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Vera Toppings, Partner | Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Vera Toppings

Partner Fasken
Jurisdiction Ontario, 2008
Language(s) English, Serbian, French
Office(s) Toronto
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Overview

Vera is a Partner and Vice-Chair of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group in Ontario. She is an experienced litigator and provides practical advice and representation to clients in commercial and civil litigation matters, with a focus on class actions and complex business disputes.

Vera is recognized as a leading class actions lawyer. She has represented clients in significant cases addressing groundbreaking legal issues and has appeared at trial and appellate courts across the country, including the Supreme Court of Canada.

Vera regularly represents clients on a broad range of class action claims. These include privacy and cybersecurity; product liability; price-fixing and other antitrust claims; breaches of contract and consumer protection law; human rights; and securities misrepresentation.

Vera also represents clients in complex commercial disputes, including before domestic and international arbitration panels. Many of Vera's cases have a cross-border component, and she works closely with U.S. and international law firms on the joint defence of clients’ litigation matters worldwide. Vera is also a member of the firm’s U.S. Committee.

Vera’s expertise and client service are recognized by numerous legal directories, including Best Lawyers, The Legal 500, Lexpert and Benchmark. In 2020, Vera was named a “Rising Star: Leading Lawyer under 40” in Canada by Lexpert.

Vera is active in the legal community and holds numerous leadership positions, including on the executive of the Ontario Bar Association (“OBA”) Class Actions Section and as a member of the Federal Court Class Actions Bench-Bar Liaison Committee and the Canadian Bar Association (“CBA”) Liaison Committee for the Federal Court & Federal Court of Appeal. Vera is also Co-Chair of the 2025 16th Annual Class Actions Colloquium of the OBA.

Previously, Vera was Chair of The Advocates Society Class Actions Practice Group, Chair of the national Competition Litigation Committee of the CBA and Secretary of the ADR Section of the OBA. She has also been an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School’s Lawyer As Negotiator course, and a guest lecturer for the Windsor Law School Class Actions course. Vera is one of the founders of the Osgoode Hall Law School Mediation Clinic and the school’s Mediation Intensive Clinical Program.

Representative Experience

  • Representing Capital One in privacy and cybersecurity class actions
  • Representing Sandoz, Fougera and Novartis in class action alleging price-fixing in the generic drug industry
  • Representing Equifax in privacy and cybersecurity class action
  • Representing TD Waterhouse in trailer fee commissions class action
  • Representing the Government of Canada in discrimination class action
  • Representing Oshkosh Corporation in distributorship dispute
  • Representing Masonite in price-fixing/competition class action relating to interior doors
  • Representing international food manufacturer in confidential arbitration
  • Representing real estate industry participant in real estate commissions class action
  • Representing the Government of the Northwest Territories in privacy class action
  • Representing the Government of the Northwest Territories in aboriginal rights class action
  • Representing Canadian public mining company in contract dispute
  • Representing the Assembly of First Nations in historic child welfare class action
  • Representing a large international manufacturer in PFAS/forever chemicals class action
  • Representing Google in privacy disputes
  • Representing Suncor in privacy and cybersecurity class action
  • Representing Daimler and Mercedes-Benz in diesel emissions class action
  • Advising Airbus in contractual dispute
  • Representing Airbus Helicopters in cross-border commercial dispute
  • Representing Maruyasu in price-fixing/competition class actions relating to auto parts (steel tubes; fuel injection systems)
  • Representing Inoac in price-fixing/competition class actions relating to auto parts (interior trim)
  • Representing Yamashita Rubber in price-fixing/competition class action relating to auto parts (anti-vibration rubber parts)
  • Representing Toshiba in numerous price-fixing/competition class actions relating to computer components, television components and batteries (ODD, LCD, CRT, Lithium-Ion Batteries, DRAM)
  • Representing PwC in securities class action
  • Representing wealth management firm in confidential commercial arbitration

Achievements

  • Best Lawyers in Canada (2024-2025) – Recognized in Corporate/Commercial Litigation
  • The Legal 500 (2024-2025) – Recognized as a Next Generation Partner in Dispute Resolution
  • Lexpert (2024) – Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Litigation – Product Liability
  • Lexpert (2022-2024) – Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Class Actions
  • Benchmark Litigation Canada (2021-2024) – Recognized in Ontario as a Litigation Star in Class Action and Commercial
  • Lexpert (2020-2024) – Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Litigation – Corporate Commercial
  • Lexpert (2020) – Recognized as a Lexpert Rising Star: Leading Lawyers Under 40
  • Benchmark Litigation Canada (2018-2020) – Recognized in Ontario as a "Future Star"
  • Benchmark Litigation Canada (2018-2020) – Recognized on Benchmark Litigation’s 40 & Under Hotlist

Client Work

  • Airbus Helicopters defended financial loss claims arising from groundings enforced by various international aviation authorities, [Case - Airbus Helicopters SAS, Airbus Helicopters Inc. and Airbus Helicopters Canada Inc.], Defense of a cross-border commercial dispute for the Canadian, American and French entities of Airbus Helicopters
  • TD Waterhouse Canada Inc., among other financial institutions, successfully defends against proposed class action alleging improper receipt of trailing commissions by discount brokerages, [Case - TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.], Canadian financial services corporation successfully defends certification of claims alleging improper collection of fees for the provision of investment advice
  • Pioneer Corp. v. Godfrey, 2019 SCC 42, [Case - Toshiba Corporation Corp et others]
  • Shah v. LG Chem Ltd., 2018 ONCA 819 - Khurram Shah and Alpina Holdings Inc. v. Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. and Toshiba of Canada Limited., [Case - Toshiba]
  • Equifax Inc. and Equifax Canada Co. privacy class action, [Case - Equifax Inc. and Equifax Canada Co.]
  • Shah v. LG Chem, Ltd. 2016 ONSC 4670 - Shah and Alpina HoldingsInc. v. Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba of Canada Limited and others, [Case - Confidential Client]
  • Godfrey v Sony Corporation, 2016 BCSC 844 – Godfrey v. Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba of Canada Limited and others, [Case - Confidential Client]
  • Shah v. LG Chem, Ltd. 2015 ONSC 6148 - Shah and Alpina Holdings Inc. v. Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba of Canada Limited and others, [Case - Confidential Client]
  • Shah v. LG Chem, Ltd. 2016 ONSC 4670 - Shah and Alpina Holdings Inc. v. Toshiba corporaption, Toshiba of Canada Limited and others, [Case - Confidential Client]

Career & Education

Education

  • JD Osgoode Hall Law School at York University
  • B Comm (Hons) Queen's University

Community involvement

  • Adjunct Professor Osgoode Hall Law School 2012 to 2014
  • Child Advocacy Project Pro Bono Ontario 2010 to 2014
  • Duty Counsel Project Pro Bono Ontario 2008 to 2015
  • Co-Founder Osgoode Hall Law School Mediation Clinic and Mediation Clinical Program
  • Fasken Regional Council Canadian Paralympic Committee

Memberships & Affiliations

  • Member Canadian Bar Association, Liaison Committee for the Federal Court & Federal Court of Appeal 2025 to present
  • Member The Advocates' Society, Federal Courts Rules Review Task Force 2024 to present
  • Executive Member Ontario Bar Association, Class Actions Section 2023 to present
  • Member Federal Court Class Actions Bench-Bar Liaison Committee 2022 to present
  • Member American Bar Association 2010 to present
  • Chair The Advocates' Society, National Class Actions Practice Group 2023 to 2024
  • Vice Chair The Advocates' Society, National Class Actions Practice Group 2022 to 2023
  • Secretary The Advocates' Society, National Class Actions Practice Group 2021 to 2022
  • Chair Canadian Bar Association, National Competition Litigation Committee 2020 to 2021
  • Vice Chair Canadian Bar Association, National Competition Litigation Committee 2019 to 2020
  • Secretary Canadian Bar Association, National Competition Litigation Committee 2018 to 2019
  • Vice Chair, Young Lawyers Committee Canadian Bar Association, National Competition Law Section 2014 to 2015
  • Secretary Ontario Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section 2010 to 2011

Knowledge

News

Publications

  • What Can Happen When One Party Accesses the Other Side’s Privileged Information?, 11/23/2023
  • Chambers Antitrust Litigation Guide 2023, 10/4/2023
  • Antitrust Litigation 2023 – Canada Chapter, 9/21/2023

Speaking Engagements

  • Digital Shadows and Deceptions – Understanding the Dark Net, Combatting Identity Theft, and the Rise of Deepfakes, 10/7/2024
  • Security and Privacy: From Blockers to Business Enablers, 6/11/2024
  • BC and Ontario Class Action Trends, 3/9/2023
Moderator Digital Shadows and Deceptions – Understanding the Dark Net, Combatting Identity Theft, and the Rise of Deepfakes CAN-TECH 2024 Fall Conference location location Toronto, ON
Moderator Security and Privacy: From Blockers to Business Enablers IAPP Canada Privacy Symposium 2024 location location Toronto, ON
Speaker BC and Ontario Class Action Trends Canadian Bar Association (CBA)

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