Lauren is a partner in the Osler Disputes group and a key contact for the Domestic and International Arbitration Group. Her commercial disputes practice has a particular focus on commercial arbitration, corporate and securities disputes and white-collar defence and enforcement proceedings. Lauren is also a member of the Osler Risk Management and Crisis Response Group, and has acted on teams conducting internal investigations, as well as in managing cross-border regulatory investigations involving parallel class actions.
Lauren has significant experience with domestic and international arbitrations under a variety of procedural rules, including International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and multiple ad hoc arbitrations. She has acted on numerous significant and highly confidential arbitrations in the construction, infrastructure, and mining and resource industries.
Lauren has a particular interest in leveraging arbitration procedure to have disputes adjudicated effectively with a view to strategic and business objectives. She designs bespoke dispute resolution provisions in commercial agreements to facilitate effective dispute resolution at the front-end of a deal, and crafts procedural rules in ad hoc arbitrations to deal with unique circumstances. For example, she has acted on matters where she has designed and negotiated unique arbitration procedures, including a highly confidential dispute arising from a private M&A transaction and an emergency arbitration for an online technology learning company. She is also very active in the arbitration community, sitting as the Chair of the Advocates’ Society Arbitration and Mediation practice group, on the board of the ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC) and is a member of the ICC Canada Arbitration Committee.
Lauren’s corporate and securities disputes practice involves expedited hearings before the Ontario Securities Commission, oppression claims and shareholder disputes. She also works closely with Osler’s Emerging and High Growth Companies group to provide advice to early stage and technology companies, and brings a business-minded view to efficient and effective dispute resolution and risk management at critical stages of companies’ growth.
Lauren has also represented various companies facing class actions in a variety of circumstances, including privacy and data breaches, claims of environmental property damages, securities, product liability and pensions and benefits. She has experience at all stages of a class proceeding, including certification motions, various procedural motions, a large common issues trial and appeal, and costs proceedings.
Lauren has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario, and has spent some time with Osler’s Calgary office, during which time she appeared before the Alberta courts. Lauren was previously seconded to the OSC, during which time she participated in a criminal insider trading trial.
In 2022 Lauren was recognized by Lexpert as one of Canada’s Rising Stars: Canada’s Leading Lawyers Under 40. The Lexpert Rising Stars awards recognize private practice and in-house lawyers who are emerging leaders in the Canadian legal community. Winners are selected by a distinguished advisory board, which considers the contributions that nominees make to their firm, company or department, as well as to the profession and larger community.
Representative Work
- Cents
Cents in its acquisition of Laundroworks
- GitHub Inc.
GitHub Inc. in its class proceeding concerning an alleged data breach involving the information of credit card applicants
- Magna International Inc.
Magna International Inc. in securing court approval of the plan of arrangement for the company’s dual-class share capital reorganization.
- Carl Icahn
Carl Icahn in his take-over bid for Lions Gate Entertainment
- A multinational social media company in a privacy class actions in British Columbia, arising out of interactions with Apple’s operating systems
- A IT service management company in a privacy class action resulting from a large data breach involving personal information belonging to credit card applicants
- Vale (Inco) Limited in a class action trial, and the successful appeal of the trial decision (leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada denied). Lauren also acted on various motions before, during and after the common issues trial including a decertification motion, a motion to disqualify one of the plaintiff’s expert witnesses, and a motion to amend the common issues subsequent to the close of trial
- A large international mining company in an ad hoc arbitration in respect of various claims arising from the construction of a large-scale mineral processing facility
- A large pharmaceutical company in an investigation by the Autorité des marches financiers with related investigations by US authorities
- The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in class proceedings dealing with pension surplus and plan amendments, involving complex procedural issues
- A large North American industrial chemical and services supplier in a confidential, international ad hoc arbitration in respect of a commercial dispute
- Magna International Inc. in opposing the application before the Ontario Securities Commission, brought by Staff of the OSC and intervening institutional shareholders in opposition to the company’s dual-class share capital reorganization
- Merrill Lynch Canada in a proposed class action alleging mismanagement of client accounts
- General Motors of Canada Inc. in class proceedings brought on behalf of a group of former employees in respect of their entitlement to pension benefits following their change of employment
- A large global manufacturer of water treatment facilities in a complex multi-jurisdictional product liability case involving many parties
- A CEO of a Canadian energy company in a joint investigation by the US Securities Exchange Commission and the Alberta Securities Commission, and related class proceedings
- An online educational service provider in a confidential emergency ad hoc arbitration pertaining to a potential business critical service outage
- An International Client a dispute between joint venture partners under the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
Cents in its acquisition of Laundroworks
GitHub Inc. in its class proceeding concerning an alleged data breach involving the information of credit card applicants
Magna International Inc. in securing court approval of the plan of arrangement for the company’s dual-class share capital reorganization.
Carl Icahn in his take-over bid for Lions Gate Entertainment
- A multinational social media company in a privacy class actions in British Columbia, arising out of interactions with Apple’s operating systems
- A IT service management company in a privacy class action resulting from a large data breach involving personal information belonging to credit card applicants
- Vale (Inco) Limited in a class action trial, and the successful appeal of the trial decision (leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada denied). Lauren also acted on various motions before, during and after the common issues trial including a decertification motion, a motion to disqualify one of the plaintiff’s expert witnesses, and a motion to amend the common issues subsequent to the close of trial
- A large international mining company in an ad hoc arbitration in respect of various claims arising from the construction of a large-scale mineral processing facility
- A large pharmaceutical company in an investigation by the Autorité des marches financiers with related investigations by US authorities
- The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in class proceedings dealing with pension surplus and plan amendments, involving complex procedural issues
- A large North American industrial chemical and services supplier in a confidential, international ad hoc arbitration in respect of a commercial dispute
- Magna International Inc. in opposing the application before the Ontario Securities Commission, brought by Staff of the OSC and intervening institutional shareholders in opposition to the company’s dual-class share capital reorganization
- Merrill Lynch Canada in a proposed class action alleging mismanagement of client accounts
- General Motors of Canada Inc. in class proceedings brought on behalf of a group of former employees in respect of their entitlement to pension benefits following their change of employment
- A large global manufacturer of water treatment facilities in a complex multi-jurisdictional product liability case involving many parties
- A CEO of a Canadian energy company in a joint investigation by the US Securities Exchange Commission and the Alberta Securities Commission, and related class proceedings
- An online educational service provider in a confidential emergency ad hoc arbitration pertaining to a potential business critical service outage
- An International Client a dispute between joint venture partners under the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
Latest Insights
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Blog Dec 2, 2024
Arbitrator’s objective duty to disclose under UNCITRAL Model Law does not require consideration of parties’ subjective expectations
Parties should take care in choosing a legal regime to govern arbitration in their agreements.
Read more -
Blog Nov 28, 2024
No set aside for constructive fraud under Ontario’s Arbitration Act
An Ontario Court of Appeal decision held that “fraud” in the Arbitration Act is limited to the common law definition and does not include the...
Read more -
Blog Nov 25, 2024
Crypto, competence-competence, and the courts: analyzing the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in Lochan v. Binance
Ontario Court of Appeal provides guidance on competence-competence principle and enforceability of arbitration clauses in standard-form contracts.
Read more -
Blog Sep 18, 2024
Proposed amendments would allow email summons from the Ontario Securities Commission
Following a recommendation from the province’s Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce, Ontario is proposing to ease the requirements for the...
Read more
Awards and Recognition
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Recognized in Dispute Resolution: Arbitration; Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario); White-Collar Crime & Government Investigation
—Chambers Canada -
Recognized in Dispute Resolution (40 & Under Hot List; Future Star)
—Benchmark Litigation Canada -
Recognized in Commercial Arbitration; Litigation – Corporate Commercial; Litigation – Securities
—The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory -
Recognized as a Rising Star
—Lexpert Rising Stars
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Recognized in Litigation
—Lexpert Special Edition
Media Mentions
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Osler News Nov 23, 2023
23 Osler lawyers recognized in Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation 2023
23 Osler lawyers featured in the Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation 2023.
Read more -
Osler News Jun 29, 2023
29 Osler lawyers recognized in Lexpert Special Edition: Technology and Health 2023
Congratulations to 29 of our lawyers for their inclusion in the Lexpert Special Edition: Technology and Health 2023.
Read more -
Osler News Nov 23, 2022
Lauren Tomasich and Colena Der named 2022 Lexpert Rising Stars
Congratulations to Osler partners Lauren Tomasich and Colena Der on being named Lexpert Rising Stars for 2022! The awards recognize emerging leaders...
Read more -
Osler News Aug 5, 2022
Osler lawyers recognized in Benchmark Litigation’s ‘40 & Under List’ 2022
Osler is proud to congratulate three of our litigators for their recognition in the 2022 edition of Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under...
Read more
Community Involvement
- Law Help Ontario, Pro Bono Law Ontario, Duty Counsel Volunteer
Speaking and Writing
Speaking Engagements
AccessPrivacy Monthly Call: Data litigation roundtable: key themes and takeaways from recent privacy and data litigation decisions
Read moreAccessPrivacy Monthly Call: Data litigation roundtable: key takeaways from recent privacy decisions
Read moreAccessPrivacy Monthly Call: Data litigation roundtable: litigation risk associated with data breaches and data misuse
Read moreEmployment and Labour Law Insights: Restrictive covenants; electronic monitoring; vaccination policy case law; Maynard v. Johnson ControlsCanada
Read moreAccessPrivacy Monthly Call: Data litigation roundtable: privacy class actions update
Read moreUber Technologies Inc. v. Heller: Implications for Arbitration and Employment Law
Read moreYear-End Professionalism Series: Random Acts of Professionalism – Trampoline Hall: Legal Edition!
Read morePublished Work
- Mediation-Arbitration in Canada (L. Tomasich and S. Firestone), LexisNexis Canada Inc., March 2021.
- Co-authored Osler’s Canadian and international arbitration: A guidebook for effective arbitration, May 2020 (by Geoffrey Hunnisett, Lauren Tomasich)
- Annual Review: Commercial Arbitration 2019 (L. Tomasich), Financier Worldwide, March 2019.
- Mondaq Comparative Guide to International Arbitration, Canada (M. Gelowitz and L. Tomasich), January 2019.
- Annual Review: Litigation & alternative dispute resolution (interview), Financier Worldwide, November 2018.
- Newfoundland Court Affirms Public Policy Objective of Upholding Commercial Arbitration Agreements (P. Ivanoff and L. Tomasich), Canadian Arbitration and Mediation Journal, Fall/Winter – Volume 26 No.2, 2017.
- GIR Know How: Securities and Related Investigations, Canada (L. Ritchie and L. Tomasich), March 2017
- Ontario overtime class actions: A map for certification? (L. Fric and L. Tomasich), Canadian Employment Law Today, Mar 20, 2015.
- Re-Arranging the Arrangement Landscape: The Implications of Re Magna International Inc. (C. Lockwood and L. Tomasich), Canadian Bar Review, Vol. 89, No. 3.
Credentials
Education
- Osgoode Hall Law School, LL.B.
- University of Calgary, B.A. (with distinction)
Languages
- English
Professional Affiliations
- Canadian Bar Association
- Ontario Bar Association
- Law Society of Ontario
- The Advocates’ Society (Arbitration and Mediation Practice Group Chair)
- ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC) Board member
- American Bar Association
- Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners (YCAP)
- Women’s White Collar Defense Association – Toronto Chapter Secretary
- ROAP Americas, Delos Advanced Oral Advocacy Training Program in International Arbitration (Faculty)
- Ethics Centre, Board Member