Farhad Shekib is a litigator and Co-Founder of Pinto Shekib LLP.

As a refugee from Afghanistan, Farhad learned at a young age to remain calm in the face of adversity, while successfully establishing his place in Canadian society. As a litigator, these skills have allowed Farhad to represent some of Canada’s largest public and private corporations, including banks, insurance companies and closely held family businesses, in disputes with millions of dollars at stake.

At Pinto Shekib LLP, Farhad’s litigation practice focuses on Employment Law; Wills, Estates & Trusts Disputes; Real Estate Litigation; Commercial Litigation; and Insurance Disputes.

In his employment practice, Farhad represents non-unionized employees and employers before Ontario Courts and Tribunals in a range of employment disputes, including wrongful dismissal litigation and human rights disputes. Farhad is frequently retained by employers to conduct workplace investigations and to draft employment agreements and workplace policies.

In estate disputes, Farhad acts for beneficiaries, power of attorneys and estate trustees in a wide range of cases, such as dependant support applications, guardianship applications and will challenges.

Farhad’s real estate and commercial litigation practice focuses on contract disputes, shareholder and partnership litigation, injunctions, commercial leasing disputes and aborted real estate purchase and sale litigation.

Through his insurance practice, Farhad has represented some of Canada’s largest insurance companies in insurance defence matters and in Directors’ and Officers’ insurance coverage claims. At Pinto Shekib LLP, Farhad acts exclusively for the insured policyholder, and he frequently takes insurance companies to Court over disputes concerning long-term disability, life insurance and property insurance claims.

Farhad was selected by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada for his expertise in Commercial Litigation & Labour and Employment Law. Using peer review methodology, Best Lawyers recognizes lawyers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice.

Prior to Co-Founding Pinto Shekib LLP, Farhad graduated from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law. Farhad received his litigation training at the Toronto office of an international Bay Street law firm and at the commercial litigation group of a mid-sized Bay Street law firm.

Farhad routinely hosts legal education seminars on civil litigation, with a focus on trial advocacy, for lawyers across Ontario. Farhad is an active member of the Ontario Bar Association, the Toronto Lawyers Association and the Advocates’ Society.

Expertise

• – Employment Law
• – Wills, Estates & Trusts Disputes
• – Real Estate Litigation
• – Commercial Litigation 
• – Insurance Law

Representative Cases

• – Lavides v Windsor Hill Non-Profit Housing Corp., 2024 HRTO 878 – Trial counsel to the Respondent, Windsor Hill, in a successful defence of a Contravention of Settlement Application. The Applicant’s claim was fully dismissed.
• – Lavides v Windsor Hill Non-Profit Housing Corp., 2024 HRTO 97 – Counsel to the Respondent, Windsor Hill, in a successful defence of a breach of the Human Rights Code Application. The Applicant’s claim was dismissed in its entirety.
• –  Lavides v Windsor Hill Non-Profit Housing Corp., 2024 HRTO 2 – Counsel to the Respondent, Windsor Hill, in a successful motion to strike the Applicant’s allegations as being time barred.
• – Ramcharran v State Farm et al., 2023 ONSC 3698 – Trial counsel in this personal injury action, winning $596,479.42 for the Plaintiff after a two week jury trial.
• – Nathalie Doiron v BMG Marketing Services Inc., 2021 CanLII 51835 (ON LRB) – Trial counsel to BMG Marketing Services Inc. in a successful defence of a Reprisal Complaint brought under Section 50(1) of the OHSA before the Ontario Labour Relations Board. The Applicant’s claim was dismissed.
• – Target Park Inc. v 1164757 Ontario Inc., 2019 ONSC 6301 – Counsel to the Applicant, Target Park, achieving a declaration from the Court that the Respondent’s purported termination of the commercial lease was unlawful and invalid. An injunction (plus costs) was awarded to Target Park, allowing it to re-enter and resume operations from the leased premises.
• – Gamble v TD Bank et al., 2019 ONSC 5574 – Counsel for the third parties on a successful summary judgment motion, dismissing the action as against the third parties.
• – Rush v De Ruiter et al., 2018 ONSC 1210 – Counsel for the Defendant nurse on a summary judgment motion, seeking to enforce a waiver in a medical malpractice action.
• – Dosman et al. v The Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Students’ Association Inc. et al., 2018 ONSC 2075 – Counsel for the Wilfrid Laurier University GSA on a successful motion to dismiss the Plaintiffs’ claim for libel and slander pursuant to Section 137.1 of the Courts of Justice Act.

Education

• – Juris Doctor (J.D.), University of Toronto, Faculty of Law
• – Honours B.A., Criminology (Summa Cum Laude), University of Ottawa

Insights, Awards and Media

• – Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada for expertise in Commercial Litigation & Labour and Employment Law 
• – Lessons Learned From My Trial Experiences, Ontario Bar Association
• – Speaker (on conducting trials), Litigating an Employment File, Ontario Bar Association
• – Co-Chair, The Civil Trial – Views From The Bench, Ontario Bar Association 
• – So… You Want To Launch Your Own Law Firm?, Keeping Tabs, a publication by the Advocates’ Society 
• – Co-Chair, The Nuts and Bolts of an Application, Ontario Bar Association 
• – Co-Chair, Your First Civil Trial, Ontario Bar Association