Lara Jackson

Partner

 | Toronto

Lara Jackson* (she/her/hers) is a partner in the Litigation Group at Cassels and is Co-Chair of the firm’s Securities Litigation and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Groups. Lara has an active and varied commercial litigation practice with particular expertise in class actions and securities litigation. Lara brings a strategic, analytical and practical approach to the most complicated disputes, while maintaining her focus on achieving resolution as efficiently as possible. Lara has represented clients in a broad range of commercial cases involving proxy contests, takeover bids, contested plans of arrangement, shareholder disputes, oppression remedies, insolvency disputes and securities and competition class actions. Lara also regularly represents market participants in Canadian and cross-border civil and regulatory proceedings involving alleged securities act violations. Lara is recognized as a leader in her field by Best Lawyers in Canada, Benchmark Litigation (as one of the top 100 women in litigation in Canada) and Chambers Canada, in which clients note that Lara is an “excellent tactician” and a “very analytical and thoughtful litigator” who does an “‘excellent job’ of defending clients’ interests.” In 2022, Lara was elected to a four-year term as a Director of The Advocates’ Society.

Lara’s representative work includes:

  • Defending issuers and individual directors and officers in securities class actions
  • Defending financial institutions in price fixing competition class actions
  • Representing market participants in securities regulatory proceedings
  • Representing issuers and individual directors and officers in complex commercial litigation disputes
  • Representing bidders and targets in hostile takeover bid litigation
  • Representing issuers and stakeholders in contested plans of arrangement

*Services provided through a Professional Corporation

  • Benchmark Litigation (Litigation Star: Securities, Commercial, Insolvency, Energy)
  • Benchmark Litigation (Top 100 Women in Litigation: Canada)
  • Best Lawyers in Canada (Securities Litigation, Corporate & Commercial Litigation, Class Action Litigation)
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (Litigation: Corporate Commercial, Litigation: Securities, Class Actions)
  • Chambers Canada (Litigation: General Commercial – Ontario, Litigation: Securities – Ontario, Dispute Resolution: Class Action (Defence) – Canada)
  • Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada (Securities Litigation)
  • Lexpert Special Edition, Global Mining
  • Lexpert Special Edition, Litigation
  • “She is unflappable and very committed to getting the best results for her clients.” – Chambers Canada (Corporate/Commercial Litigation)
  • “Lara has terrific judgement.” – Chambers Canada (Corporate/Commercial Litigation)
  • “Lara is an outstanding lawyer – she is incredibly smart, diligent, has great subject matter expertise and is highly collegial.” – Chambers Canada (Corporate/Commercial Litigation)
  • “She is a conscientious, a lovely person, and an excellent lawyer.” – Chambers Canada (Securities Litigation)
  • “Lara is extremely bright and a strong advocate.” – Chambers Canada (Securities Litigation)
  • “Lara is an exceptional litigator and very savvy when dealing with complex class litigation.” – Chambers Canada (Class Actions)
  • “Lara is calm and reasoned in her approach, which has strong practical and pragmatic elements.” – Chambers Canada (Class Actions)
  • “Lara is a very talented lawyer.” – Chambers Canada (Securities Litigation)
  • “Lara is a strong litigator with impressive abilities.” – Chambers (Class Actions)
  • “Lara Jackson is a very analytical and thoughtful litigator, and she looks after her clients well.” – Chambers Canada (Litigation)
  • “Very intelligent and very composed; nothing ruffles her feathers.” – Chambers Canada (Litigation)
  • “Her main strength is her thoroughness and she is a very good communicator.” – Chambers Canada (Class Actions)
  • “Highly valued for her ability to ‘stay one step ahead of the other side.’” – Chambers Canada (Litigation)
  • “An excellent tactician who navigates [her clients] through the case.” – Chambers Canada (Litigation)
  • “Does an ‘excellent job’ of defending clients’ interests in class action proceedings.” – Chambers Canada (Class Action Defence)
  • “Great; super-responsive and very knowledgeable.” – Chambers Canada (Class Action Defence)
  • The Advocates’ Society, Director, Board of Directors
  • Law Society of Ontario Disciplinary Hearings, Pro Bono Duty Counsel
  • Pro Bono Ontario, Volunteer
  • Ontario Bar Association Civil Litigation and Class Actions Executives, Past Member
  • Ontario Bar Association Council, Past Member
  • Ontario Security Commission Securities Proceedings Advisory Committee, Past Member
  • LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School, 1997
  • B.Sc. (Hons.), Queen’s University, 1994
  • Ontario, 1999
  • British Columbia, 2015
  • American Bar Association
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Litigation Counsel of America (Fellow)
  • Ontario Bar Association
  • The Advocates’ Society (Member, Board of Directors)
  • Toronto Lawyers Association
  • Women’s White Collar Defense Association