Overview
Baktash Waseil has developed a broad commercial and civil litigation practice that includes work for private and public corporations in the financial and service-oriented sectors. Baktash’s areas of expertise include complex contractual disputes, debt recovery and enforcement, shareholder disputes, issues revolving around privacy, misrepresentation and negligence, education related litigation, as well as prosecuting and defending matters involving injunctive relief. Baktash is committed to working with his clients to determine the most effective approach to meet their goals.
Baktash also acts for school boards, private schools, insurers, individuals, creditors, non-profit and religious organizations on various matters before the Courts. He regularly appears before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (including the Divisional Court) on contested matters. He has appeared before the Ontario Court of Appeal. He also has significant experience before the Human Rights Tribunal.
Baktash supports Miller Thomson’s General Counsel with firm matters and he often appears before the Courts on behalf of the firm.
Prior to joining the firm, Baktash worked as a Research Assistant at the Supreme Court of Canada, as a Law Clerk to the Justices at the Superior Court of Justice, as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Ottawa (Faculty of Law), and as a Law Student at the Department of Justice (Employment and Social Development Canada, Legal Services).
Baktash is fluently bilingual in English and French and practises in both official languages.
Notable matters
- Gebien v Apotex Inc. et al., [2024] ONSC 1195 (CanLII)
- Gebien v Apotex Inc. et al., [2023] ONSC 6792 (CanLII)
- CLE Capital Inc. V 2593485 Ontario Ltd., et al., [2022] ONSC 4299 (CanLII)
- Doucet v The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, [2022] ONSC 976 (CanLII)
- JS and JSS v. Toronto Catholic District School Board, [2020] HRTO 411 (CanLII)
- Doucet v. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet (The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School), [2019] ONSC 6982 (CanLII)
- Gargari v. Toronto Catholic District School Board, [2019] ONSC 2371 (CanLII)
- Gargari v. Toronto Catholic District School Board, [2018] ONSC 7009 (CanLII)
- Our Lady of Victory Senior Citizens’ Residence (York) Inc. v. Mercedes, [2018] ONSC 5752 (CanLII)
- Forsythe v. Tone, [2018] ONSC 3598
- K.W v. Toronto Catholic District School Board, [2018] ONSC 2794
- CLE Leasing Enterprise Ltd. v. Dhuga, [2017] ONCA 764 (CanLII)
- TSCC No. 2051 v. Georgian Clairlea Inc. et al, [2017] ONSC 4223 (CanLII)
- Cho v. Middleton, [2016] ONSC 7251 (CanLII)
- Unit Owners v. Norstar Portrait Inc., (ONSCSM)
Thought leadership
- "School Boards Can Transfer a Student for Safety Reasons", Education Law Newsletter, June 2018
- "Register Your Lien Within Three-Months of a Default or Risk Losing Priority… A Reminder", MTCondoLaw-Ontario, February 2017
- "Good News from the Ontario Court of Appeal: Condominium Directors, Your Decisions Will Be Respected", MTCondoLaw-Ontario, October 2016
- “SCC Affirms Ontario’s Jurisdiction to ‘Take Up’ Lands in Treaty 3,” Aboriginal Law Update, August 2014 (co-authored with Sandra A. Gogal)
Community involvement
- Markham Stouffville Hospital: As a member of the President’s Advisory Council, Baktash provides strategic advice to the President/CEO and Senior Management of the hospital on key initiative such as strategic partnerships, innovation, communication engagement, budget and finance and quality and safety.
- Law Help Ontario (Pro Bono Ontario): As Duty Counsel, Baktash provides brief summary advice in civil, non-family matters, to unrepresented litigants who cannot afford to hire a lawyer and who do not qualify for Legal Aid.
- Ryerson University Pro Bono Clinic: Baktash provides free legal advice to Ryerson students on a range of legal issues such as business or work-related issues, consumer contracts and small claims actions.
Professional memberships
- Canadian Bar Association
- Ontario Bar Association
- The Advocates’ Society
- Toronto Lawyers’ Association
- Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario
Languages spoken
- English
- French
- Farsi / Persian
Bar admissions & education
- Ontario, 2016
- J.D. (cum laude), University of Ottawa, 2015
- B.Soc.Sc. (political science, honours, magna cum laude), University of Ottawa, 2015
