About James Aston

Securities claims, shareholder and corporate governance fights, insolvency litigation and class actions make up the daily work of James Aston, a litigation associate in Toronto with Gowling WLG. Contested transactions fall under that governance work too, and what ties it all together is complex commercial disputes.

Called to the Ontario bar in 2021, James has already appeared as counsel at every level of Ontario's courts, in front of provincial securities commissions and other regulators, and at the Supreme Court of Canada. The Toronto Commercial List is a regular stop.

Those Supreme Court appearances were with the Gowling WLG team acting for the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals. James also co-writes the firm's case commentary, with recent pieces on corporate attribution in bankruptcy and on when an arbitration award can be set aside.

James's academic grounding is in philosophy, with a BA from the University of Saskatchewan and an MA from York University. Law school was at the University of Toronto, where James finished a JD in 2020 and picked up several awards for academic excellence.

Practice areas

Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Bankruptcy & Insolvency

Oppression and shareholder disputes

In one recent matter James defended a technology company, together with two of its directors and officers, against tort and oppression claims arising from the use of a shotgun clause (Schwartz v Datastealth Inc., 2025 ONSC 5872). On the other side of the courtroom, James has acted for a plaintiff in an oppression action over profit-sharing terms in a consulting agreement.

Securities and contested transactions

Shareholders asking to cease-trade a retroactive rights plan, one adopted to block an exempt transaction, had James on their side in Re Greenfire Resources Inc., 2025 ABASC 104.

Insolvency litigation

James has represented guarantors responding to a receivership application that raised triable questions of bad faith about the applicant's conduct in a related receivership (2025 ONSC 2595). Another file saw James act for an ad hoc group of material suppliers in a CCAA priority fight (Waygar Capital Inc. v. Quality Rugs of Canada Limited, 2024 ONSC 2486).

Commercial arbitration

Arbitration is part of the mix as well: James has acted for an international energy company on how the close-out provisions of the ISDA Master Agreement should be read, and for a government agency in a confidential construction arbitration.

Our guide: Litigation and Dispute Resolution in Toronto

Education & credentials

  • JD, University of Toronto (2020)
  • MA, Philosophy, York University
  • BA, Philosophy, University of Saskatchewan
  • Called to the bar of Ontario (2021)

Notable cases

  • Poonian v. British Columbia (Securities Commission), 2024 SCC 28

    At issue was whether the penalties and disgorgement orders imposed by the BC Securities Commission survived Poonian's discharge from bankruptcy; the Court allowed the appeal in part, without costs. James appeared with C. Haddon Murray and Heather Fisher for the intervener, the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals.

  • Piekut v. Canada (Minister of National Revenue), 2025 SCC 13

    The Court dismissed the appeal, holding that a person can have only one date on which they stop being considered a student for bankruptcy purposes. James was counsel, alongside C. Haddon Murray and Heather Fisher of Gowling WLG, for the intervener, the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals.

Decisions where James Aston appeared as counsel, from public court records. Past cases don't predict future results.

Publications & speaking

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This listing was generated by AI from public sources in October 2026. It may contain errors, and we can’t guarantee it’s accurate or complete. Before you rely on anything here, verify it on their firm’s website. Confirm James Aston’s licence and standing in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗

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