Ellen Bessner

About Ellen

Ellen Bessner is a commercial litigator who spent 25 years on Bay Street at Cassels Brock & Blackwell and Gowling WLG before joining Babin Bessner Spry LLP in 2014. She leads work across several areas, including commercial litigation, securities disputes, employment litigation, insurance defence, director and officer liability claims, professional negligence, and class actions, and she regularly advises boards and senior officers on regulatory compliance matters. Ellen has appeared before every level of the Ontario courts and in numerous arbitrations and regulatory proceedings, including before the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization, and the Ontario Securities Commission. She authored the book Advisor at Risk: A Roadmap to Protecting Your Business and its sequel, Communication Risk, both aimed at helping financial services professionals manage business and compliance risk. Ellen earned her LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1987 and a B.Comm. from McGill University, and was called to the Ontario bar in 1989. In 2016 she was appointed to the Ontario Securities Commission's Seniors Expert Advisory Committee and she sits on the board of Embark Student Corp.

Practice areas

Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Employment & Labour Law Insurance Law

Education & credentials

Law school

Osgoode Hall Law School

Undergraduate

B.Comm., McGill University (1984, with Great Distinction)