Sommer Law
1 lawyer · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 764 handling Business & Corporate Law.
About Sommer Law
Sommer Law is a solo Toronto practice run by founding lawyer Jonathan J. Sommer, who holds a B.A., M.A., and LL.B. and has more than 25 years in legal practice. Before turning to law, Sommer trained as a photographer and filmmaker, a background that fed into a practice built around detecting and litigating art fraud. The firm handles general business law, employment law, defamation, and visual art law, and is licensed to provide legal advice on Ontario law only. Rather than building a traditional associate roster, the firm contracts with a network of legal, business, financial, IT, art, and investigative specialists as each matter requires.
Sommer Law has drawn national media attention for its work on Norval Morrisseau art fraud cases. Jonathan Sommer represented Kevin Hearn, the Barenaked Ladies keyboardist, in a lawsuit over an allegedly forged Morrisseau painting purchased from Toronto's Maslak-McLeod Gallery, and the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in Hearn's favour in 2019. The case was profiled in the 2019 TVO documentary There Are No Fakes, and Sommer has since been interviewed by CBC, the Globe and Mail, APTN National News, and CP24, among others, about art authentication and the Morrisseau forgery ring. In 2022, Sommer authored the art fraud chapter in the LexisNexis book Art Law: Cases & Controversies.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Jonathan Sommer represented Kevin Hearn in a lawsuit over an allegedly forged Norval Morrisseau painting, and the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in Hearn's favour in 2019.
- The case was profiled in the 2019 TVO documentary There Are No Fakes.
- Sommer authored the art fraud chapter in the 2022 LexisNexis book Art Law: Cases & Controversies.
- Sommer has been interviewed by national outlets including CBC, the Globe and Mail, APTN National News, CP24, and Le Devoir on art fraud and authentication.
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
Sommer Law's office is in the Continental Building at 18 King Street East, an 18 storey office tower in Toronto's financial core with direct access to the PATH network and the King subway station. The tower sits among other professional services firms in the same stretch of King Street, the kind of downtown block built for the legal and business work the firm does day to day. Because Sommer Law works through a network of outside legal, financial, and investigative specialists rather than a large in house staff, a central, transit connected address keeps it easy for clients and collaborators from across the city to reach.
Frequently asked questions
- I think I was wrongfully dismissed from my job. Can Sommer Law help?
- Yes. Sommer Law handles wrongful dismissal claims, including cases where an employer did not give proper notice or pay in lieu of notice, or made a job unbearable through unsafe conditions or unauthorized changes to pay, hours, or duties. The firm notes that common law entitlements often run well above the statutory minimums under Ontario's Employment Standards Act, and it offers a free consultation to review a termination.
- Does Sommer Law handle art fraud and authentication disputes?
- Art law is one of the firm's main focus areas. Jonathan Sommer has advised on authenticity opinions, art crime matters, and disputes involving forged artwork, and the firm's work on Norval Morrisseau fraud cases, including representing Kevin Hearn in the litigation profiled in the 2019 documentary There Are No Fakes, has drawn coverage from CBC, the Globe and Mail, and other national outlets.
- Someone is defaming me online. Can Sommer Law help?
- Sommer Law provides legal opinions on defamation matters, helps clients stop online and other defamation, and can pursue or defend a defamation claim in court. The firm also advises people and businesses who have been accused of defaming someone else, and offers a complimentary consultation to discuss the situation.
- Where does Sommer Law practice, and can it help with a Quebec legal matter?
- Sommer Law is based in Toronto and is licensed to provide legal advice on Ontario law only; it does not handle Quebec civil law matters. Jonathan Sommer has nonetheless argued cases in courts and tribunals in both Ontario and Quebec over more than 25 years in practice.
- How big is Sommer Law?
- Sommer Law is a solo practice led by founding lawyer Jonathan J. Sommer. Instead of a large in house team, the firm contracts with a network of legal, business, financial, IT, art, and investigative specialists as each client matter requires.
- Does Sommer Law offer a free consultation?
- Yes. The firm's wrongful dismissal and defamation pages both point to a free or complimentary initial consultation, reachable by phone or by emailing the firm directly.
Where to find them
18 King Street East Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5C 1C4 · 844-394-4417
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