Executive Summary
Stephen Thiele is the firm’s Director of Legal Research. He primarily closely works with the Dispute Resolution lawyers, providing advice, value-added analysis and opinions on a wide-range of litigation matters.
Stephen also develops strategies and legal arguments for use on motions, at trials and on appeals. He is frequently required to prepare the written arguments used by the firm’s Dispute Resolution lawyers.
However, Stephen’s work is not confined to supporting only the firm’s lawyers. He is also engaged by a few private practicing lawyers on an outsource basis to review and analyze legal issues affecting the clients of those lawyers.
Stephen is the author and co-author of many legal articles that either discuss topics related to legal research or related to current high-profile legal issues.
Expertise
- Litigation and Dispute Resolution
- Election Law
Representative Work
- Currently co-counsel in municipal conflict of interest case against former Mayor and councillor of the City of Toronto
- Co-counsel in successful defence of defamation against now former Mayor of the City of Toronto
- Co-counsel in contested election case that was eventually determined by the Supreme Court of Canada)
Articles and Presentations
Articles
- Disputes between condominium owners can lead to multiple causes of action, Law360 Canada - 8/8/2023
- Solicitor-Client Privilege: Claim for breach denied and argument to preserve upheld - 12/9/2019
- It's Game Day!: The Summary Dismissal of a Misfeasance Claim - 10/16/2019
- Star Chamber v. Equity: Politicians Beware - 8/22/2019
- Reduction of Right-of-Way Denied - 5/1/2019
- Premier Ford Vindicated - 4/17/2019
- Dismissal of abusive proceeding upheld; Home buyer who got more land than he bargained for not entitled to damages for lost secondary transactions - 4/2/2019
- Time period expired: Claim for contribution and indemnity dismissed - 1/30/2019
- Is Partial Summary Judgment Dead - 12/7/2018
- The End of the Charter? - 11/19/2018
- The Unforgiving Forgivable Loan - 9/21/2018
- Lawyers Owe Duty to Their Own Clients, Not the Opposite Side - 6/15/2018
- In the Cold Light of an Unfavourable Result, Blaming Your Lawyer Will Not Brighten Your Prospects - 3/29/2018
- An Online Date to Forget - 10/31/2017
- Failure to Respond to Foreign Litigation Can Be Risky - 10/19/2017
- Provisions of whole contract make seller responsible for severance costs - 8/4/2017
- Plaintiff’s “Kicks at the Can” are limited - 5/23/2017
- Bank not responsible for fraudulent instructions delivered via customer’s email account - 5/12/2017
- Mortgage proceeds paid to fraudster’s lawyer, in trust, covered under title insurance policy - 2/23/2017
- Court Holds Canada A Free Trade Nation Within Its Own Borders: Provincial Tariff Ruled Unconstitutional - 8/18/2016
- Purchase of Title Insurance a Buyer’s Issue: Sellers’ Claim Against Lawyer for Failing to Advise of Insurance Purchase Dismissed - 7/14/2016
- GR Lawyers Obtain Dismissal of Municipal Conflict of Interest Case Against Ford Brothers - 4/21/2016
- Nervous shock claim dismissed: Divisional Court agrees that juror in criminal trial fails to meet test - 2/4/2016
- Court Refuses to Give Buyer 13 Month Extension to Exercise Assignment Option: Time Period Held Unreasonable and Right Surrendered - 12/24/2015
- Unpermitted Removal of Support Walls Covered by Title Insurance Policy: Title Insurer Obligated to Pay Future Repair Costs to Remedy Dangerous Condition - 12/7/2015
- $1.4 Million in Damages Awarded Under "Spills Bill" Action: Court States That "Polluter Pays" Principle Codified - 12/4/2015
- Insider Trading: What Does it Mean for In-house Counsel? - 11/12/2015
- Conflict of Interest in the Era of Multi-national Law Firms - 11/12/2015
- The Throwback Heard Around the (Baseball) World A Legal Perspective - 10/21/2015
- Court Refuses to Enjoin Use of Controversial Ride Service Uber Drives On in Toronto - 8/21/2015
- Family Law Act Remedy Trumps Professional Liability Claim - 8/18/2015
- Need for Administrative Tribunal to Apply Gladue Principles Rejected - 8/7/2015
- Major reforms proposed to Condominium Law - 6/12/2015
- Municipal Election Victories - 5/28/2015
- Controversial Practice of Carding Hits Court - 5/13/2015
- Collection of Unpaid Legal Fees - 5/13/2015
- Record Retention eDiscovery Spoliation - 4/1/2015
- Amended Rules of Professional Conduct - 10/28/2014
- Canada's proposed Fair Elections Act bill: More can be done to restore integrity in election process - 2/10/2014
- Keeping Current - Anti-SLAPP Legislation Proposed - 6/10/2013
- The Employer - Taking With You Only What You Can Take - 6/7/2013
- Not a Technicality: Magder v. Ford - 1/30/2013
My Blog
- Defamation action against “consumer alert” reporter dismissed (Boraks v. Hussein) - September 19, 2023
- Court of Appeal upholds dismissal of anti-SLAPP motion in trucking protest case (2110120 Ontario Inc. v. Buttar) - August 18, 2023
- AirBnB unit not covered under residential tenancy law - August 14, 2023
- Torts that Might Apply in a Dispute Between Neighbours in a Condominium (Novakovic v. Salvador) - August 1, 2023
- A Lawyer’s Office is not a Drop Box for Service (Yuk-Shum v. Jiang) - July 27, 2023
- The law of defamation in a nutshell (Stratuscent Inc. v. Chehade) - July 24, 2023
- Use of a thumbs-up emoji creates a valid and binding contract - July 17, 2023
- $50,000 costs guideline for successful anti-SLAPP motion not applied again - July 6, 2023
- Ontario action against national law firm stayed in favour of Alberta - June 23, 2023
- “Chilling effect” on a plaintiff or others not grounds for harm on an anti-SLAPP motion - June 12, 2023
- Another negligence claim against lawyer dismissed for being a collateral attack - June 1, 2023
- Lawyers face court sanction for relying on “bogus” cases produced by ChatGPT - May 30, 2023
- Canada Soccer Loses Bid to Stay Arbitration Award - April 6, 2023
- Ontario Lacrosse Association Defeats Competitor’s Motion for Injunction - February 27, 2023
- Court of Appeal affirms that entire agreement clause is not bullet-proof - February 24, 2023
- Plaintiffs unable to establish terms of contract and entitlement to funds paid to trucking company - February 17, 2023
- Former Chamber of Commerce employee's defamation action allowed to continue - February 13, 2023
- "Sugar Daddy's" $226 million action against "Sugar Baby" dismissed - February 10, 2023
- Complaint about changes to Greenbelt Plan against Premier Ford not worthy of inquiry - January 27, 2023
- Freedom of expression prevails in responses to COVID-19 protest organizers’ defamation action - January 16, 2023
- Court orders removal of Facebook posts under cyber-bullying law - January 6, 2023
- Interlocutory injunction denied for failure to provide undertaking in damages - December 9, 2022
- Court orders production of subsequent lawyer's file - December 2, 2022
- Council Resolution Restricting Communications of Councillor Unreasonable and Punitive - December 2, 2022
- Defamatory statements made in a pleading are immune to attack - November 25, 2022
- Damages in a defamation action - November 18, 2022
- Female mining executive’s defamation claim against government employee allowed to proceed - November 15, 2022
- Summons issued against Premier Ford valid but unenforceable because of parliamentary privilege - November 7, 2022
- 75-day house arrest ordered for contempt in a defamation case - November 2, 2022
- Negligence claim against lawyer who obtained restraining order against a non-party dismissed - October 27, 2022
- City Councillor’s disclosure of confidential material to own lawyer breaches Code of Conduct - October 21, 2022
- Pro-life group's defamation claim against "online protestor" allowed to proceed - October 17, 2022
- Lessons in a professional liability claim - October 11, 2022
- Richmond Hill Councillor's lawsuit is SLAPPed - August 8, 2022
- Inadvertent disclosure and improper use of privileged communications - August 4, 2022
- Conspiracy claim against lawyers dismissed - August 3, 2022
- Statutory immunity and qualified privilege protect City Councillor against night club’s action - July 29, 2022
- Losing an anti-SLAPP motion can be costly for a plaintiff - July 14, 2022
- Toronto City Councillor knocks out defamation action - July 4, 2022
- Lawyer not vicariously liable to opposite party in failed real estate transaction - June 23, 2022
- City politicians succeed in getting defamation claim against them dismissed - June 10, 2022
- Lawyer who was consulted by another lawyer disqualified from acting against other lawyer - June 1, 2022
- Costs for online legal research continue to be scrutinized by the courts - May 10, 2022
- Could full indemnity costs become the norm in defamation actions? - May 9, 2022
- Public protest against trucking company not a matter of public interest - March 31, 2022
- Golf game survives homeowners’ request for mandatory interlocutory injunction - March 25, 2022
- Credit Reports and the Law of Defamation - March 23, 2022
- Presumptive costs award under anti-SLAPP law granted against Maxime Bernier - March 18, 2022
- Courts rejects corporation’s motion to be represented by a consultant - February 7, 2022
- Jurisdictional Door on the Small Claims Court Slammed Shut for Anti-SLAPP Motions - January 28, 2022
- Defamation basics and pre-trial disposition motions - January 24, 2022
- Watchdog’s defamation action against municipality allowed to continue - January 17, 2022
- Divisional Court upholds Integrity Commissioner decision: Councillor’s pay suspended for 270 days - December 31, 2021
- Distribution under ambiguous disposition provision in Will made on a per stirpes basis - December 22, 2021
- Declaration of vacancy of Council member’s seat not stayed pending Councillor’s appeal - December 15, 2021
- Court sets aside non-competition injunction - December 14, 2021
- Court upholds removal of lawyers who will be witnesses - December 13, 2021
- Self-defence prevails in recreational hockey league stick-swinging incident - December 1, 2021
- City Councillor gets burned for municipal conflict of interest over a matter involving a fire - November 29, 2021
- Ford wins again! Court of Appeal for Ontario upholds dismissal of defamation action against him - November 26, 2021
- Lawyer not added as a defendant to counterclaim in real estate dispute - November 2, 2021
- Ontario Court of Appeal upholds setting aside of a notice of discontinuance - November 1, 2021
- Lawyer wins $500,000 in defamation action - October 28, 2021
- Defamer gets 18 month jail sentence for contempt of court - October 21, 2021
- Incorrect Counting of Unused Ballots Results in Judicial Recount - October 15, 2021
- Supreme Court of Canada upholds reduction in size of Toronto's City Council - October 4, 2021
- GR lawyers succeed in having action over cancelled building permit transferred to correct court - September 30, 2021
- Restrictive covenants and short-term vacation rentals - September 20, 2021
- Sports law and the Competition Act - September 13, 2021
- Court Refuses To Dismiss Claims That Did Not Engage SLAPP Provisions - September 1, 2021
- Court finds 500% “penalty” clause enforceable - August 26, 2021
- Lack of standing prevents challenge to COVID-19 restrictions - August 24, 2021
- Stay refused: Ontario court rules arbitration clause in international commercial contract inoperative - July 30, 2021
- Facility operator dodges damages award because patron waived liability - July 26, 2021
- Plaintiff Suffers Blow: Punch to Face in Amateur Ice Hockey Game Found to be Not Reasonably Foreseeable - July 22, 2021
- Wrong for City Councillor to have entered residential properties without permission - July 13, 2021
- Claim for online research costs rejected in Ontario commercial proceeding - July 5, 2021
- Student-Athletes Prevail in Antitrust Action Against the National Collegiate Athletic Association to Secure Education-Related Benefits - June 29, 2021
- Tribunal’s independent legal research not procedurally unfair - June 24, 2021
- Integrity Commissioner’s ruling against Councillor upheld, but Council cannot unreasonably restrain his ability to communicate with constituents - June 15, 2021
- Ontario third party advertising provisions held to be unconstitutional - June 10, 2021
- Litigant Misses the Cut in Lawsuit After Being Hit in the Head by a Golf Ball - June 9, 2021
- A Judge’s Duty is to Judge - June 7, 2021
- COVID-19 increases length of reasonable wrongful termination notice to 24 months - June 1, 2021
- Summary judgment denied over defamatory TV show first aired in Pakistan - May 25, 2021
- Nova Scotia court prevents anti-masking protest from happening - May 20, 2021
- $500,000 in damages awarded for comments about yellow Ferrari’s ownership - May 14, 2021
- Injunction granted to stop defamatory posts published on Instagram - April 30, 2021
- Recovering Online Legal Research Disbursements - April 21, 2021
- Gratuitous Defamatory Tweets About Plaintiff Not Protected as a Matter of Public Interest - April 5, 2021
- Federal Conservative Party Member Wins Pyrrhic Court Victory: Loses in Party Election - March 26, 2021
- Motion to enjoin hotel quarantine law denied - March 24, 2021
- A Victory for Freedom of Speech - March 15, 2021
- Correcting some misconceptions about online legal research costs - March 8, 2021
- Defaming a professional can be costly - March 3, 2021
- The judicial rant heard around the legal profession: a legal research lesson - February 27, 2021
- Reputation can be everything - February 25, 2021
- God’s law is not supraconstitutional - February 22, 2021
- You can’t play dress up with a defamation action - February 18, 2021
- Legal research in costs awards - February 16, 2021
- Criminal proceedings and the civil defamation claim: A limitation period lesson - February 5, 2021
- Disgorgement of profits could be a potential remedy in a defamation action - February 2, 2021
- Limitation period avoided: Claims of republication of libel by third party allowed to be added action because stories were on internet - February 1, 2021
- Defamation action against Ontario Premier dismissed under Courts of Justice Act - January 28, 2021
- Patrick Brown takes down insurance company - January 27, 2021
- Defamation suit surrounding BC’s foreign buyer tax is dismissed - January 25, 2021
- Plaintiffs who started debate on matters of public interest have defamation claim dismissed - January 20, 2021
- President of Queen's Privy Council for Canada to be an "adverse witness" in potato farmer's case - January 15, 2021
- Former Agriculture Minister Not Required to Testify - January 8, 2021
- Recent Treatment of Letters of Request from U.S. Courts by the Ontario Court of Appeal - January 4, 2021
- Housing construction project turned sour results in personal liability and dismissal of defamation claim - December 28, 2020
- Election law’s substantive approach applies to judicial recounts - December 24, 2020
- Legal research and the duty to disclose relevant law - December 21, 2020
- The frailties of online legal research: the words “and” and “or” - December 14, 2020
- Who is that guy? A lesson in the law of defamation - December 9, 2020
- Partial shutdown of business does not preclude business interruption claim - October 7, 2020
- Business Interruption Insurance in the Time of COVID-19: Some Recent Judicial Consideration - September 21, 2020
- Ontario Suspends Commercial Tenant Evictions - June 19, 2020
- A Litigation Update: The Small Claims Court and Short Motions or Applications - June 9, 2020
- The Ontario government continues to modernize the way in which documents can be executed and sworn - May 14, 2020
- Ontario re-opening for business: A gradual approach - May 7, 2020
- A CERB Application Update - April 6, 2020
- Ontario expands non-essential business closures - April 4, 2020
- Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Federal and Provincial Government Relief Measures Available to Businesses - April 2, 2020
- The other side of MeToo - February 20, 2018
- Where will marijuana laws end up? - August 15, 2017
- Is Canada Day celebration controversy worth breach of contract claim? - July 5, 2017
- Missing Comma May Prove Costly - March 15, 2017
- Collecting legal fees: The Small Claims Court is back in business - January 18, 2017
- Check Before You Rent - December 14, 2016
- What’s in a name? Everything if it is a registered Trade-mark! - December 7, 2016
- Lessons from the Dreamworld Crisis - November 2, 2016
- Civil Liability for STDs and Jurisdiction - October 5, 2016
- Pokemon “No!” - August 17, 2016
- Toronto Police Arrest Nearly 100 In Marijuana Raids - June 1, 2016
Board Memberships
- Member of The Canadian Abridgement Editorial Advisory Board (Canadian Association of Law Libraries)
Recognition
- 2017 Honsberger Award from the Toronto Lawyers Association
Professional Involvement
- Member, Canadian Bar Association
- Member, Ontario Bar Association
- Member, Legal Research Network
Community Involvement
- Elected Representative, Ward 6, Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (Toronto District School Board)
- Member, Rotary Club of Toronto West
- President, The Toronto Party for a Better City
- Director, Etobicoke Centre Federal Liberal Association
- Coach, Royal York Baseball League
- Coach and co-convenor, Humber Valley Hockey Association
Beyond the Office
Outside the office, Stephen enjoys playing ice hockey with some long-time friends from high school and golfing with his family. Stephen also enjoys collecting sports memorabilia and learning about Canadian history and ancient Roman coins.