Sandra Barton
Automatically compiled listing. Details may contain errors.Partner at Gowling WLG
- Called to the bar
- 2000
- Languages
- English, French
Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Intellectual PropertyCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionIntellectual PropertyAbout Sandra Barton
Sandra Barton is a trial lawyer and partner in Gowling WLG's Toronto office, handling civil and commercial litigation for clients in Canada and abroad. Contract fights, shareholder and oppression claims, banking and fraud cases, defamation and product liability all come across the desk. So does the defence of class actions and of professionals facing lawsuits or regulatory prosecutions, and as a registered trademark agent Barton also takes on copyright and trademark infringement disputes. Matters have taken the partner before courts across the country, the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Federal Court among them.
Barton's roots are in Quebec, where the family of Barbadian immigrants settled. After a BA at Concordia, Barton earned an LLB at the University of Ottawa in 1998 and was called to the Ontario bar in 2000. Beyond courtroom work, the Toronto partner once sat on Gowling WLG's Board of Trustees and has been appointed Conduct Review Advisor to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, a role that means giving confidential guidance on ethical conduct under the board's Code of Conduct. Clients can work with Barton in English or French.
Teaching is a big part of the story. Barton has coached lawyers throughout North America in trial and appellate skills, served as an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and is a lead instructor at its annual Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop. Notre Dame has brought the litigator in as a visiting instructor, The Advocates' Society relies on Barton for regular training, and the work has even reached Kenya through teaching for the United Nations. That record earned The Advocates' Society Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2021, a year after Barton became a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Equity matters to Barton, too. The partner chaired the firm's Anti-Racism Action Committee after George Floyd's murder, has mentored young lawyers across Canada for decades, and wrote "Uncensored: The Black, Female Advocate on Bay Street" for The Advocates' Journal in 2021. In 2025 the University of Ottawa named Barton (LLB '98) to the Common Law Honour Society.
Practice areas
Commercial litigation
Barton acts in contract and shareholder disputes, oppression remedy claims, banking and fraud litigation, mining claims and private arbitrations. Commercial real estate disputes are part of the mix, including ones tied to P3 financing and development.
Class action defence and product liability
Defending class actions is a core part of the practice, alongside product liability claims and regulatory reviews involving medical devices and pharmaceuticals.
Professional liability defence
When professionals are sued or prosecuted by a regulator, Barton acts for the defence. The work also covers defamation matters and the reciprocal enforcement of foreign judgments.
Copyright and trademark disputes
As a registered trademark agent, Barton takes on copyright and trademark infringement claims.
Our guide: Litigation and Dispute Resolution in Toronto
Education & credentials
- LLB, University of Ottawa (1998)
- BA, Concordia University (1994)
- Called to the bar of Ontario (2000)
- Certificate in mining law, Osgoode Professional Development
- Registered trademark agent
Awards & recognition
- The Advocates' Society Award for Excellence in Teaching, The Advocates' Society (2021)
- Common Law Honour Society, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law (2025)
Publications & speaking
- Uncensored: The Black, Female Advocate on Bay Street, The Advocates' Journal (2021)
- The Advocate Matters, The Advocates' Society Spring Symposium, Toronto (2016)
Memberships & affiliations
- The Advocates' Society: Barton is a member and regularly trains lawyers for the society.
- American College of Trial Lawyers: Barton became a Fellow in 2020 and serves on three of the College's committees, including its Mental Health Task Force.
- Class Proceedings Committee, Class Proceedings Fund (The Law Foundation of Ontario): Barton served on the committee as The Law Foundation of Ontario's appointee, appointed in 2017.
- The Canadian Association of Black Lawyers: Barton is a member.
- The Black Business Professionals Association: Barton is a member.
- Canadian Defence Lawyers: Barton is a member.
In the community
- Barton sits on the board of directors of Touching Tiny Lives, a foundation helping children and families in rural Lesotho affected by HIV/AIDS.
- For years Barton was a director of the Homes First Foundation, which works on affordable housing and support for people facing homelessness in Toronto.
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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 Sandra Barton’s licence and standing in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗
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