Meet Rebecca Shoom

Rebecca Shoom is a partner at Lerners LLP. Her practice focuses on litigation and dispute resolution in a wide range of areas, including education law, commercial litigation and arbitration, appeals, defamation, securities law, employment law, public and administrative law, class actions, and professional regulation. She also provides advice on governance and other business matters to organizations, professional associations, and businesses. She has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario, the Supreme Court of Canada, and numerous administrative tribunals and arbitral panels.

• Acts for two large Ontario universities in a variety of litigation matters commenced by former students and third parties, involving such allegations as breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and negligence, a well as in litigation and advisory matters related to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
• Catalyst Capital Group Inc. v West Face Capital Inc., 2021 ONSC 7957 (appeal pending): Acted for a defendant professional whistleblower and short-seller in a successful anti-SLAPP motion, resulting in the dismissal of claims in defamation and conspiracy, among others
• Smith v Arsenault-Smith, 2019 ONSC 3600: Acted for the successful respondent in an appeal of an arbitration decision relating to the obligation to make full and honest disclosure in a family law dispute
• Acts for corporations in a variety of contract disputes, including contracts related to the supply of pharmaceutical and technology products
• Acts for a wealth management firm in employment-related disputes arising out of its hiring of investment advisors
• Acted for the Law Society of Ontario in litigation arising out of its conduct of an investigation and professional discipline proceedings

• Member-At-Large, Arbitration and Mediation Advocacy Practice Group, The Advocates’ Society (2020 – present)
• Member, Young Advocates’ Standing Committee (YASC), The Advocates’ Society (2020 – present)
• Roster Lawyer, Ontario Securities Commission Litigation Assistance Program (2018 – present)
• Former Director, Epilepsy Canada (2018-2019)

• Co-presenter, “SLAPP Legislation – Recent Developments”, “Defamation Law: Trends and Developments” program, Law Society of Ontario, November 2021
• Author, “Courts of Justice Act Chapters, 22. Gag Proceedings, Sections 137.1 - 137.5”, Civil Procedure and Practice in Ontario, September 2021
• Co-presenter, “Affidavits of Documents, Privilege, Confidentiality and E-Discovery Fundamentals”, “Divine Discoveries: Building a Great Case” program, Ontario Bar Association, March 2021
• Presenter, “Effective Use of Evidence in Arbitrations”, “Arbitration Advocacy” program, The Advocates’ Society, September 2020
• Panelist, “Managing Litigation Files as In House Counsel”, Canadian Corporate Counsel – Ontario Branch, September 2020
• Author, “Private and Confidential? Managing Confidentiality in Domestic Commercial Arbitration Appeals and Applications”, ADR Perspectives, September 2020
• Co-author, “The Independent Arbitrator: Challenging Arbitrator Independence” (with Earl A. Cherniak), ADR Perspectives, September 2019
• Co-author, “A “SLAPP” in the Face to Defamation Plaintiffs”, presented at “Defamation at a Crossroads: Trends and Developments” program, Law Society of Ontario, September 2018

• Partner, Lerners LLP (2021)
• Associate Lawyer, Lerners LLP (2015 – 2020)
• Articling Student, Lerners LLP (2014-2015)
• Summer Law Student (Enforcement Branch), Ontario Securities Commission (2013)

• The Advocates’ Society
• Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society
• Toronto Lawyers’ Association
• Ontario Bar Association
• Law Society of Ontario

• Admitted to Ontario Bar (2015)
• Juris Doctor, Queen’s University, Faculty of Law (2014)
• Certificate in Public International Law, Bader International Study Centre, Herstmonceux, United Kingdom (2012)
• Bachelor of Arts (with distinction) in Sociology, Queen’s University (2011)

• Best Lawyers in Canada, Ones to Watch, Corporate and Commercial Litigation/Labour and Employment Law