Аngela is a strategic and innovative lawyer. Her work on several high-profile and historic class actions has garnered her national and international attention, and she has been recognized by the Federal Court as a “leading practitioner” in the field of class actions.
Angela was ranked by Chambers Canada in 2024 and 2023, named Plaintiff Litigator of the Year by Benchmark Canada in both 2022 and 2021, and named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers of 2020 by Canadian Lawyer magazine. Angela is recognized as a Litigation Star and was named one of the Top 100 Women Litigators by Benchmark Canada in 2022. She is recognized by Global Law Experts, Who’s Who, Global 100, Lawyer International, Lawyer Network, and Advisory Excellence for her work in class actions.
Cases on which Angela was class counsel have combined settlement values totalling more than $1.2 billion.
Angela is lead counsel on several certified class actions that are directed at Indigenous rights, gender rights, and veterans’ rights. Several of these actions are novel and seek to push the boundaries of the law.
Angela is lead counsel in a class action against Canada by Indigenous children who lost their cultural identity as a consequence of being apprehended off-reserve and placed into state care. The certification decision represents an important shift in the law and signals that Canada may no longer be able to deny legal responsibility for Indigenous children residing off reserve land. Angela is also lead counsel in a certified action against the RCMP alleging racial discrimination by its members against Indigenous civilians in their custody or control.
Angela is lead counsel in several certified actions brought against Canada on behalf of ill and injured veterans. These actions allege the miscalculation of pension benefits, the improper withholding of disability benefits, and the improper clawback of pension benefits.
Angela was also lead counsel on a class action brought against the RCMP on behalf of female workers who had been subjected to sexual harassment, discrimination, and assault in the RCMP workplace. Despite the legal and logistical challenges associated with this complex action, Angela successfully negotiated a settlement with an estimated value of $100 million, which was approved by the Federal Court. The action was innovative and paved the way for class proceedings to be used as vehicles for addressing systemic sexual misconduct.
Angela is an author on the subject of class actions and a regular presenter at conferences on class actions and emerging areas of the law.
Updated Aug 2024
