Erin Pleet joins as a panelist at the Top Appeals of 2024 CPD as part of the OBA’s Ontario Legal Conference

Biography
Representative Matters & Decisions
Awards & Rankings
Publications
Presentations & Speaking Engagements
Helen Richards is an accomplished civil litigator known for her clever arguments, strategic thinking, and ability to simplify complex problems. Her areas of expertise include corporate/commercial litigation, professional negligence, and securities litigation (as well as related internal investigations). She has successfully argued cases at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and regularly represents individuals and corporations on matters involving their regulatory bodies. Helen has an extensive clientele that includes developers, technology start-ups, and regulated health professionals such as physicians, teachers, and lawyers.
Chambers Canada 2024 described Helen as “an expert civil litigator who offers significant expertise in commercial disputes and securities matters” and reported one client as describing Helen as “whip-smart”.
Helen spent many years as a litigator at McCarthy Tétrault LLP and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP before moving in-house to practice securities litigation for a national bank. She joined Ross Nasseri LLP in 2022. Helen taught Contract Remedies at Osgoode Hall Law School from 2018 to 2020 and is widely published on topics relating to commercial and securities litigation.
Helen is on the Executive Committee of the Ontario Bar Association’s Civil Litigation Section. She is also a member of the Canadian Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges’ Committee on the Advancement and Retention of Women in the Legal Profession and is an active participant in law student mentoring programs at the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa.
Representative Matters
- Acting for major developers in regulatory proceedings and civil proceedings arising from real estate transactions.
- Advising on numerous cases against financial institutions and their employees relating to alleged professional negligence and breaches of securities laws.
- Advising large financial institutions on confidential internal investigations arising out of alleged breaches of securities laws.
- Advising physicians and teachers in responding to confidential complaints and disciplinary issues involving their professional body.
Decisions
- Jacobs v. McGee, 2023 ONSC 2765, leave to appeal denied, 2023 ONSC 4394 and 2023 ONSC 3427: Successfully resisted a motion for a Norwich Order in the context of a series of related actions involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duties, misrepresentation, and defamation, among others; obtained a substantial costs indemnity order in respect of the motion; successfully resisted the motion for leave to appeal from the motion decision at Divisional Court.
- Carbone v. Boccia, 2022 ONSC 6528, 2023 ONSC 54, 2023 ONSC 3625: Successfully moved for Mareva injunctions and Norwich Orders in a strongly contested case of fraud.
- Riddell v. Huynh, 2022 ONSC 2153: Successfully resisted an injunction for a Certificate of Pending Litigation.
- ADAG Corporation Canada Ltd. v. SaskEnergy Incorporated, 2018 SKCA 14, leave to appeal to the Supreme Court dismissed: Successfully obtained a decision at the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal reversing a decision of the Court of King’s Bench concerning options to purchase and The Partnership Act; successfully resisted the motion for leave to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.
- Google Inc. v. Equustek Solutions Inc., 2017 SCC 34: Counsel for multiple intervenors, including the American Society of News Editors, the First Amendment Coalition, AOL Inc. and others in a seminal Supreme Court case concerning a worldwide injunction against Google.
- VM v. GJD, 2014 CanLII 14446 (ON HPARB): Successfully defended a physician client against the appeal of a favourable decision from the Inquiries Complaints and Reports Committee.
- Goodwood Inc. v. Cathy Forest Products Corp., 2013 ONSC 4242: Successfully recovered shareholders’ costs incurred as a result of a s. 144 court-ordered shareholders’ meeting (Canada Business Corporations Act).
Individual
- Chambers and Partners:
- 2025: Ranked in General Commercial Litigation
- 2024: Ranked in Securities Litigation (Ontario)
- Benchmark Litigation Canada 2024 “Future Star” designation
Firm
- Best Law Firms in Canada 2025 - Tier 1 Nationally for Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Tier 1 in Toronto for Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Administrative and Public Law, Appellate Practice
- Chambers Canada 2025: Highly Regarded firm in Commercial Litigation in Ontario (2024)
- Lexpert: Consistently Recommended firm for Corporate/Commercial Litigation (2024)
- Lexpert: Repeatedly Recommended firm for Professional Liability by Lexpert (2024)
- Lexpert: Who’s Who Bullseye for leading firms in Civil Litigation (2024)
- Lexpert: Who’s Who Bullseye for leading firms in Commercial Litigation (2024)
- Benchmark Litigation: Leading litigation firm in Canada (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- The Globe and Mail’s Canada’s Best Law Firms list for Dispute Resolution (Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations) (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- “Enforcement Highlights from the 2019 OSC Annual Report”, Blakes Business Class, October 2019
- “Access Denied: Primary Market Liability Regime Not Available to Secondary Market Security Holders”, Blakes Business Class, August 2016
- “R v Vice Media, Canadian Court Orders Vice Media to Deliver Source Communications to Police”, Inforrm Blog, April 2016
- “Common Law Securities Misrepresentation Claims – Still With Us In the Post-Green Era?”, The Canadian Class Action Review, March 2016
- “Dragons and Arrows: Arrowhead and Limiting Professional Liability to Third Parties”, Canadian Business Law Journal, April 2013
- How to Craft the Pleading and Case Development, Civil Litigation Fundamentals 2024, Law Society of Ontario, October 8, 2024 (Speaker)
- The Retention and Advancement of Women in the Legal Profession, Conference of the Canadian Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges and National Judicial Institute, June 12, 2024 (Speaker)
- Top Appeals of 2023, Ontario Bar Association, April 8, 2024 (Co-Chair)
- Writing Tips and Strategies: Persuasive Writing, Persuasive Legal Writing CPD, Ontario Bar Association, January 25, 2024 (Speaker)
- Interim Suspensions, Section 25.4 of the Health Professions Procedural Code, Certificate in Professional Regulation & Discipline in the Ontario Health Care Sector, Osgoode Hall Law School Professional Development, December 6, 2023 (Speaker)
- Pleadings, Drafting Considerations, and Case Development, Civil Litigation Refresher 2023, Law Society of Ontario, October 10, 2023 (Speaker)
- Clarifying Legal Obligations, Top Appeals 2021, Ontario Bar Association, April 26, 2022 (Speaker)
Biography
Helen Richards is an accomplished civil litigator known for her clever arguments, strategic thinking, and ability to simplify complex problems. Her areas of expertise include corporate/commercial litigation, professional negligence, and securities litigation (as well as related internal investigations). She has successfully argued cases at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and regularly represents individuals and corporations on matters involving their regulatory bodies. Helen has an extensive clientele that includes developers, technology start-ups, and regulated health professionals such as physicians, teachers, and lawyers.
Chambers Canada 2024 described Helen as “an expert civil litigator who offers significant expertise in commercial disputes and securities matters” and reported one client as describing Helen as “whip-smart”.
Helen spent many years as a litigator at McCarthy Tétrault LLP and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP before moving in-house to practice securities litigation for a national bank. She joined Ross Nasseri LLP in 2022. Helen taught Contract Remedies at Osgoode Hall Law School from 2018 to 2020 and is widely published on topics relating to commercial and securities litigation.
Helen is on the Executive Committee of the Ontario Bar Association’s Civil Litigation Section. She is also a member of the Canadian Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges’ Committee on the Advancement and Retention of Women in the Legal Profession and is an active participant in law student mentoring programs at the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa.
Representative Matters & Decisions
Representative Matters
- Acting for major developers in regulatory proceedings and civil proceedings arising from real estate transactions.
- Advising on numerous cases against financial institutions and their employees relating to alleged professional negligence and breaches of securities laws.
- Advising large financial institutions on confidential internal investigations arising out of alleged breaches of securities laws.
- Advising physicians and teachers in responding to confidential complaints and disciplinary issues involving their professional body.
Decisions
- Jacobs v. McGee, 2023 ONSC 2765, leave to appeal denied, 2023 ONSC 4394 and 2023 ONSC 3427: Successfully resisted a motion for a Norwich Order in the context of a series of related actions involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duties, misrepresentation, and defamation, among others; obtained a substantial costs indemnity order in respect of the motion; successfully resisted the motion for leave to appeal from the motion decision at Divisional Court.
- Carbone v. Boccia, 2022 ONSC 6528, 2023 ONSC 54, 2023 ONSC 3625: Successfully moved for Mareva injunctions and Norwich Orders in a strongly contested case of fraud.
- Riddell v. Huynh, 2022 ONSC 2153: Successfully resisted an injunction for a Certificate of Pending Litigation.
- ADAG Corporation Canada Ltd. v. SaskEnergy Incorporated, 2018 SKCA 14, leave to appeal to the Supreme Court dismissed: Successfully obtained a decision at the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal reversing a decision of the Court of King’s Bench concerning options to purchase and The Partnership Act; successfully resisted the motion for leave to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.
- Google Inc. v. Equustek Solutions Inc., 2017 SCC 34: Counsel for multiple intervenors, including the American Society of News Editors, the First Amendment Coalition, AOL Inc. and others in a seminal Supreme Court case concerning a worldwide injunction against Google.
- VM v. GJD, 2014 CanLII 14446 (ON HPARB): Successfully defended a physician client against the appeal of a favourable decision from the Inquiries Complaints and Reports Committee.
- Goodwood Inc. v. Cathy Forest Products Corp., 2013 ONSC 4242: Successfully recovered shareholders’ costs incurred as a result of a s. 144 court-ordered shareholders’ meeting (Canada Business Corporations Act).
Awards & Rankings
Individual
- Chambers and Partners:
- 2025: Ranked in General Commercial Litigation
- 2024: Ranked in Securities Litigation (Ontario)
- Benchmark Litigation Canada 2024 “Future Star” designation
Firm
- Best Law Firms in Canada 2025 - Tier 1 Nationally for Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Tier 1 in Toronto for Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Administrative and Public Law, Appellate Practice
- Chambers Canada 2025: Highly Regarded firm in Commercial Litigation in Ontario (2024)
- Lexpert: Consistently Recommended firm for Corporate/Commercial Litigation (2024)
- Lexpert: Repeatedly Recommended firm for Professional Liability by Lexpert (2024)
- Lexpert: Who’s Who Bullseye for leading firms in Civil Litigation (2024)
- Lexpert: Who’s Who Bullseye for leading firms in Commercial Litigation (2024)
- Benchmark Litigation: Leading litigation firm in Canada (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- The Globe and Mail’s Canada’s Best Law Firms list for Dispute Resolution (Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations) (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Publications
- “Enforcement Highlights from the 2019 OSC Annual Report”, Blakes Business Class, October 2019
- “Access Denied: Primary Market Liability Regime Not Available to Secondary Market Security Holders”, Blakes Business Class, August 2016
- “R v Vice Media, Canadian Court Orders Vice Media to Deliver Source Communications to Police”, Inforrm Blog, April 2016
- “Common Law Securities Misrepresentation Claims – Still With Us In the Post-Green Era?”, The Canadian Class Action Review, March 2016
- “Dragons and Arrows: Arrowhead and Limiting Professional Liability to Third Parties”, Canadian Business Law Journal, April 2013
Presentations & Speaking Engagements
- How to Craft the Pleading and Case Development, Civil Litigation Fundamentals 2024, Law Society of Ontario, October 8, 2024 (Speaker)
- The Retention and Advancement of Women in the Legal Profession, Conference of the Canadian Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges and National Judicial Institute, June 12, 2024 (Speaker)
- Top Appeals of 2023, Ontario Bar Association, April 8, 2024 (Co-Chair)
- Writing Tips and Strategies: Persuasive Writing, Persuasive Legal Writing CPD, Ontario Bar Association, January 25, 2024 (Speaker)
- Interim Suspensions, Section 25.4 of the Health Professions Procedural Code, Certificate in Professional Regulation & Discipline in the Ontario Health Care Sector, Osgoode Hall Law School Professional Development, December 6, 2023 (Speaker)
- Pleadings, Drafting Considerations, and Case Development, Civil Litigation Refresher 2023, Law Society of Ontario, October 10, 2023 (Speaker)
- Clarifying Legal Obligations, Top Appeals 2021, Ontario Bar Association, April 26, 2022 (Speaker)
News, accolades & recognition
Erin Pleet Joins as a Panelist Presenting Waiver of Privilege
Erin Pleet joins as a panelist presenting waiver of privilege As part of the Advocates’ Society’s Privilege for Litigators CPD February 4th, 2025 Privilege for Litigators 2025
Erin Pleet presents: Cooperating with Opposing Counsel: How, When and on What?
Erin Pleet presents Cooperating with opposing counsel: How, When and on What? As a co-chair for the Advocates’ Society’s Advocacy Hour: Why Can't We Be Pre-Trial Friends?