Executive summary
Gavin is a senior partner at Gardiner Roberts and co-chair of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group. A trusted advocate and respected leader, Gavin has been certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a Specialist in Civil Litigation since 2003. Over the course of his career, he has appeared as lead counsel at every level of court in Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and has represented clients across the country as well as before tribunals in both Canada and the United States.
Known for his skill as a courtroom advocate, Gavin has acted in many high-profile cases and is often sought out by other lawyers to represent them in complex legal matters. His broad litigation practice spans areas such as defamation, corporate restructuring, professional liability, municipal conflict of interest, title insurance, and election law, among others. He also regularly assists clients through arbitrations, mediations, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
Beyond his practice, Gavin is deeply engaged in his community and supports numerous charitable and professional organizations. He is the co-author of “A Practical Guide to the Law of Defamation in Canada” published by LexisNexis, frequently writes and speaks on issues of civil litigation, teaches at law schools and professional programs, and is widely cited as an authority on civil practice in Ontario.
Gavin’s commitment to excellence has been recognized with numerous
honours. In 2025, he received the King Charles III Coronation Medal from the Governor General of Canada and the Government of Ontario for his lasting contributions to the province and to Canada. He has consistently been recognized by his peers in The Best Lawyers in Canada, Lexpert, and
Martindale-Hubbell, and was named Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in
2022 and 2026. In 2023, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and awarded the designation of King’s Counsel (K.C.) by the Attorney General of Ontario for his dedication to legal excellence and public service.
Gavin was recognized by Post City Magazine as one of Toronto’s Best
Civil Law Litigation Lawyers from 2022 to 2024. He was also recognized by Post City Magazine as one of Toronto’s Best Commercial Litigation Lawyers in 2025.
Expertise
Insights
Publications
- A Practical Guide to the Law of Defamation, LexisNexis – 12 July 2024
- Administrative judges in small claims court have no jurisdiction on anti-SLAPP motions: ONCA, Law Times – 2 February 2022
- Decision ‘finally closes the chapter’ on jurisdiction to hear anti-SLAPP motion, counsel says, The Lawyer’s Daily – 31 January 2022
- Ontario’s top court dismisses defamation appeal by ex-OPP deputy commissioner Brad Blair against Ford, CBC News – 25 November 2021
- Ontario court dismisses libel suit against Doug Ford, The Globe and Mail – 27 January 2021
- Watchdog finds no wrongdoing by ex-councillor Giorgio Mammoliti in land deal involving giant flagpole, The Star – 19 June 2019
- Solicitor-Client Privilege: Claim for breach denied and argument to preserve upheld – 19 December 2019
- It’s Game Day!: The Summary Dismissal of a Misfeasance Claim – 16 October 2019
- Star Chamber v. Equity: Politicians Beware – 22 August 2019
- Premier Ford Vindicated – 17 April 2019
- Dismissal of abusive proceeding upheld; Home buyer who got more land than he bargained for not entitled to damages for lost secondary transactions – 2 April 2019
- Time period expired: Claim for contribution and indemnity dismissed – 30 January 2019
- Is Partial Summary Judgment Dead – 17 December 2018
- The End of the Charter? – 19 November 2018
- The Unforgiving Forgivable Loan – 21 September 2018
- Lawyers Owe Duty to Their Own Clients, Not the Opposite Side – 15 June 2018
- Defamation and Social Media: An Update – 7 February 2018
- An Online Date to Forget – 31 October 2017
- Failure to Respond to Foreign Litigation Can Be Risky – 19 October 2017
- Provisions of whole contract make seller responsible for severance costs – 4 August 2017
- Plaintiff’s “Kicks at the Can” are limited – 23 May 2017
- Bank not responsible for fraudulent instructions delivered via customer’s email account – 12 May 2017
- Mortgage proceeds paid to fraudster’s lawyer, in trust, covered under title insurance policy – 23 February 2017
- GR Lawyers Obtain Dismissal of Municipal Conflict of Interest Case Against Ford Brothers – 21 April 2016
- Dealing With Corporate Disputes – Planning To Avoid Disputes – 23 February 2016
- Unpermitted Removal of Support Walls Covered by Title Insurance Policy: Title Insurer Obligated to Pay Future Repair Costs to Remedy Dangerous Condition – 7 December 2015
- Conflict of Interest in the Era of Multi-national Law Firms – 12 November 2015
- The Throwback Heard Around the (Baseball) World A Legal Perspective – 21 October 2015
- Court Refuses to Enjoin Use of Controversial Ride Service Uber Drives On in Toronto – 21 August 2015
- Family Law Act Remedy Trumps Professional Liability Claim – 18 August 2015
- Municipal Election Victories – 28 May 2015
- Controversial Practice of Carding Hits Court – 13 May 2015
- Collection of Unpaid Legal Fees – 13 May 2015
- Record Retention eDiscovery Spoliation – 1 April 2015
- Speaking to the Media – 28 October 2014
Media
- Newstalk 1010: The Deb Hutton Show (16 December 2026) – Gavin spoke on whether Canadian laws adequately address hate speech and hate-motivated actions.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jim Richards Show (24 December 2025) – Gavin spoke on the idea of revising the definitions of intimidation and harassment in the Criminal Code.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (13 January 2026) – Gavin spoke about whether Ontario should ban outlaw biker club names and logos in public.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jim Richards Show (12 January 2026) – Gavin spoke on judicial activism in Canadian criminal law.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jim Richards Show (21 January 2026) – Gavin spoke on assault convictions being overturned after a Toronto judge took a year to explain the verdict.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (26 January 2026) – Gavin discussed a family court case where a judge bans an Ontario man from bringing a python in as a mental health service animal.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (30 January 2026) – In this interview, Gavin unpacked the definition of “treason”.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (12 February 2026) – Gavin spoke about a Hamilton judge ruling that Ontario’s sex offender registry is unconstitutional.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (4 March 2026) – Gavin weighed in on an Ontario court ruling that found the provincial sex offender registry unconstitutional.
- Newstalk 1010: The Deb Hutton Show (9 March 2026) – Gavin unpacks the Supreme Court’s decision Quebec to make asylum seekers eligible for subsidized daycare.
- Newstalk 1010: Moore in the Morning (12 March 2026) – Gavin explains whether it is constitutional for the province to take control from the city and run Billy Bishop Airport.
- Newstalk 1010: Moore in the Morning (24 March 2026) – Gavin explains what a “special economic zone” is, as Premier Doug Ford plans to deem Billy Bishop Airport as such.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (1 May 2026) – Gavin spoke on the legality of the “Day of Action” put on by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario and other teachers’ unions.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jim Richards Show (6 May 2026) – Gavin spoke about the U.S. government’s push to obtain data from Google regarding an unidentified Canadian man who uses social media to criticize President Donald Trump.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (9 January 2025) – Gavin speaks about the delayed sentencing for a Toronto man because of the birth of his child.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (25 February 2025) – Could a thumbs up emoji be a legally binding agreement? Gavin weighed in on this case possibly going to the Supreme Court of Canada.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (25 March 2025) – Gavin weighed in on the Charter challenge against supervised consumption sites.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jim Richards Show (28 March 2025) – Gavin weighed in on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s promise to impose mandatory life sentences for the most serious cases of Fentanyl trafficking, human trafficking and gun smuggling
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (1 April 2025) – Gavin spoke about supervised consumption sites closing despite court injunction.
- Newstalk 1010: Shane Hewitt and The Night Shift (9 April 2025) – Gavin spoke about the Calgary Police Department’s new policy of not requiring officers to disclose their name over concerns about doxing.
- Newstalk 1010: Moore in the Morning (10 April 2025) – Gavin discussed whether Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s proposed “Three Strikes, You’re Out” law promising to lock up three-time offenders would pass constitutional muster.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (28 April 2025) – Gavin weighed in on the province’s decision to speed up judicial appointments and add more judges to courts.
- Newstalk 1010: Moore in the Morning (1 May 2025) – Gavin speaks about Premier Doug Ford lashing out at judiciary, stating that perhaps judges should be elected. Gavin’s interview is from 13:47-17:46.
- Newstalk 1010: The Deb Hutton Show (1 May 2025) – Gavin unpacks the Supreme Court’s decision to shut down an appeal in a youth-led climate case.
- Newstalk 1010: Moore in the Morning (9 May 2025) – Gavin weighed in on an AI generated video of a dead road rage victim who forgave his killer in a US courtroom.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (12 May 2025) – Gavin was interviewed about a judicial recount that saw the Liberals take a Quebec riding by 1 vote.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show, May 16, 2025 (Deb Hutton filled in as host) – Gavin spoke on the topic outlined above.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (20 May 2025) – Gavin weighed in on a proposed class action lawsuit taking aim at exorbitant lawyer fees.
- Newstalk 1010: Moore in the Morning (31 July 2025) – Gavin spoke with John Tory about an Ontario court deeming the province’s plan to remove three major Toronto bike lanes “unconstitutional.” His interview runs from 10:41-20:10.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (8 August 2025) – Gavin discusses bad online reviews and the possibility for litigation as a result. His segment is from: 20:28-29:52.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (12 August 2025) – Gavin and Jerry discussed the complications around forced treatment for drug users. This topic stemmed from vending machines located next to Casey House, (a specialty hospital in Toronto that cares for people living with or at risk of HIV). The machines don’t distribute soft drinks, but instead provide supplies for people who use hard drugs, such as sterile needles, pipes, naloxone kits, etc. Nearby residents say the vending machines are contributing to social disorder, and open drug use in their neighbourhood. Gavin’s clip is from 6:14-7:37.
- Newstalk 1010: Moore in the Morning(11 August 2025) – The Nova Scotia government is facing pushback after imposing a ban on anyone entering the woods until mid-October, or until wildfire conditions improve. Violators are being handed hefty fines and are calling the ban unconstitutional.
- Newstalk 1010: The Deb Hutton Show (28 August 2025) – Gavin speaks about Quebec’s plan to ban public prayer to further strengthen secularism in the province.
- Newstalk 1010: The Deb Hutton Show (23 September 2025) – Gavin spoke on the federal government asking Canada’s top court to set limits on the notwithstanding clause.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (1 October 2025) – Gavin spoke on how clogged our justice system is, as thousands of charges against drivers have been withdrawn.
- Newstalk 1010: The Deb Hutton Show (6 October 2025) – Gavin spoke on how Etobicoke squatters won their legal fight against the City of Toronto.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (7 October 2025) – Gavin looked into the legality of Marineland’s threat to euthanize 30 belugas if the federal government doesn’t provide funding.
- Newstalk 1010: The Deb Hutton Show (20 October 2025) – Gavin spoke about The City of Richmond B.C. warning residents that their property ownership could be compromised by a recent B.C. Supreme Court ruling that granted the Cowichan Nation title over 7.5 square kilometres of land.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (23 October 2025) – Gavin spoke about the Canada Post workers union losing their challenge of the back-to-work order.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (3 November 2025) – Gavin spoke on the Supreme Court of Canada striking down mandatory minimum sentences for child pornography,
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (15 August 2024) – Gavin spoke about a man suing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts after his wife had an allergic reaction and died from eating at a Disney restaurant in Florida. Disney claims the company cannot be sued, because the man once signed up for a trial subscription of the Disney+ streaming service. That service, they argue, includes a subscriber agreement in which the customer agrees to settle any lawsuits against Disney out of court through arbitration.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (11 September 2024) – Gavin spoke about an American man facing fraud charges for using AI to create fake music, and then using bots to generate fraudulent streams on various music platforms. Authorities say the man fraudulently earned 10 million dollars, and Gavin broke down whether he should be facing legal repercussions.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (17 September 2024) – The head of a federal inquiry into foreign interference says she will not be publicly identifying parliamentarians suspected by a spy watchdog of meddling in Canadian affairs.
- Newstalk 1010: The Deb Hutton Show (27 September 2024) – Gavin spoke to Deb about an NDP MP introducing a bill that would criminalize residential school denialism. If the bill were to pass, people could be charged under the criminal code for downplaying, justifying, or condoning the historical impact of residential schools in Canada.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (4 October 2024) – A New Jersey couple was left severely injured after their Uber crashed back in March 2022. A court subsequently ruled that the couple cannot sue the tech giant because their daughter, a minor, once checked a box while using her mother’s phone to order a pizza on Uber Eats, agreeing to waive trial rights.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jim Richards Show (17 October 2024) – Gavin spoke about what telling a lie under oath means/looks like. Gavin and Jim unpack a quote PM Justin Trudeau made in testimony before an inquiry. The prime minister said he had seen the names of Conservative parliamentarians, former parliamentarians and/or candidates who are “engaged, or at high risk of, or for whom there is clear intelligence around foreign interference.”
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (29 October 2024) – Gavin spoke to Jerry about Ontario calling on the federal government to make several bail related changes to the criminal code.
- Newstalk 1010: The Deb Hutton Show (6 November 2024) – Gavin spoke on Donald Trump’s presidential win and what it means for Trump’s ongoing legal trouble.
- Newstalk 1010: The Deb Hutton Show (11 November 2024) – Gavin spoke with Deb about what Charter protected rights Canadians have when it comes to protesting.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (12 November 2024) – Gavin spoke about the potential reasons why most criminal cases in Ontario have been ending before charges are tested at trial. Gavin speaks from 10:28-19:53.
- Newstalk 1010: The Jerry Agar Show (11 December 2024) – Gavin joins host Jerry to talk about the increase in informality during virtual court hearings.
Blogs
19 June 2020
15 June 2016
News
Podcasts
18 October 2026
12 October 2026
29 September 2026
15 September 2026
1 September 2026
18 August 2026
26 May 2026
17 March 2026
17 February 2026
3 February 2026
20 January 2026
23 December 2025
9 December 2025
25 November 2025
11 November 2025
28 October 2025
14 October 2025
30 September 2025
16 September 2025
2 September 2025
19 August 2025
5 August 2025
22 July 2025
8 July 2025
24 June 2025
10 June 2025
27 May 2025
13 May 2025
29 April 2025
15 April 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
23 March 2025
12 November 2024
Memberships and recognition
Professional memberships
- Advocate, Order of Certus
- Member, Trial Law Institute
- Member, Diversity Law Institute
- Law Society of Ontario
- Ontario Bar Association
- Advocates’ Society
- Osgoode Society
- Toronto Lawyers Association
- Honorary Overseas Member – COMBAR
- (The specialist association of the English and Welsh Commercial Bar)
Recognition
- 2025 King Charles III Coronation Medal
- Named King’s Counsel by the Attorney General for the Province of Ontario
- Fellow of Litigation Counsel of America
- Appointed by Order in Council as Chair of the Public Accountants Council for the Province of Ontario
- Lexpert Ranked for Professional Liability
- Best Lawyers in Canada – 2013-2025 (Legal Malpractice Law), Lawyer of the Year (2026)
- Best Lawyers in Canada – 2021-2026 (Insurance Law)
- Best Lawyers in Canada – Corporate and Commercial Litigation (2026)
- Best Lawyers in Canada – Defamation and Media Law (2026)
- Best Lawyers in Canada – 2013-2025 (Legal Malpractice Law)
- Recognized by Post City Magazine as one of Toronto’s Best Civil Law Litigation Lawyers in 2022-2025
- Recognized by Post City Magazine as one of Toronto’s Best Commercial Litigation Lawyers in 2025
Community engagement
- St. Patrick’s Parade Society – 2020 Grand Marshal
- Co-founder Annual ‘Halloween Jam for Cancer Research’ in support of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society of Canada
- Regular Contributor Bell Media Newstalk 1010 and frequent guest on radio and television