Avi Bourassa

Partner

abourassa@rossnasseri.com 416-613-7893

BAR ADMISSION: Ontario 2016
Law Clerk: Christina Mglosiek

Areas of Practice

Injunctions & Crisis Management
Corporate & Commercial Litigation
Real Property Litigation
Professional Liability & Regulation
Tort & Negligence Matters
Appeals
Advice & Opinions

Avi Bourassa is a partner at Ross Nasseri LLP.

Avi is a problem solver and a determined fighter, who helps corporate and individual clients navigate complex commercial disputes. Avi has a general civil litigation practice with an emphasis on contractual disputes, shareholder/oppression disputes, and prosecuting/defending civil fraud, including seeking urgent injunctive relief.

Avi’s clients trust him for his depth of knowledge, thoughtfulness, and creative problem-solving. Avi was recently ranked by Chambers Canada for his expertise in General Commercial Litigation. In the Chambers publication for 2025, Avi was described as “an exceptional lawyer” who “always provides timely, pragmatic and business-focused advice", and “a diligent and caring lawyer who digs in and fights for his clients.” Avi has also been recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (2024) for Corporate/Commercial Litigation and in the peer-reviewed Best Lawyers publication among the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada™ in Corporate and Commercial Litigation.

Avi is an experienced courtroom lawyer. Avi has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario, including lengthy trials, and before administrative tribunals including the Discipline Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB). Avi also acts as counsel in private commercial arbitration matters.

Prior to joining Ross Nasseri in 2021, Avi practiced for five years as a litigation associate at McCarthy Tétrault, a leading national full-service firm, where he acted for a broad range of corporate and individual clients across a variety of industries.

Avi received his Juris Doctor with Honours from the University of Toronto in 2015. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 2016. Avi is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Bar Association, and the Advocates’ Society.

  • Acted as counsel for several individual and corporate respondents in a multi-million dollar family dispute regarding ownership of corporate assets, including allegations of fraud and oppression
  • Successful in obtaining an urgent Mareva injunction and Norwich Order for the plaintiffs in an action for fraud (Kiosk Design Inc. v. El-Riffaey, 2024 ONSC 2373)
  • Acted as Independent Supervising Solicitor in a high-profile corporate governance/employment dispute
  • Acted for the plaintiffs in a fraud and breach of contract action against a Schedule I Canadian bank
  • Acting for the defendants/plaintiffs by counterclaim in an action involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duty and unfair competition between real estate brokerages
  • Counsel for the plaintiff in a multi-action, lengthy hybrid trial involving allegations of malicious prosecution and abuse of process (Konstan et al. v. Berkovits et al., 2023 ONSC 497, 2023 ONSC 1214 and 2023 ONSC 3052)
  • Defended a privately held corporation in a multi-million dollar real property development contractual dispute, at trial and on appeal (Fram Elgin Mills 90 Inc. v. Romandale Farms Limited et al., 2019 ONSC 5322, 2020 ONSC 1621, and 2021 ONCA 201);
  • Acted for corporate and individual respondents in a complex application arising from an alleged multi-property joint venture;
  • Defended a public company in litigation commenced pursuant to the Repair and Storage Liens Act, over a fleet of vehicles;
  • Acted for the plaintiff, a closely-held family business in food manufacturing, in an action for breach of confidence and breach of contract, including seeking interlocutory and permanent injunctive relief;
  • Successful in obtaining an urgent, ex parte CPL to secure a claim for breach of an assignment agreement for a residential property, involving allegations of fraud;
  • Successfully resisted an urgent CPL motion (Riddell v. Huynh, 2022 ONSC 2153);
  • Represented an industry association in the energy sector as the intervenor at the Ontario Court of Appeal in a case involving the application of good faith to rights-of-first-refusal in the context of a bundled sale of assets;
  • Successful defence of a national franchisor in an expedited domestic arbitration brought by a terminated franchisee seeking permanent injunctive relief;
  • Successful partial summary judgment motion on behalf of the defendant clinic (Rush v. De Ruiter, 2018 ONSC 1210);
  • Successful response to an appeal to the HPARB on behalf of the respondent physician (D.G.E. v A.O.A., 2017 CanLII69303 (ON HPARB)).

 

Individual

 

Firm

Biography

Avi Bourassa is a partner at Ross Nasseri LLP.

Avi is a problem solver and a determined fighter, who helps corporate and individual clients navigate complex commercial disputes. Avi has a general civil litigation practice with an emphasis on contractual disputes, shareholder/oppression disputes, and prosecuting/defending civil fraud, including seeking urgent injunctive relief.

Avi’s clients trust him for his depth of knowledge, thoughtfulness, and creative problem-solving. Avi was recently ranked by Chambers Canada for his expertise in General Commercial Litigation. In the Chambers publication for 2025, Avi was described as “an exceptional lawyer” who “always provides timely, pragmatic and business-focused advice", and “a diligent and caring lawyer who digs in and fights for his clients.” Avi has also been recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (2024) for Corporate/Commercial Litigation and in the peer-reviewed Best Lawyers publication among the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada™ in Corporate and Commercial Litigation.

Avi is an experienced courtroom lawyer. Avi has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario, including lengthy trials, and before administrative tribunals including the Discipline Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB). Avi also acts as counsel in private commercial arbitration matters.

Prior to joining Ross Nasseri in 2021, Avi practiced for five years as a litigation associate at McCarthy Tétrault, a leading national full-service firm, where he acted for a broad range of corporate and individual clients across a variety of industries.

Avi received his Juris Doctor with Honours from the University of Toronto in 2015. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 2016. Avi is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Bar Association, and the Advocates’ Society.

Representative Matters & Decisions

  • Acted as counsel for several individual and corporate respondents in a multi-million dollar family dispute regarding ownership of corporate assets, including allegations of fraud and oppression
  • Successful in obtaining an urgent Mareva injunction and Norwich Order for the plaintiffs in an action for fraud (Kiosk Design Inc. v. El-Riffaey, 2024 ONSC 2373)
  • Acted as Independent Supervising Solicitor in a high-profile corporate governance/employment dispute
  • Acted for the plaintiffs in a fraud and breach of contract action against a Schedule I Canadian bank
  • Acting for the defendants/plaintiffs by counterclaim in an action involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duty and unfair competition between real estate brokerages
  • Counsel for the plaintiff in a multi-action, lengthy hybrid trial involving allegations of malicious prosecution and abuse of process (Konstan et al. v. Berkovits et al., 2023 ONSC 497, 2023 ONSC 1214 and 2023 ONSC 3052)
  • Defended a privately held corporation in a multi-million dollar real property development contractual dispute, at trial and on appeal (Fram Elgin Mills 90 Inc. v. Romandale Farms Limited et al., 2019 ONSC 5322, 2020 ONSC 1621, and 2021 ONCA 201);
  • Acted for corporate and individual respondents in a complex application arising from an alleged multi-property joint venture;
  • Defended a public company in litigation commenced pursuant to the Repair and Storage Liens Act, over a fleet of vehicles;
  • Acted for the plaintiff, a closely-held family business in food manufacturing, in an action for breach of confidence and breach of contract, including seeking interlocutory and permanent injunctive relief;
  • Successful in obtaining an urgent, ex parte CPL to secure a claim for breach of an assignment agreement for a residential property, involving allegations of fraud;
  • Successfully resisted an urgent CPL motion (Riddell v. Huynh, 2022 ONSC 2153);
  • Represented an industry association in the energy sector as the intervenor at the Ontario Court of Appeal in a case involving the application of good faith to rights-of-first-refusal in the context of a bundled sale of assets;
  • Successful defence of a national franchisor in an expedited domestic arbitration brought by a terminated franchisee seeking permanent injunctive relief;
  • Successful partial summary judgment motion on behalf of the defendant clinic (Rush v. De Ruiter, 2018 ONSC 1210);
  • Successful response to an appeal to the HPARB on behalf of the respondent physician (D.G.E. v A.O.A., 2017 CanLII69303 (ON HPARB)).

 

Awards & Rankings

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Firm

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