Nadia_Effendi

Nadia Effendi

Partner

Toronto
Ottawa
[email protected]
416.367.6728

Nadia represents a wide range of clients in both English and French, in complex and often high profile proceedings, including class actions, administrative, regulatory, constitutional, and human rights law cases.

Nadia has represented clients in industries including transportation, financial services, broadcasting and telecommunications, energy, and entertainment, and has particular subject-matter expertise in transportation law, electoral law, access to information and official language rights.

Nadia regularly appears before all levels of federal and provincial courts, administrative tribunals, and commissions of inquiry, and has appeared numerous times before the Supreme Court of Canada. Nadia is a member of the CBA Federal Courts Bench and Bar Liaison Committee. She is the chair of BLG's Appellate Advocacy and Public Law Group and serves as the Regional Manager of the Commercial Litigation and Construction Group in Toronto. She is also a member and Past President of the Board of Directors of the Association des juristes d'expression française de l'Ontario (AJEFO), as well as a member of the Ontario Bar Association Official Languages Committee. Prior to joining BLG, Nadia served as a law clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada to The Honourable Mr. Justice Bastarache.

Testimonials

Experience

  • Counsel for the Honourable Louise Arbour appointed to carry out a review into the Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence, in response to reports of harassment and sexual misconduct within Canada’s military.
  • Counsel for Amazon in an unpaid wages and overtime class claim (2020-present).
  • Counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada for the Federation of Law Societies of Canada in its intervention in Law Society of Saskatchewan v. Peter V. Abrametz.
  • Counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada for York University in SCC 39222 York University, et al. v. Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency ("Access Copyright"), et al. (2020-2021).
  • Counsel before the Federal Court for the Leaders' Debates Commission (led by the Honourable David Johnston) on applications brought Rebel Media for media accreditation for the federal leaders' debates (2019-present).
  • Counsel before the Federal Court for the Courts Administration Services in File No. T-1624-19 Jeremy King v Federation of Newfoundland Indians Inc. (FNI) and Her Majesty the Queen Canada.
  • Counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada for the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada in SCC 39172 Grant Thornton LLP et al. v Province of New Brunswick et al.
  • Counsel before the Cullen Commission for the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (2020-present).
  • Presenting counsel before the Ontario Judicial Council in the hearing concerning a complaint about the conduct of the Honourable Justice Donald McLeod (2020-2021).
  • Retained as counsel by federal government to assist in carbon reference appeals (2019-2020).
  • Counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada for the National Council of Canadian Muslims in SCC 39094 Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church of Canada St. Mary Cathedral v. Teshome Aga (2020-present).
  • Counsel before the federal court for the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada in Szuchewycz v. Attorney General of Canada, 2020 FC 954 (2020-present).
  • Counsel before the federal court for the Courts Administration Services in an application brought by Pierre Devinat with respect to the translations of judgments of the federal courts (2018-2021).
  • Counsel before the Federal Court of Appeal and the federal court for Oceanex Inc. in a judicial review application against the Minister of Transport and Marine Atlantic Inc. (2015-2020).
  • Counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal and the federal court for the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Board of Internal Economy in applications commenced by members of the NDP (2014-present).
  • Counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada for the Canadian Bar Association in SCC 38381 AG of BC v. Provincial Court Judges' Association of British Columbia | SCC 38459 AG of NS et al. v. Judges of the Provincial Court et al. (2019-2020).
  • Counsel before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for confidential online retailer in a wage class action (2020-present).
  • Counsel before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for Handa Student Travel in a wages class action (2018-present).
  • Counsel before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for GoodLife Fitness in a wages class action (2016-2019).
  • Counsel before the Ontario Superior Court for Scotiabank in a wages class action (2014-2016).
  • Counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Ontario Divisional Court for the Law Society of Ontario in Trinity Western University v. The Law Society of Upper Canada, 2015 ONSC 4250; 2016 ONCA 518 (2014-2018).
  • Counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada for the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada in Deloitte & Touche v. Livent Inc., Through its Special Receiver and Manager Roman Doroniuk (2016-2017).
  • Counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada for the European Bank For Reconstruction and Development, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation And Development, the African Development Bank Group, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Nordic Investment Bank in World Bank Group v. Wallace, 2016 SCC 15 (2015-2016).
  • Counsel before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada in Council of Canadians v. Canada (Attorney General), 2015 ONSC 4601 (2015-2018).
  • Counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada, Ontario Court of Appeal and Ontario Superior Court of Justice for Canadian National Railway Company in a contractual dispute with the City of Thunder Bay (2014-2019).
  • Counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada for the Railway Association of Canada in Canadian Pacific Railway Co. v. Canada (Attorney General), 2016 SCC 1.
  • Counsel before the Federal Court of Appeal for Canadian National Railway Company in various challenges of decisions of the Canadian Transportation Agency involving complaints by shippers about interswitching and statutory service obligations (see CN v. Richardson International Ltd., 2015 FCA 180; Canadian National Railway Company v. Canadian Transportation Agency and Wilkinson, 2013 FCA 270; Canadian National Railway Company v. Canada (Transport, Infrastructure and
    Communities), (2012 FCA 240).
  • Counsel before the Federal Court of Appeal for Canadian National Railway Company against the Canadian Transportation Agency in two appeals challenging the agency's revenue cap determinations for the transportation of grain (2015-2016).
  • Counsel before the Federal Court for Canadian National Railway Company against Transport Canada challenging decisions on access to information requests (2016).
  • Counsel before several provincial courts for JTI-Macdonald Corp. challenging the menthol ban (2015-present).

Beyond Our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Director, Canadian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies (2024-present)​
  • Vice-President, Fédération des associations de juristes d'expression française de common law inc., 2023-present
  • Secretary, Appellate Advocacy Practice Group, The Advocates' Society
  • Chair, Interventions Committee, Association des juristes d'expression française de l'Ontario
  • Member, The Advocates Society, 2020-Present
  • Past Member, Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF)'s Law Program Committee​
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association, Ontario Bar Association
  • Member, County of Carleton Law Association
  • Former Member, Canadian Bar Association, Federal Court Bench and Bar Association, 2019-present
  • Member, Divisional Court Users' Committee, 2019-present
  • Member, Organizing Committee of the Judicial Assistants of the Supreme Court of Canada's 2020 Conference
  • Federal Courts Bench and Bar Liaison Committee, 2021-Present
  • Member, TAS Appellate Advocacy Practice Group
  • Past Member, Official Language Committee, Ontario Bar Association

Community Involvement

  • Past director and secretary, Citizen Advocacy (a charity that helps people with disabilities participate more fully in community life)

Awards & Recognitions

  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2020) of The Best Lawyers in Canada® (Appellate Practice), since 2021 for Administrative and Public Law, and since 2022 for Corporate and Commercial Litigation.
  • Recognized in 2025 edition (and since 2022) of the Chambers Canada — Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business (Litigation: Administrative & Public Law - Ontario)
  • Recognized in the 2024 edition (and since 2021) of Benchmark Litigation as a Litigation Star.
  • Recognized in 2024 edition (and since 2022) of Benchmark Litigation in the Top 100 Women in Canada, and in 2021 and 2020 in the Top 50 Women in Canada
  • Recipient of the Ordre du mérite 2023 of the Association des juristes d’expression française (AJEFO)
  • Recipient of the 2023 Women in Law Leadership Stronger Together Award.
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition (and since 2020) of Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation.
  • Recognized at the 2022 Canadian Law Awards as Litigator of the Year
  • Recognized in the 2024 (and since 2020) edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Litigation - Regulatory & Public Law) and in the 2018 editions (since 2016) (Litigation: Public Law)
  • Recognized as a 2013 Rising Star by Lexpert
  • Awarded a Lexpert Zenith Award in 2011 for pro bono representation of veterans before the Federal Court
  • Recognized in the 2020 and in the 2018 (since 2015) editions of Benchmark Canada — The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys as a Future Star and a Litigation Star (Administrative, General Commercial, Public Law and Class Actions)
  • Recognized in the 2020 (and 2017-2018) editions of the Benchmark Canada 40 & Under Hot List
  • Nominated as Emerging Talent of the Year by Benchmark Canada 2019 Awards
  • Recognized as one of Canada's 25 Most Influential Lawyers in 2016 by Canadian Lawyer Magazine in the Young Influencers category

Bar Admission & Education

  • Ontario, 2004
  • LLB (summa cum laude, gold medalist), University of Ottawa, 2003