Sharp Legal
1 lawyer · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 94 handling Class Actions.
About Sharp Legal
Sharp Legal is a Toronto litigation practice built around Mirilyn Sharp, who earned an LL.B. from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Law in 1985 and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1987. Sharp started out at a large Bay Street firm and stayed on as a partner there for more than 25 years before opening Sharp Legal, a smaller practice that keeps the same class action and commercial litigation work without the large team model.
The firm's core practice is class actions, mostly defending companies named in proposed class proceedings, though the practice has also acted for plaintiffs. Sharp was lead counsel in one of the first class actions brought in Ontario and has litigated class actions in Ontario, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, with assistance provided to clients in Quebec and Alberta as well. Beyond class actions, the firm handles commercial litigation, contract disputes, professional liability, and insurance coverage matters, and takes on consulting and agency work for other counsel, including factum drafting and arguing motions.
Sharp has also chaired the Ontario Class Action Bench-Bar Liaison Committee and the Ontario Bar Association's Class Actions Section Executive, and continues to sit on OBA committees involved in class action practice and procedure.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Sharp earned an LL.B. from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Law in 1985 and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1987.
- Sharp was lead counsel in one of the first class actions brought in Ontario, after starting at a large Bay Street firm and staying on as a partner there for more than 25 years.
- Sharp chaired the Ontario Class Action Bench-Bar Liaison Committee in 2022, and chaired the Ontario Bar Association's Class Actions Section Executive from 2018 to 2019.
- The firm's work has been referenced in Canadian Lawyer Magazine, Law Times, CanLII Connects, and The Lawyer's Daily.
In the community
- Sharp sits on the Ontario Bar Association's Board of Directors as Chair of Professional Development (2024 to present).
- Sharp also sits on the Women's Law Association of Ontario's Board of Directors as Chair of Mentorship (2024 to present).
- Sharp serves as a Member at Large on the Ontario Bar Association's Class Actions Section Executive (2025 to present).
- Sharp has moderated or spoken at the Annual Class Action Colloquium in multiple years, including as keynote moderator in 2021 and moderator and speaker in 2022, and has spoken at Law Society of Ontario and Advocates' Society programs on class action practice.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleWho handles what
The neighbourhood
Sharp Legal's office is at 181 University Avenue, on a major north-south boulevard through downtown Toronto. The stretch of University Avenue north of Queen Street is a landscaped ceremonial boulevard lined with courts and government buildings, including Osgoode Hall and the Toronto Courthouse, and the address itself sits closer to the financial district's office towers south of Queen. That mix suits a litigation practice that spends much of its time in Ontario's court system while also acting for banks, insurers, and other commercial clients based in the surrounding towers.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Sharp Legal represent plaintiffs or defendants in class actions?
- Both, though most of the firm's class action work has been on the defence side. Sharp Legal has defended companies in proposed class actions in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, insurance, and consumer products, and has also acted for plaintiffs, including former inmates challenging administrative segregation and institutional treatment.
- My company was named in a proposed class action. Can Sharp Legal help?
- Yes. The firm's core practice is defending companies facing proposed class actions, from the certification stage through to settlement, and it has represented clients in industries including pharmaceuticals, insurance, and consumer goods across Ontario, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.
- Can Sharp Legal help with a commercial or contract dispute that isn't a class action?
- Yes. Alongside its class action practice, the firm handles commercial litigation, contract disputes, professional liability claims, and insurance coverage matters for corporate and insurance clients.
- Does Sharp Legal only practice in Ontario?
- No. The firm has litigated class actions in Ontario, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, and has provided assistance to clients in Quebec and Alberta as well.
- Can another law firm retain Sharp Legal to help with a motion or appeal?
- Yes. The firm offers consulting and agency services to other lawyers, including drafting factums, arguing motions at various court levels, and providing legal research on class action and commercial litigation matters.
- How long has the lawyer at Sharp Legal been practising?
- Mirilyn Sharp was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1987 and spent more than 25 years as a partner at a Bay Street firm before opening Sharp Legal.
Where to find them
181 University Avenue, Suite 2200, Toronto, ON M5H 3M7 · 416-200-4991
Similar firms in City of Toronto
Blaney McMurtry LLP is a full-service Toronto law firm ranked among the top regional law firms in Canada, with lawyers practising across areas including commercial litigation, real estate, employment, insurance, const…
Business & Corporate Law
Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Real Estate Law
Employment & Labour Law
Stieber Berlach LLP is a Toronto insurance defence litigation boutique founded in 1997, routinely listed among Canadian Lawyer's Top Insurance Defence Law Boutiques in Canada. The firm represents insurers, corporation…
Insurance LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Construction Law
Administrative & Regulatory Law
Longo Lawyers is a litigation firm based in Toronto that focuses on insurance law, serious personal injury claims, and long term disability benefit denials. The team of lawyers, clerks, and paralegals also handles emp…
Personal InjuryInsurance LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionEmployment & Labour LawListing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗