Ruba El-Sayegh

About Ruba El-Sayegh

Ruba El-Sayegh's practice covers civil litigation and regulatory and administrative law, with an emphasis on health law, medical defence and professional liability. As a partner in the Ottawa advocacy group at Gowling WLG, El-Sayegh represents physicians, psychologists, physiotherapists, dental hygienists and other regulated practitioners through college investigations, discipline and fitness to practise matters, and hospital board hearings, and is a regular presence at the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board.

That courtroom experience runs from Small Claims Court and the Ontario Court of Justice up to the Superior Court of Justice and the Divisional Court. El-Sayegh has also acted as counsel at coroner's inquests and before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. The partner was called to the Ontario bar in 2007, after earning both a science degree and an LLB at the University of Ottawa.

There's a second, less common side to the practice. Foreign missions, ambassadors and diplomats posted to Canada rely on El-Sayegh as outside general counsel, with advice that covers immigration, state immunity, diplomatic and consular law, private international law and Canadian regulation generally. The embassies of Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Japan, Iraq and Egypt have been among those clients.

Ruba is fluent in Arabic and English and conversant in French, and co-leads the firm's Arab States work, looking for trade and business openings between Canada and the Middle East and North Africa. Board peers at the Canada Arab Business Council elected El-Sayegh vice-chair in 2022. Ruba has also championed Arab women entrepreneurs and leaders for years, organizing or moderating two Celebration of Arab Women Leaders events.