Luisa’s practice encompasses a wide variety of areas, including general civil and commercial litigation; administrative law; libel and slander; professional regulation; and advertising law.
She is preferred counsel for LawPro, having acted on its behalf on a number of court motions.
Luisa frequently appears in the Divisional Court on behalf of the Ontario Racing Commission and acts as independent legal counsel for the College of Nurses of Ontario, the College of Opticians of Ontario, the Board of Drugless Therapy – Naturopathy, and the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. In addition, she acts for clients in advertising disputes before Advertising Standards Canada and has also sat as an adjudicator for that organization.
She has acted as co-counsel in a long trial involving portfolio managers’ negligence and breach of fiduciary duties. She has also acted as counsel in a major coroner’s inquest.
Luisa has been involved in three judicial inquiries, including serving as co-counsel to the Office of the Chief Coroner in the Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic Pathology (the “Goudge Inquiry”), counsel for the North York General Hospital nurses during the SARS review, and counsel for Peter McCallion in the Mississauga Judicial Inquiry.
She is an adjunct professor for the Trial Practice Course at Osgoode Hall Law School and is a team leader for the Intensive Trial Advocacy Program.
Before joining Stockwoods, she served as a law clerk to the Divisional Court of the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto.
Luisa was called to the bar in Ontario in 2001.
In recent pro bono work, she assisted high school students in Toronto to prepare for and compete in a mock trial competition organized by Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN).
Luisa is a member of The Advocates’ Society, Toronto Lawyers’ Association, Ontario Bar Association, and LEAF.
- Co-counsel to the Office of the Chief Coroner in the Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic Pathology (the “Goudge Inquiry”)
Represented the interests of the Office of the Chief Coroner and its various employees at the Goudge Inquiry hearing, which involved preparing clients to be interviewed and give evidence, attending the hearing to cross-examine witnesses and ultimately to make submissions on our client’s behalf. - Co-counsel for Peter McCallion in the Mississauga Judicial Inquiry
- Co-counsel for the North York General Hospital nurses during the SARS review
Starting in 2005, Justice Archie Campbell conducted a review of the medical community and government’s response to the SARS outbreak of 2003. We represented a number of nurses employed at the North York General Hospital during the relevant time period.
- Bruno Appliance Inc. v. Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP et al /Fred Mauldin et al v. Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP et al /Demessey Ltd. v. Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP et al
These three cases involve claims against a law firm, a former partner, and their former client. The plaintiffs alleged that the defendants were engaged in business activities that amounted to a fraudulent investment scheme. Stockwoods successfully defended motions for summary judgment brought by the plaintiffs in the first two cases and had parts of the claim in the third case struck by the court as well as obtained significant awards of costs and security for costs for their client. - R. v. Robinson
Acted as counsel on behalf of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission on an application for an order of certiorari quashing telewarrants, which were used as part of a criminal investigation. The evidence obtained during the search in the criminal investigation was then used in proceedings before the Board. The court dismissed the application, which allowed the Board to make use of the evidence in its proceedings. - W&T Mushrooms v. Ontario Food Terminal Board
In her ongoing role as counsel to the Ontario Food Terminal Board, Luisa acted on the Board’s behalf on an application for relief from forfeiture involving a tenant of the Board’s Farmers’ Market. - Grigonis v. Toronto Boardsailing Club
Acted as counsel to two former directors of the Toronto Boardsailing Club, who had been named in a defamation action commenced by another member of the Club. The statement of claim was struck without leave to amend. The Court of Appeal upheld the motions judge decision and dismissed the action. - Mattel v. MGA
This case involves an ongoing dispute between the makers of the Barbie doll and the makers of the Bratz doll. Luisa represented a witness, who was subject to a letters of request application. On consent, the application was narrowed and the witness was examined by U.S. counsel, in Ontario, in place of giving evidence at trial in California. - 2878852 Canada Inc. v. Jones Heward Investment Counsel Inc.
Acted as co-counsel on behalf of the plaintiff in an action against its former portfolio managers for the negligent mismanagement of its investments. We were successful for the plaintiff at trial and on appeal.
- Co-Contributor, Canadian Legal Practice, A Guide for the 21st Century
- Co-Author, Problem Areas in Evidence at Trial (Presented December 6, 2001 at the Putting Your Best Case Forward: Using Evidence Effectively Seminar, Osgoode Hall Law School, Professional Development Program)
- Co-Author, Tribunal Standing – New Developments (Presented October 18, 2011 at the Administrative Law CLE, Osgoode Hall Law School, Professional Development Program)
- Co-Author, Application of the Test for Bias across the Spectrum of Administrative Decision Making (Presented February 28, 2012 at Decision Writing and Running a Fair Hearing Conference, The Canadian Institute, Ottawa)
- Adjunct Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School (Trial Practice)
- Team Leader, Intensive Trial Advocacy Program, Professional Development Program, Osgoode Hall Law School, 2009-present
- Regularly invited to speak at conferences, including:
- Speaker, Advocates’ Society, Evidence for Litigators, Skills Program, November 2011
- Speaker, Canadian Institute, Advanced Administrative Law Conference, October 2011
- Speaker, Osgoode Hall Law School, Professional Development Program, Administrative Law, CLE, October 2011
- Speaker, Canadian Institute, Decision Writing Conference, 2009, 2010
- Speaker, Education Sessions, Fitness to Practise Committee, College of Nurses of Ontario, Yearly
- Member, The Advocates’ Society
- Member, LEAF
- Member, Ontario Bar Association
- Member, Toronto Lawyers’ Association
