Overview
Douglas Best has a broad commercial litigation practice. He is a national leader at Miller Thomson in corporate fraud asset recovery. His practice has a particular emphasis on corporate fraud both domestically and internationally, employment law, administrative law, regulatory law, and general contractual claims and disputes. Acting predominantly for corporations for more than 30 years, Doug has gained considerable knowledge and expertise in a wide range of industries including transportation, real estate, and financial services.
Doug also has particular expertise in various injunction-type proceedings including those relating to the identification, preservation, and quick recovery of assets: Mareva injunctions, Anton Piller orders, and Norwich orders. Doug is also a certified and practising mediator, and has completed Harvard Law School’s Mediating Disputes program.
Doug is results-oriented and is committed to providing well-reasoned counsel. He has also written and spoken on various issues over the course of his career, most notably for the transportation industry on defending claims against carriers, and for domestic and international clients seeking to recover assets taken in fraudulent circumstances.
A senior partner at the firm, Doug was previously Miller Thomson’s General Counsel and a member of its National Executive Committee.
Professional achievements & leadership
- Recognized as a Thomson Reuters Stand-out lawyer, 2023-2024
- The Best Lawyers in Canada - Corporate and Commercial Litigation, 2016 – 2023
- Who’s Who Legal, Canada Guide – National Leader; Canada - Asset Recovery, 2022 - 2023
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Litigation - Corporate Commercial, 2021
- Who’s Who Legal: Canada, Asset Recovery, recognized as one of the 12 top practitioners in Canada, 2017 - 2018
- Canadian Board Diversity Council (CBDC) Level II Certified, 2017
- Winner of Client Choice award in Litigation, 2016
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America (by invitation)
Thought leadership
- Getting the Deal Through, Asset Recovery (Canadian Chapter), 2015
- Winning for the Carrier: Avoiding the Palm Tree (Again), The Canadian Transport Lawyers’ Association Annual Convention, 2013
- Norwich Orders: a Tool for Tracing and Protecting Assets When Having Fallen Victim to Fraud, Corporate Liability, 2011
Corporate directorships
- Director, Mainfreight Inc.
- Board of Directors, The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (former)
- Director, The Canadian Transport Lawyers Association (former)
Professional memberships
- Trial Law Institute
- Diversity Law Institute
- ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC)
- ADR Institute of Ontario, Inc. (ADRIO)
- Canadian Bar Association
- Ontario Bar Association
- Toronto Lawyers Association
- The Canadian Transport Lawyers Association
- The Lawyers Transportation Association (U.S.)
- The Advocates’ Society
- Association of Certified Fraud Examiners – Toronto Chapter
- The Association of Certified Forensic Investigators of Canada
Bar admissions & education
- Ontario, 1984
- LL.B., Western University, 1981
