Farhad Shekib is a litigator, mediator 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.

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.

In his spare time, Farhad enjoys spending time with his wife, weight training, meditating and learning about investing.

Expertise

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

Representative Cases

• 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.
• 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 was granted 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.
• Defence counsel to a leading real estate developer in a multi-million-dollar class action.
• Acting for a dissenting shareholder in an oppression remedy application involving $500 million at dispute.

Education

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

Insights, Events and Media

• So… You Want To Launch Your Own Law Firm?, Keeping Tabs, a publication by the Advocates’ Society (2022)
• Co-Chair, The Nuts and Bolts of an Application, Ontario Bar Association (2022)
• Co-Chair, The Civil Trial – Views From The Bench, Ontario Bar Association (2021)
• Co-Chair, Your First Civil Trial, Ontario Bar Association (2020)
• The New Normal: Commissioning Affidavits in 2020 and Beyond, Ontario Bar Association (2020)
• Non-Competition Clauses in Employment Contracts, Ontario Bar Association (2019)