Overview
Karima Kanani has a corporate/commercial law practice and is one of the firm’s top health industry specialists. Karima has been named as one of the “Best of the New Generation” of lawyers by Precedent Magazine, and as a “Rising Star” and “Leading Canadian Corporate Lawyer to Watch” by Lexpert Magazine.
Karima advises public and private sector healthcare organizations of all sizes on corporate governance, integration, corporate structuring and reorganizations, mergers and program transfers, infrastructure development, procurement of goods and services, government relations, joint ventures, and other general commercial matters.
Karima acts as a trusted adviser to her clients, providing them with strategic advice and thought leadership on industry opportunities.
Before her legal career began, Karima was educated in the social sciences and worked in the healthcare sector. She mediated end-of-life treatment disputes in the Intensive Care at the Toronto Western Hospital and worked as an assistant to the Deputy Registrar of the Health Services Appeal and Review Board of the Ontario Health Boards Secretariat. Thanks to Karima’s education and experience, she is sensitive to the needs and nuances of the health and social service industry.
Karima is also an author and has published nationally and internationally on the intersection of law and the provision of social services. She has co-authored three editions of a book entitled Essential Law for Social Work Practice in Canada, which has been adopted by several Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Karima is a highly regarded practitioner in the health and social service sector and has been recognized for excellence and leadership in her practice and the community.
Professional achievements & leadership
- Best Lawyers in Canada, Health Care Law, 2025
- Toronto's Top Lawyers - Health Care Law, North Toronto Post, 2021
- Leading Canadian Corporate Lawyer to Watch, Lexpert Magazine, 2012, 2016
- Rising Star, Leading Lawyers Under 40 in Canada, Lexpert Magazine, 2015
- Featured Expert, Advantage Magazine, 2013
- Best of the New Generation, Precedent Setter Award, Precedent Magazine, 2011
Notable matters
- Independent counsel to the Boards of Directors of several Ontario Hospitals engaging in Alternate Financing Infrastructure Development Projects
- Lead counsel to a Hospital in contentious land acquisition/development with a Municipality requiring negotiation and strategic collaboration with senior officials from Ministry of Health and Infrastructure Ontario
- Lead counsel to a Provincial Hospital on Federal Hospital merger—highly politicized integration with First Nations, Provincial/Federal Government
- Lead counsel to a new forensic mental health Hospital on creation, land, asset and funding acquisition from Ontario Government
- Corporate counsel to a Hospital hosting a shared client information management system with contracts involving 2 Ontario Government Ministries and over 100 child service organizations
- Advice on development of procurement documents and negotiation of contracts for large capital purchases of diagnostic and other equipment
- Development of template procurement documents/processes for joint purchasing entities
- Corporate counsel to various Lead Agencies on structuring regional initiatives and implementation through service or association agreements
- Advise several health and social service agencies on rebranding initiatives as well as a protection and enforcement of rights in the brand
- Corporate governance advisor to charities and non-profit Boards of Directors
- Advisor on all forms on integration to health and social service organizations of all sizes, including purchased services, joint ventures, collaborations and asset transfers and mergers
- General Counsel to numerous Family Health Teams on all aspects of operations including negotiation of funding terms with the Ontario Ministry of Health
- General counsel to several social service agencies as well as special counsel to social service Associations in their joint negotiation of the template Multi Sector Service Accountability Agreement
- Corporate counsel to several new research institutes advising on creation, organization and implementation
Thought leadership
Presentations
- "Ontario Health Team Implementation Restart", Health System Transformation Special Edition Coffee Talk - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, August 6, 2020
- "A Governance Guide for Health Service Resumption: What Directors Need to Know", Coffee Talk: Board of Directors Series - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, June 3, 2020
- "COVID-19 Lockdown Lifting: Expert Panel on Resumption of Health Care Services", Coffee Talk - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, May 26, 2020
- "Virtual Care: A Legal Checklist", Coffee Talk - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, April 22, 2020
- "Up to the Minute COVID-19 Developments", Coffee Talk - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, March 26, 2020
- "Collaborative Governance in Ontario Health Teams", Coffee Talk: Board of Directors Series - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, January 28, 2020
- "In Development Progress Reports: Tips for Advancing Your Ontario Health Team", Health System Transformation Special Edition Coffee Talk - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, January 14, 2020
- “Ontario Health Team Self-Assessment: Legal Considerations”, Health Transformation Tuesdays Special Edition Coffee Talk - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, November 12, 2019
- “What Do I Sign? Legal Documents for Ontario Health Teams”, Health Transformation Tuesdays Special Edition Coffee Talk - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, October 29, 2019
- “Anatomy of Ontario Health Team Agreements”, Ontario Community Support Association, October 23, 2019
- “The Ontario Health Team Application: What Directors Need to Know”, Coffee Talk, Directors Series – A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, October 3, 2019
- “Building Your Digital Health Plan: A Legal Perspective”, Health Transformation Tuesdays Special Edition Coffee Talk - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Frelick, K. Miller Thomson LLP), October 1, 2019
- “Building Your Digital Health Plan: A Legal Perspective”, Ontario Community Support Association (with Frelick, K. Miller Thomson LLP), September 10, 2019
- “Ontario Health Teams: Creating Collaborative Governance”, AdvantAge Ontario, August 7, 2019
- “The Ontario Health Team Application: What You Need to Know”, Health Transformation Tuesdays Special Edition Coffee Talk - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, July 30, 2019
- “Ontario Health Teams: A Charities Perspective”, Health Transformation Tuesdays Special Edition Coffee Talk - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Valentine, A. Miller Thomson LLP), June 18, 2019
- “Ontario Health Teams: A Primary Care Perspective”, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO), June 5, 2019
- “Ontario Health Team Self-Assessment: What You Need to Know”, Ontario Community Support Association, May 29, 2019
- “Bill 74 for Boards: What Directors Need to Know about The Connecting Care Act, 2019”, Coffee Talk, Directors Series – A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, May 16, 2019
- “Risk Management for LTC Construction Projects”, AdvantAge Ontario 2019 AGM and Convention (with Shamess, C. Miller Thomson LLP), May 8, 2019
- “The People’s Health Care Act, 2019: What You Need to Know”, AdvantAge Ontario (with Frelick, K. Miller Thomson LLP), April 24, 2019
- “Ontario Health Team Self-Assessment: Legal Considerations”, Health Transformation Tuesdays Special Edition Coffee Talk - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, April 23, 2019
- “The People’s Health Care Act, 2019: What You Need to Know (Update)”, Health Transformation Tuesdays Special Edition Coffee Talk - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Frelick, K. Miller Thomson LLP), April 9, 2019
- “The People’s Health Care Act, 2019: What You Need to Know”, Central Community Support Services Network (with Frelick, K. Miller Thomson LLP), April 3, 2019
- “The People’s Health Care Act, 2019: What You Need to Know”, Health Transformation Tuesdays Special Edition Coffee Talk - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Frelick, K. Miller Thomson LLP), April 2, 2019
- "Fundraising and Name Recognition", Coffee Talk: Directors Series - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Valentine, A. Miller Thomson LLP), February 13, 2019
- "The Anatomy of a Contract: A Risk Management Perspective", Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, December 5, 2018
- "Regional Integration and the Lead Agency: A Legal Perspective", Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, June 6, 2018
- “What Directors Need to Know: The New H-SAA”, Coffee Talk: Directors Series - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Frelick, K. Miller Thomson LLP), February 28, 2018
- "Are You Ready? New Amendments to Non-Profit Governance in Ontario", Coffee Talk: Directors Series - A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Spevak, M. Miller Thomson LLP), February 8, 2018
- Are You Ready? New Amendments to Non-Profit Governance in Ontario, AdvantAge Ontario, (with Spevak, M., Miller Thomson LLP), January 23, 2018
- "Business Activities and Social Enterprise: Legal Considerations", Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Valentine, A., Miller Thomson LLP), December 6, 2017
- Transitions in Care: Collaborating Across the Care Continuum, Ontario Association of Children’s Rehabilitation Services Conference (with Frelick, K., Miller Thomson LLP), November 27, 2017
- Privacy and Enterprise Risk Management, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario/Governance Centre for Excellence (with Frelick, K., Miller Thomson LLP), November 22, 2017
- Services Integration: The Legal Nuts and Bolts, Ontario Community Support Association Conference, October 18, 2017
- Enterprise Risk Management, Association of Ontario Health Centres Conference, June 7, 2017
- "What Directors Need to Know: Enterprise Risk Management", Coffee Talk: Directors Series (with Liswood, J., Miller Thomson LLP), May 25, 2017
- "Transitions in Care: Collaborating Across the Care Continuum", Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Frelick, K., Miller Thomson LLP), April 19, 2017
- Build Renovate Expand: Risk Management in Construction & Procurement, Long Term Care Association – Together We Care Conference (with Mauro, R., Miller Thomson LLP), April 4, 2017
- "Build Renovate Expand: Risk Management in Construction & Procurement", Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Mauro, R., Miller Thomson LLP), February 15, 2017
- Software and Technology Purchasing—Tips and Traps: Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA), 2016
- "Fundraising & Name Recognition", Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, 2016
- Health Sector Integration: Long-Term Care Roundtable, 2016
- Donor Recognition: Charities, Non-Profits and the Law, The Commons Institute, 2015
- Protecting Your Brand: Managing Legal and Reputational Risk, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Spevak, M., Miller Thomson LLP), 2015
- Service Integration: A Legal Perspective on the Lead Agency Model, Leading the Shift: The Power of Thinking Differently, Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA), 2015
- Governance Fundamentals for Not-for-Profit Boards, Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA), 2015
- Legal Structures for Regional Integration Initiatives, Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA), 2015
- Stepping Over the Line Governance vs. Management, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Liswood, J., Miller Thomson LLP), 2015
- Procurement and Contracts, Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA), 2015
- Integration Opportunities – A Legal Perspective, Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA), 2014
- Contracts Risk Management, Family Health Team Roundtable, Miller Thomson LLP, 2014
- Integration – A Governance Perspective, Consumer Support Services Network, Board 2 Board Forum, 2014
- Information Sharing Initiatives, Medical Records Law in Ontario, Lorman Education Service (with Frelick, K., Miller Thomson LLP), 2013
- Leasing and Licensing Space: The Do’s and Don’ts, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Dahms, W., Miller Thomson LLP), 2013
- Update on the Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Liswood, J., Miller Thomson LLP), 2013
- Integration Opportunities – A Legal Perspective, presented to Community Support Services Network – Central Local Health Integration Network, 2013
- Information Sharing Initiatives, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Frelick, K., Miller Thomson LLP), 2013
- The New Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act, presented at Hospital Auxiliaries Association of Ontario Annual Convention, 2013
- Leasing and Licensing Space, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Dahms, W., Miller Thomson LLP), 2013
- Information Sharing Initiatives, presented at Lorman "Medical Records Law" Seminar, 2013
- Procurement – A Review of Key Contract Terms and Conditions, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, 2011
- Governance Changes on the Horizon – the New Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, 2011
- Information Sharing Initiatives, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Frelick, K., Miller Thomson LLP), 2010
- Legal Issues and Incorporation, Hospital Auxiliary Association of Ontario, Annual Convention, Toronto, Ontario, 2010
- Your Legal Setup & Preparing for the RHPA, Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors (OAND), Business Excellence Symposium, Toronto, Ontario (with Frelick, K., Miller Thomson LLP), 2010
- Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) – Implications for the Health Industry, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Xilinas, K., Miller Thomson LLP), 2010
- The Procurement Process: A Workshop for the Health Industry, Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario (with Pigott, W. and Bulat, D., Miller Thomson LLP), 2010
- Revenue Generation for Hospitals, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, 2009
- Leasing Space: The Do’s and Don’ts, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Holmes, D., Miller Thomson LLP), 2009
- Regional Initiatives: A Legal Perspective, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, 2008
- Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Negotiating Technology Purchase and Service Arrangements, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, 2008
- Lawyering and Social Work: Legal Professionalism in a Multicultural Context(panel), alumni seminar series entitled “Religion, Law and Society” at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Toronto, Ontario (with Executive Director, Downtown Legal Services and Executive Director, South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario), 2007
- Contracts Between Industry and Healthcare Institutions, presented at MEDEC's Annual Legal and Regulatory Affairs Conference, Toronto, Ontario, 2007
- Procurement and Contracting, Legal Panel, presented at the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) Conference entitled “Challenges and Foundations of Leadership in FHTs”, Toronto, Ontario, 2007
- Alternate Levels of Care—Systems Issues and Challenges (panel), presented at an Insight Conference entitled “Long Term Care and Seniors Care”, Toronto, Ontario (with Director of Quality and Patient Safety, London Health Sciences Centre and Executive Director, Mississauga Halton Community Care Access Centre), 2007
- Essential Law in Social Work, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, 2007
- Legal Considerations When Outsourcing, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, 2007
- Constructing an Outsourcing Contract, presented at the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) Annual Nutrition and Food Services Conference, Toronto, Ontario, 2006
- Navigating an Assessment by the Canada Revenue Agency, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Hutchinson, J., Miller Thomson LLP), 2006
- Hospital Physicians – Employees or Independent Contractors?, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series (with Hutchinson, J., Miller Thomson LLP), 2006
- Anatomy of a Contract, Coffee Talk: A Miller Thomson LLP Health Industry Seminar Series, 2006
- Legal Considerations for Clinical Trials in Quebec, presented at a conference entitled “Maximizing the Outcome of your Clinical Trials”, Newark, New Jersey (with Dugas, A., Miller Thomson LLP), 2006
- Hospitals Doing Business, presented at the 2005 Ontario Hospital Association Convention, “Health Achieve”, Toronto, Ontario (with Liswood, J., Miller Thomson LLP), 2005
- Health Transformation Tuesdays “Ontario Health Teams: Building Your Digital Plan”, Miller Thomson LLP, presented by K Kanani and K Frelick, October 1, 2019
- Virtual Care: A Legal Checklist, Miller Thomson LLP , Coffee Talk presented by K Frelick and K Kanani, April 22, 2020
- COVID-19 Lockdown Lifting: Expert Panel on Resumption of Health Care Services, Miller Thomson LLP, Coffee Talk presented by K Frelick, K Kanani, H Dyer and R England, May 26, 2020
- Ontario passes new law to extend certain COVID-19 Emergency Orders beyond declared state of emergency, Health Communiqué, July 24, 2020
- New filing methods in COVID-19 Response and Reforms to Modernize Ontario Act, 2020, Health Communiqué, June 25, 2020
- Public Hospital Advisory: Emergency Order allows Government to institute hospitals as temporary management for long-term care homes experiencing COVID-19 outbreak, Health Communiqué, May 29, 2020
- Operational requirements for health sector restart released, Health Communiqué, May 29, 2020
- Public Hospital Advisory: date extended for hospital annual general meetings, Health Communiqué, May 20, 2020
- COVID-19 efforts shift to the protection of seniors and vulnerable persons, Health Communiqué, April 23, 2020
- Public Hospital Advisory: Ministry of Health relaxes approval process to enable hospitals to build COVID-19 capacity, Health Communiqué, April 1, 2020
- Ontario issues emergency order to enable flexibility in Board and Members meetings during COVID-19 Pandemic, Health Communiqué, April 1, 2020
- Provincial economic and fiscal update: Significant health sector funding, Health Communiqué, March 26, 2020
- Public Hospital Advisory: New Accountability Agreement for Hospitals (H-SAA), Health Communiqué, February 20, 2018
- Amendments to Non-Profit Governance in Ontario, Health Communiqué, February 9, 2018
- Public Hospital Advisory: Hospital Naming Directive Now Effective, Risk Management in Canadian Health Care, December 2017 Issue
- Public Hospital Advisory: Hospital Naming Directive Now Effective, Health Communiqué, October 25, 2017
- Deadline to Submit Applications for Community Hub Surplus Property Transition Initiative, Health Communiqué, September 20, 2017
- Annual Returns Due Date Approaching for Ontario Health Service Providers, Health Communiqué, September 6, 2017
- Increased Access to Surplus Property Available for Health and Community Hubs in Ontario, Health Communiqué, October 5, 2016
- Annual Returns Due Date Approaching for Ontario Health Service Providers, Health Communiqué, September 20, 2016
- New Opportunity for Health Service Providers to Collaborate in Health Technology Development, Health Communiqué, August 24, 2016
- Public Hospital Advisory: New Ontario Ministry of Health Consultation Requirements for Legal, Business and Operating Names, Health Communiqué, April 21, 2016
- Open for Comment: Ontario Ministry of Health Releases Proposals for Health Care Reform, Health Communiqué, January 6, 2016
- Essential Law for Social Work Practice in Canada, Third Edition, Oxford University Press, 2015
- New Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act – Further Implementation Delays, Health Communiqué, September 28, 2015
- BPSAA Changes in Force January 1, 2016 – Business Plan Publication and Compliance Attestations, Education Law Newsletter, September 28, 2015
- BPSAA Changes In Force January 1, 2016 – Business Plan Publication and Compliance Attestations, Health Communiqué, September 24, 2015
- REB of Record: Does your organization need an ‘REB of Record Agreement’?, Health Communiqué, September 2, 2015
- Hospital Physicians: Employees or Independent Contractors?, Risk Management in Canadian Health Care, 2012
- Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act Proclaimed in Force, Health Communiqué, October 18, 2011
- Future Changes for Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act, Health Communiqué, December 15, 2010
- Essential Law for Social Work Practice in Canada, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, 2010
- Bill C-4: Future changes for federally incorporated Not-for-Profit Corporations, Health Communiqué, September 3, 2009
- Restructuring Primary Healthcare Delivery: The Canadian Experience, briefing note circulated at a meeting on Patient-Centered Healthcare held by the International Alliance of Patient Organizations (IAPO) at the United Nations, 2007
- Essential Law for Social Work Practice in Canada, Oxford University Press, 2006
- E-Therapy, Ontario Association of Social Workers News Magazine, 2005
- Liability for Child Welfare Workers: Weighing the Risks, Bala, N., Zapf, M.K., Williams, R.J., Vogl, R. & Hornick, J.P. Canadian Child Welfare Law: Children, Families and the State, Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc., 2004
- Clinical, Ethical and Legal Issues in E-therapy, Families in Society: The Contemporary Journal of Human Services, 2003
- Talisman in Sudan: A Critical Look at Corporate Social Responsibility, First place prize paper in the William Hanley Memorial National Essay Competition sponsored by Canadian Lawyers for Social Responsibility, 2003
- Liability Considerations in Child Welfare: Lessons from Canada, Child Abuse & Neglect, 2002
- Transgenic Animal Patents: The Harvard Mouse on the Canadian Frontier, Canadian Intellectual Property Review, 2002
- Liability for Child Welfare Social Workers: Weighing the Risks, Canadian Social Work, 2002
Professional memberships
- South Asian Bar Association
- Past Member, National Alliance Taskforce, Aga Khan Council for Canada
- Past Member, Core Committee, International Strategic Partnership Program, National Health Board, Aga Khan Council for Canada
- Past Member, Research Ethics Board, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Bar admissions & education
- Ontario, 2004
- Massachusetts, 2002
- J.D., University of Toronto, 2002
- M.S.W., University of Toronto, 2002
- B.A., McGill University, 1998
