76 | LEXPERT December 2015 | www.lexpert.ca
Broad litigation practice, including commercial, arbitrations, white-collar crime, regula-
tory, and public law. Represents Canada's major media on defamation and freedom of
speech cases. Counsel on leading Charter cases in the Supreme Court of Canada. Bencher,
e Law Society of Upper Canada. Chair, Law Foundation of Ontario. Adjunct Profes-
sor, University of Toronto, Faculty of Law. Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers,
International Academy of Trial Lawyers; Director, Canadian Civil Liberties Associa-
tion, Osgoode Society, Canadian Journalism Foundation. Past President, Pro Bono Law
Ontario, Ad IDEM/Canadian Media Lawyers Association. Named one of Canada's "25
most influential lawyers" by Canadian Lawyer magazine, 2011.
Rick Dearden, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, is a Gowlings
senior litigation partner, practicing primarily in the areas of international trade,
investor-state arbitration, media and defamation law, freedom of information, and
administrative law. His accomplishments are recognized by Lexpert®, e Best Lawyers in
Canada, the Canadian Who's Who, the International Who's Who of Trade and Customs
Lawyers, Benchmark Canada, the Who's Who Legal: Canada and Chambers Global.
He acted as counsel for the Ottawa Citizen before the Supreme Court of Canada in the
seminal cases of Cusson v. Quan and Grant v. Torstar that created the "public interest
responsible communication" defense to libel actions. Dearden has also acted as counsel
at all levels of court in Ontario, the Federal Courts, the Canadian International Trade
Tribunal and investor-state arbitration tribunals under NAFTA. He served as Chair of a
sowood lumber panel under Chapter 19 of the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement and
provides strategic advice on NAFTA and WTO disputes, particularly intellectual
property matters.
Mark Bantey practices media law, civil and commercial litigation, and administrative
and constitutional law. Specializing in media law, acting for both national and local
press, Bantey has extensive experience in pre-publication review, libel law, access to
information law, freedom of the press issues such as publication bans and protection of
journalistic sources, constitutional law and human rights. As a litigator in media law and
commercial law, he acts before courts of all jurisdictions, including the Supreme Court of
Canada. Bantey has lectured in media law at Concordia University at the bachelor and
master's levels. Frequently called upon to give seminars on both the theoretical aspects
of media law and practical difficulties facing journalists, he participates regularly in
media law seminars. He has been recognized as a leading practitioner in defamation and
media law by e Best Lawyers in Canada since its inception in 2006 and consistently
in e Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory.
Paul B.
Schabas
Blake, Cassels &
Graydon LLP
Tel: (416) 863-4274
Toronto
Richard G.
Dearden
Gowling Lafleur
Henderson LLP
Tel: (613) 786-0135
Fax: (613) 788-3430
Ottawa
Mark
Bantey,
Gowling Lafleur
Henderson LLP
Tel: (514) 392-9501
Fax: (514) 876-9501
Montréal
paul.schabas@blakes.com
richard.dearden@gowlings.com
mark.bantey@gowlings.com
Partner. Will McDowell's wide-ranging practice has included many landmark cases,
most notably in the Supreme Court of Canada. He appears in commercial litigation, libel
and public law cases. From 2005 to 2008, he was Canada's Associate Deputy Minister
of Justice, with responsibility for civil litigation, national security and issues involving
central agencies. He subsequently served as amicus to the Superior Court with regard
to land occupations in Brantford and was chief counsel to the City of Mississauga
Judicial Inquiry. He acted for the Chief of Police of Toronto, the Chief Adjudicator of
the Independent Assessment Process of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and
as amicus to the Superior Court in relation to Aboriginal land occupations in Brant-
ford. McDowell's work in resolving the landmark Arar v. Canada case was honored by
a Department of Justice National Award. McDowell is an elected Bencher of the Law
Society of Upper Canada.
William C.
McDowell
Lenczner Slaght
Royce Smith
Griffin LLP
Tel: (416) 865-2949
Fax: (416) 865-2850
Toronto
wmcdowell@litigate.com
DEFAMATION AND MEDIA
