Deborah E. Palter

Partner

Bio

Deborah is recognized as a leading advocate with a broad commercial and civil litigation practice. She regularly acts for individuals, companies and financial institutions providing creative advice and strategies for litigating and resolving complicated business disputes. Her significant mandates include cases involving complex commercial agreements, director and officer liability, banking litigation, commercial real estate disputes, fraud claims, shareholder and partnership disputes, insolvency proceedings and securities-related matters over a wide cross-section of industries. She is a skilled trial and appellate lawyer, appearing regularly in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and in the negotiation, mediation and private arbitration of commercial disputes.

Deborah is a past President of The Advocates’ Society, the pre-eminent association of litigation counsel in Canada. She is recognized as a leading litigator in several major legal publications and is known for her commitment and contribution to excellence in the profession.

Deborah is identified as one of the top 100 Women in Litigation in Canada by Benchmark Canada and has been repeatedly recognized as one of Canada’s leading lawyers by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (Litigation – Corporate Commercial) and Best Lawyers in Canada (Corporate Commercial Litigation). She is a sought-after speaker, moderator and advocacy skills trainer.

Representative mandates:

Counsel to Oxford Properties on cases involving the enforcement of commercial real estate contracts.
Defended a large international bank in a dispute over amounts owed under the terms of a carried interest plan and related private equity fund.
Defended the former principal of Lakeport Brewing Corp. in the defence of a $50 million officer and director liability claim.
Defended an Ontario College sued by employees of the College’s student union for claims involving negligence and negligent misrepresentation. Obtained an order dismissing the action against the College on a summary judgment basis.
Acted for a U.S. subsidiary claiming indemnification for pre-arrangement taxes arising out of a Plan of Arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act with a $400 million transaction value. Defended the responding Application seeking rectification of the tax indemnity agreement executed in connection with the Plan of Arrangement.
Court-appointed litigation counsel to the Litigation Trustee of Cash Store Financial Services Inc.
Defended the owner in an action for specific performance of an agreement for the sale of land in Georgian Bay.
Represented the Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System before a major municipal judicial inquiry.
Litigation counsel to the receiver, RSM Richter Inc., in the Norshield hedge fund scandal.
Acted on behalf of a committee of contesting bondholders in the BCE privatization, which involved the world’s largest leveraged buy-out with an enterprise value of $52 billion.
Counsel on a variety of matters involving interim injunctive relief.

Representative Mandates

Court of Appeal confirms that COVID-19 Does Not Excuse a Failure to Pay Rent

The Ontario Court of Appeal (“Court”) recently clarified the scope of what terms are appropriate when granting relief from forfeiture p...

COVID-19 Does Not Excuse a Failure to Pay Rent

Courts will not rewrite leases by granting tenants rent abatements, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. That was the bottom line conclusio...

Western University: Characterization of unpaid tuition under the BIA

This case set a precedent in its findings that (i) unpaid tuition constituted a debt in the nature of a student loan under the Bankruptcy and Insol...

Cash Store: Court-appointed litigation counsel to the Litigation Trustee of Cash Store Financial Services Inc.

Court-appointed litigation counsel to the Litigation Trustee of Cash Store Financial Services Inc.

Lakeport Brewing: A D&O liability claim that resulted in a $1.8 million award

Defended the former principal of Lakeport Brewing Corp. in the defence of a $50 million officer and director liability claim.

Defended ICI Canada at trial in an action for specific performance of an agreement for the sale of land in Georgian Bay

Bell Canada reorganization

Acting on behalf of a committee of contesting bondholders in the BCE reorganization, which involved the world's largest leveraged buy-out with an enterprise value of $52 billion.

Norshield

Litigation counsel to the receiver, RSM Richter Inc., in the Norshield hedge fund scandal involving the tracing and attempted recovery of over $400 million in funds in several jurisdictions. Involved cross-border proceedings in the United States, Barbados and the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Professional Involvement

Deborah is a past President of The Advocates’ Society, the leading association of litigation counsel in Canada dedicated to the promotion of excellence in advocacy, access to justice and a strong, independent and courageous bar. Deborah served on the Society’s board of directors for 8 years (2014-2022) and has served as Chair of the Society's Education Committee and Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Advocacy and Practice. She chaired The Advocates’ Society Task Force on the precedent setting constitutional case Trinity Western University v. Law Society of Upper Canada and Law Society of British Columbia v. Trinity Western University.

Deborah sat on the Commercial List Users’ Committee (2015-2019), a committee comprised of members of the judiciary, courts administration and senior members of the bar who meet regularly to consider improvements to the organization and operation of the Commercial List and to make recommendations to the Regional Senior Justice and Chief Justice in that regard.

Deborah is a member of The Advocates’ Society, the Canadian Bar Association and Ontario Bar Association.

Recent professional appearances include:

Nov 19, 2024

Deborah E. Palter will be speaking on The Advocates’ Society’s panel “Doing it Right: Successfully Bringing (or Opposing) a Summary Judgment Motion”

Dec 08, 2023

Deborah E. Palter is co-chairing The Advocates’ Society program “The Bench Speaks” and moderating a fireside chat with The Hon. Ian Binnie, C.C., K.C.

Oct 27, 2023

Deborah E. Palter is speaking on “The Ties that Bind: Building Community in the Profession and Beyond”

May 11, 2023

Deborah E. Palter is addressing “Hot Topics in Commercial List Advocacy” at The Advocates’ Society’s Commercial List Advocacy program on May 11.

May 12, 2022

Deborah E. Palter is moderating the panel “Justice Abella & Women in the Legal Profession” in celebration of the Hon. R. Silberman Abella’s remarkable career.

Feb 24, 2022

Deborah E. Palter is a panelist and skills trainer at the 2022 Kingston Courthouse Series: Taking the Surprise Out of Trial

Nov 19, 2021

Deborah E. Palter is speaking on the Professionalism Panel at the County of Carleton Law Association Conference.

Nov 02, 2021

Deborah E. Palter is speaking on “The Right to be Heard: The Future of Advocacy in Canada” at the Middlesex Law Association 16th Annual Straight from the Bench Conference.

Oct 29, 2021

Deborah E. Palter is a panelist at The Advocates’ Society Women in Litigation Symposium Ontario.

Oct 28, 2021

Deborah E. Palter is speaking on “The Right to be Heard: The Future of Advocacy in Canada” as part of Access to Justice Week 2021.

Sep 24, 2021

Deborah E. Palter is speaking on “The Right to be Heard: The Future of Advocacy in Canada” at the Kingston and 1000 Islands Legal Conference.

Apr 09, 2021

Deborah E. Palter is co-chairing The Advocates' Society Commercial List Advocacy program on April 9, 2021.

Jun 05, 2019

Deborah E. Palter is moderating the panel “What’s Happening on the Commercial List?” at the Commercial List Users’ Committee Annual Retreat and Reception.

May 15, 2019

Deborah E. Palter is speaking on effective pre-trial hearings and judge-led mediations at The Advocates’ Society program “Commercial List Advocacy.”

Mar 29, 2019

Deborah E. Palter is speaking at The Advocates’ Society program “Leadership Skills for Litigators."

Nov 20, 2018

Deborah E. Palter is speaking on “Litigation Funding: A Tool for Risk Mitigation and Revenue Generation” on November 20, 2018

May 08, 2018

Deborah E. Palter is co-chairing The Advocates’ Society program “Negotiation Strategies for Litigators.”

Dec 15, 2017

Deborah E. Palter is conducting a live mock opening statement at The Advocates’ Society Program “Leading your Case.”

Nov 01, 2017

Deborah E. Palter is co-chairing The Advocates’ Society 2017 Fall Convention in Nashville, Tennessee (November 1 – 5, 2017).

Oct 27, 2017

Deborah E. Palter is acting as a mentor at the Advocates' Society 7th Biennial Women in Litigation Symposium.

Feb 28, 2017

Deborah E. Palter is chairing the Law Society of Upper Canada Program “Getting the Most Out of the Rules of Civil Procedure.”

Feb 23, 2017

Deborah E. Palter is a speaker on a panel at the 2017 Toronto Courthouse Series on the topic “Previewing Your Story in Your Opening Statement.”

Feb 07, 2017

Deborah E. Palter is a speaker and panelist at The Advocates’ Society Program “Motions Advocacy.”

Jan 20, 2017

Deborah E. Palter co-chairs The Advocates’ Society Program “Cross-examination: Strategies for Success”.

Nov 12, 2016

Deborah E Palter is speaking at The Advocates' Society Fall Convention regarding "Update on The Advocates' Society Policy Initiatives & Interventions"

Sep 30, 2016

Deborah E. Palter is co-chairing The Advocates' Society Program "Breakfast Near Tiffany's VI - Public Interest Litigation and Advocacy."

Jun 20, 2016

Deborah E. Palter is acting as co-chair and moderator at The Advocates' Society Program: "Insolvency Litigation."

May 27, 2016

Deborah E. Palter is speaking at The Advocates' Society Program "Summary Judgment Motions."

Oct 23, 2015

Deborah E. Palter is acting as co-chair and moderator at The Advocates' Society 6th Biennial Women in Litigation Symposium: The Powerful Advocate.

Oct 22, 2015

Deborah E. Palter is a speaker and panelist in the LSUC Program "At Issue for Civil Litigators - What is Trending Now."

May 22, 2015

Deborah E. Palter is co-chairing The Advocates' Society Program "Breakfast Near Tiffany's V - The Client."

Recognition

Deborah is most recently recognized as a leading lawyer in:

The Best Lawyers in Canada 2025 and prior years (Corporate and Commercial Litigation)
Top 100 Women in Litigation in Canada 2024, 2023 and 2022 – Benchmark Canada
Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys 2025 and prior years (Litigation Star in Ontario)
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2024 and prior years (Litigation – Corporate Commercial)
Lexpert Special Edition on Litigation – Leading Litigators in Canada (2024 and prior years)
Globe and Mail’s Lexpert/Report on Business Magazine Special Edition – Leading Litigation Lawyers in Canada (December 2019)
Lexpert 2016 Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers in Canada (Corporate Commercial)
Who's Who Legal: Commercial Litigation 2023 and 2022 - leading practitioners in the field