Robert (Bob) Cohen is a partner in the Litigation Group at Cassels. Bob practises in the field of commercial and securities litigation and litigates cases in various areas of law, including oppression remedies and other shareholder disputes for public and private companies, securities regulation, aboriginal issues, partnership disputes, injunctions, defamation, banking disputes, employment law, real estate litigation, investor fraud, receiverships, contract disputes and professional malpractice. He acts for a broad spectrum of clients, ranging from individuals and entrepreneurs in small and large businesses, aboriginal groups, energy companies as well as boards of public companies. Bob has considerable negotiation skills which have led to efficient and large settlements for his clients, including dozens of large settlements in multi-million dollar investment fraud cases.
Bob has had numerous successful arbitration, trial and appeal decisions, including at the Superior Court of Justice, the Divisional Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. Some of his reported cases include:
- InterRent REIT (successful counsel before the Ontario Securities Commission on the standard of regulatory review of TSX rulings)
- T. Films v. Cinemavault (successful counsel before the Ontario Divisional Court in a leading creditor oppression and director’s liability case)
- Valentine v. TD Bank (successful trial counsel and appeal counsel on the bank/customer relationship and mortgage insurance)
- Solway v. Davis Moving and Storage (successful trial counsel and appeal counsel on transport liability and bill of lading disclaimer language)
- 2324702 Ontario Inc. v. 1305 Dundas W Inc. (successful counsel before the Ontario Court of Appeal on commercial tenant renewal options, landlord waiver and relief from forfeiture)
- Saylor and Madsen v. Brooks (successful counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada determining presumptions of law as they pertain to joint bank accounts in the context of estate disputes)
- Nimble Transport v. Mantella Corporation (counsel for landlord in Superior Court in successfully resisting commercial tenant’s injunction seeking relief from forfeiture for non-monetary defaults)
- Downey v. Arey (successful counsel in the Court of Appeal in respect of disputed oral agreement to purchase family home)
- Manitoba Metis Federation v. Metis Nation British Columbia (successful counsel in the Manitoba Kings Bench in respect of defamation proceedings)
- Moonias v. Ministry of Northern Development (successful counsel for a First Nation intervenor in Environmental Assessment Act application and Ontario’s Ring of Fire)
Bob is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Bar Association, the Toronto Lawyers Association and the Advocates’ Society. Since 2012, he has been Council for the Toronto region of the Ontario Bar Association. At Cassels, Bob serves as Chair of the Professional Resources Committee.
Bob is recognized as a leading lawyer by the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, the Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, Best Lawyers in Canada and Benchmark Litigation. In 2019, Bob received the Lexpert Zenith Award celebrating change agents in law, Bob was selected for his work in redefining the practice of law to value mental health.
