Shantona is a founding partner at Pape Chaudhury LLP, and has an active litigation practice in both private and public law. She acts for both individual and institutional clients and has experience in a wide variety of matters, including commercial litigation, class actions, torts, professional discipline, professional negligence, administrative, constitutional, national security law, and public inquiries.
Most recently, Shantona served as Lead Counsel to the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Process and Democratic Institutions (the Hogue Commission), and co-Lead Counsel to the Public Order Emergency Commission (the Rouleau Commission).
In 2025, Shantona received the Honsberger Award from the Toronto Lawyers Association, and in 2023 she received the Laidlaw Medal from The Advocates Society, both in recognition of outstanding achievement by a mid-career lawyer.
Shantona has considerable expertise in appellate litigation, having acted in over 40 appeals at the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Divisional Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada. She also appears regularly before trial courts and administrative tribunals. Shantona has been appointed amicus curiae by the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, and the Federal Court of Appeal.
Shantona is ranked in Chambers Canada, Lexpert, Benchmark (Top 100 Women in Litigation) and Best Lawyers (2021 “Lawyer of the Year” in Appellate Practice). She is also a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.
Since 2021, Shantona has been the co-Executive Director of the Supreme Court Advocacy Institute, a national non-profit organization offering advocacy training to counsel appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada.
Prior to starting practice, she clerked for Justice Ian Binnie, trained as a Middle Temple Fox Scholar in London, interned at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, interned at the Parliament of Canada, and worked in the music industry.
Year joined firm: 2018
Recent matter/case highlights: Lead Counsel for the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions Commission
Key practice areas:
- Appellate
- Class action
- Commercial disputes
- Dispute resolution
- Government and regulatory
- Plaintiff
Education/Alumni:
- B.C.L., University of Oxford, UK 2009
- LL.B., McGill University, Montreal, Canada 2005
- M.A., Queen's University, Kingston, Canada 2001
- B.A., Queen's University, Kingston, Canada 2000
Bar Admissions:
- Law Society of Ontario 2007
- Barreau du Quebec 2007
Updated March 2025
