Sarah Sweet is a Partner in BLG’s Toronto office. She is a Co-Leader of BLG’s Transportation & Logistics Group and a member of BLG’s National Coverage Team. Sarah’s practice focuses on all aspects of the transportation and insurance industries. She also acts for municipalities in both defence and plaintiff-side litigation, including requests for injunctive relief.
In her transportation practice, Sarah acts for clients in complex shipping and rail casualty matters, cargo claims, commercial disputes, bills of lading and contracts of affreightment disputes, ship arrest and sale, passenger cruise claims, and cargo arrest. She also advises on transportation agreements and transportation regulatory matters. Sarah’s practice includes advising on the financing and mortgaging of maritime and transportation assets as well as transactions and purchase agreements involving transport and maritime businesses. She has also been appointed Vice-Chair to the Admiralty and Maritime Law General Committee of the ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section since 2020. Sarah is also the Vice President – Central Region for the Canadian branch of the Women's International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA).
In her coverage practice, Sarah acts as coverage counsel to Canadian and foreign insurers carrying on business in Canada. Sarah provides coverage opinions, drafts policy language, and advises on policy interpretation under many forms of policies, including commercial general liability policies, environmental and pollution policies, errors & omissions policies, directors & officers policies, property policies, and RWI policies. Sarah has acted as defence counsel for insurers in complex coverage litigation. Her experience includes defending claims brought by insureds against their insurers as well as disputes among primary and excess insurers. Sarah has litigated insurance coverage defence claims up to the Ontario Court of Appeal. She also maintains an insurance regulatory practice advising on regulatory compliance.
In her municipal practice, Sarah acts as counsel for municipalities when advancing claims for breach of contract, nuisance, and in seeking injunctive relief. She also defends municipalities and their employees against claims such as bodily injury claims, non-repair of roads and sidewalks, negligent design, and property damage. Sarah also provides advice on the structuring of contractual insurance and indemnity protections for municipalities.
Sarah has appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Appeal, and the Federal Court. She has trial experience in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
Experience
- Acting as counsel in coverage litigation, including as counsel for excess layer insurer in complex coverage litigation brought by insured against its insurers for environmental claims spanning multiple decades and coverage periods
- Acting as counsel for ocean carriers in successfully defeating cargo claims in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Federal Court
- Acting as counsel for ship-owners in large financing transactions and in the purchase of new vessels for their fleets
- Acting as counsel for municipalities, including in successfully obtaining injunctive relief under section 440 of the Municipal Act against a homeowner for breach of municipal by-laws and nuisance
- Acting as counsel in coverage litigation, including as counsel for excess layer insurer in complex coverage litigation brought by insured against its insurers for environmental claims spanning multiple decades and coverage periods
- Acting as counsel for ocean carriers in successfully defeating cargo claims in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Federal Court
- Acting as counsel for ship-owners in large financing transactions and in the purchase of new vessels for their fleets
- Acting as counsel for municipalities, including in successfully obtaining injunctive relief under section 440 of the Municipal Act against a homeowner for breach of municipal by-laws and nuisance
