conduct defence to conspiracies under the Competition Act. While early 20th century federalism cases may be of interest to only a select few, the decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Hughes v Liquor Control Board of Ontario is likely to attract significantly broader interest, particularly among companies operating in regulated industries.
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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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The 2024 Lexpert Directory Recognizes Lenczner Slaght’s Litigation Excellence
Lenczner Slaght’s litigators continue to be recognized by their peers as the foremost practitioners in their fields.
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Lenczner Slaght Litigators Recognized as Best Lawyers in Canada
In the latest edition of Best Lawyers in Canada, 41 of our expert litigators are recognized for their expertise across 24 practice areas. The following lawyers have also been recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” for receiving the highest overall peer-feedback in their practice areas in Toronto.
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Lenczner Slaght Welcomes Aoife Quinn and Margaret Robbins to the Partnership
Canada’s leading litigation firm is proud to strengthen its partnership with the addition of Aoife Quinn and Margaret Robbins.
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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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Lenczner Slaght Litigators Recognized Among the Best Lawyers in Canada
In the latest edition of Best Lawyers in Canada, 39 of our expert litigators are recognized by their peers for their expertise across 24 practice areas.
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Mercedes-Benz Settles Canadian Diesel Emissions Class Action
Daimler AG and its Canadian and American Mercedes-Benz subsidiaries have agreed to settle a class proceeding concerning approximately 83,000 "BlueTEC" diesel vehicles in Canada. The proposed settlement provides for cash payments and other benefits to current and former owners and lessees.
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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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Lenczner Slaght Litigators Ranked Among Best Lawyers in Canada
In the latest edition of Best Lawyers in Canada, 37 of our expert litigators are recognized for their expertise across 25 practice areas.
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Four years after Indigenous man’s human rights case, Cleveland removing ‘Indians’ from team name
In a recent Law Times article, Monique Jilesen and Margaret Robbins reflect back on how the legal challenges over Cleveland’s name came to Canadian shores during the 2016 American League Championship Series.
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Rules of Evidence: A Refresher for IP Professionals
Martin Brandsma and Margaret Robbins were invited to present at the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada's webinar titled, Rules of Evidence: A Refresher for IP Professionals. Martin and Margaret shared their expertise on tips, tricks, and practical advice for IP professionals on the rules of evidence, including types of evidence, criteria for admissibility, and advice on adducing evidence at trial.
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11th Annual Professionalism Issues for Business Lawyers
Brendan Morrison and Margaret Robbins were invited to share their expertise at the OBA's 11th Annual Professionalism Issues for Business Lawyers. Co-chaired by Margaret, the program also featured Brendan as he discussed, Modern Contract Formation and the Risks of Casual Communications.
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Exploring the Controversy Around Bill C-11
Published by Lexpert, Margaret Robbins authored an article exploring the impact of Bill C-11, which was passed earlier this year and has the potential to reshape what it means to be a Canadian on the internet.
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How a certified class action affects post-Uber regulatory environment
Margaret Robbin's article How a certified class action affects post-Uber regulatory environment was published by the Lawyer's Daily on February 13, 2018. Margaret shares her expert analysis on the potential legal implications of the decision in Metro Taxi Ltd. v. City of Ottawa and how it affects municipalities who regulate disruptive technology.
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Best Lawyers in Canada (2022-2025)
Ones to Watch – Administrative & Public Law, Construction Law, Corporate & Commercial Litigation, Health Care Law, Insurance Law, Medical Negligence
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Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (2024)
Litigation - Corporate Commercial
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The Legal 500 Canada (2022-2023)
Dispute Resolution (Rising Star)