Toronto litigation boutique DMG Advocates comes instilled with instant Bay Street credibility. The firm saw its genesis in its three partners, Ryder Gilliland, Hugh DesBrisay and Kathryn Manning, establishing this shop upon leaving their former respective posts at Blake Cassels & Graydon. As such, DMG Advocates comes with its own built-in individual and collective fan base. “They hit the ground running and are already getting traction,” observes one peer. The firm is also observed to be in growth mode; the headcount is up to nine lawyers, with two of these being new partners
Katey Pulfer and Corey Groper, both of whom make their respective debuts as future stars in this edition. Pulfer, a former junior
Gilliland’s at Blakes, attends to a mix of labor, arbitrations, and the defamation work that has been a historical calling card for the firm. Groper meanwhile comes equipped with a white-collar background and is working to push a fraud-related agenda, a new frontier for the firm. Gilliland is a commercial litigator who mines a niche in defamation and privacy law. “Ryder is a go-to guy if you have any media-type issue, he pretty much owns that space now, and is at the right time of his life to be there.” Gilliland is also getting an increasing level of appointments as a neutral arbitrator, a phenomenon that peer attest “really lends to his credibility, especially at his [relatively young] age point.” Beyond this specialty, the firm is juggling a workload composed of a variety of novel matters ranging from arbitrations – a noted growth area for the firm – to product liability class actions to shareholder disputes. Manning is focused primarily on shareholder disputes work and has also been growing her arbitration practice, which was further enhanced by her recent qualification to conduct neutral arbitrator work. DesBrisay maintains a “nearly all-consuming” niche in litigation for major household-name automotive clients; this work encompasses product liability, including class actions, as well as franchise work. DesBrisay just scored a major win for one such client in a class-action matter that is now on appeal. A relatively new partner, John Mather has attended to a diverse workload that includes appearances on the aforementioned automotive class action as well as acting as duty counsel to individuals involved in a high-profile inquiry concerning COVID-related deaths at long-term care homes. Mather is also developing a niche in cryptocurrency. Mather has also been developing an inquiry-related practice; this burgeoning practice was given a significant boost in profile with his representation of a justice in an inquiry regarding the “State of Emergency” act introduced by government to address the controversial Freedom Convoy, which blockaded Canadian roadways in early 2022 to oppose COVID vaccine mandates. The Commission tabled its report in February 2023 “This is a real feather in John’s cap,” opines a peer. “His days as an ‘emerging star’ are just about over, he’s getting to be one of the busiest and most diverse people [at DMG.]” This forecast proved correct; Mather makes the impressive leap from future star to litigation star in this edition. Bolstering his reputation as a go-to for inquiries, Mather is
also working for the Center for Free Expression on a matter concerning whether or not China and Russia meddled in Canadian elections.
