Patti is a partner at Stockwoods, where she practices litigation in a wide variety of areas, including civil and commercial litigation, defamation and media law, public inquiries, class actions, professional regulation, and administrative law.
She has appeared as lead counsel before all levels of court in Ontario, the Federal Court and various specialized administrative tribunals, including the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. She has also appeared as lead counsel before all levels of court in Saskatchewan.
Patti is particularly experienced in bringing applications for access to court exhibits and opposing publication ban applications. She has also defended Freedom of Information Act requests and appeared as counsel responding to third-party records applications.
She is a member of various professional organizations, including the Advocates’ Society, and Ad IDEM/Canadian Media Lawyers Association. She is also a volunteer lawyer with Pro Bono Law Ontario.
Before joining Stockwoods, Patti served as law clerk to the Divisional Court of the Superior Court of Justice in 2004-2005.
Patti received her BA from the University of Alberta, her LLB from the University of New Brunswick, and was admitted to the Ontario bar in 2004.
- R. v. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Successfully appealed a decision limiting the media's right to access court exhibits, on behalf of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC sought access to exhibits, including videos, filed in the criminal proceedings arising out of the death of Ashley Smith, a 19-year-old who died while in custody at the Grand Valley Institution for Women. While CBC's request was granted in part, the Superior Court of Justice restricted CBC's access to those portions of the video exhibits that were actually played in open court. In addition, CBC was denied access to the video exhibit depicting Ms. Smith's death, as the trial judge felt it did not need to be broadcast to the public. In a unanimous decision, the Court of Appeal for Ontario allowed CBC's appeal. The Court confirmed the media's (and the public's) right to access judicial proceedings, which "must extend to anything that has been made part of the record." In addition, the Court confirmed that access to exhibits can be denied only if there is convincing evidence it would cause a serious risk to the administration of justice and the benefits of denying access outweigh interests such as freedom of expression. The Court granted CBC access to the entirety of the video exhibits, including the video depicting Ms. Smith's death. The videos will be used as part of a documentary on the fifth estate about Ashley Smith and the systemic problems that exist for people with mental health issues, especially youth, in the correctional system. - Ontario (Ministry of the Attorney General) v. Ontario (Information and Privacy Commissioner)
Acted as lead counsel for a media outlet in successfully defending an application for judicial review of a decision of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. The Commissioner granted a journalist access to criminal court statistics held by the Ministry of the Attorney General. The Ministry sought judicial review of the Commissioner’s decision in the Divisional Court, claiming that the statistics are protected by judicial independence. The Divisional Court dismissed the application and upheld the Commissioner’s ruling granting the journalist access to the statistics. - Austin v. Ontario (Racing Commission)
Acted as co-counsel at the Court of Appeal in successfully defending the Ontario Racing Commission from allegations of apprehension of bias.
- R. v. Campione
Successfully intervened on behalf of media outlets to seek access to court exhibits filed in this first degree murder trial. - R. v. Stratton
Successfully intervened on behalf of CBC in opposing a publication ban application in this sexual abuse trial. - Gale v. Ontario (Racing Commission)
Successfully argued a summary judgment motion resulting in the dismissal of a civil action against the Ontario Racing Commission - Was lead counsel on a summary judgment motion and jurisdiction motion involving a commercial client. The Plaintiff sought to have the case decided summarily, seeking damages in excess of $400,000. We successfully opposed the summary judgment motion and brought a successful motion to have the entire claim stayed for having been brought in the wrong jurisdiction.
- Was lead counsel in successfully defending a multi-specialty health care company in two separate class actions, one involving breast implants and the other TMJ implants.
- Co-counsel in representing the Commissioner of the Cornwall Public Inquiry at various judicial review applications and appeals, as well as bringing contempt proceedings against a witness who refused to testify at the Inquiry.
- Speaker, Canadian Media Lawyers' Association ("Ad IDEM") annual conference on November 5-6, 2010
- Speaker at a client’s in-house legal seminar addressing open court principles
- Speaker, “Third Mini-LLB for Regulators”, Federated Press, September 10-11, 2012, Toronto, Ontario
- Member, Ad IDEM (Canadian Media Lawyers Association)
- Member, The Advocates’ Society
- Member, Canadian Bar Association
- Member, Ontario Bar Association
- Member, Toronto Lawyers Association
