The Hon. Paul B. Schabas

Paul Schabas is a senior litigation partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Toronto. He heads the firms media law practice, and is one of Canadas leading free expression lawyers. Paul has been counsel on numerous libel trials and on seminal constitutional and free speech cases in the Supreme Court of Canada, including Grant v. Torstar, Breeden v. Black, R. v Mentuck, Toronto Star v. Canada, Canadian Foundation for Children, R. v. Morgentaler, Criminal Lawyers Association v. Ontario and Taylor v. Canada. His practice also includes complex commercial litigation, arbitrations (international and domestic), white collar defence, tax disputes, and public/constitutional law. In June 2016 Paul was elected Treasurer (President) of the Law Society of Upper Canada (the governing body/regulator for Ontarios 50,000 lawyers and 8000 paralegals), following 9 years as an elected Bencher (Director) of the Society. Paul is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto and a frequent author and speaker on media and constitutional law issues. He has submitted briefs to courts in Europe, Africa and the Americas. Named one of Canadas 25 most influential lawyers by Canadian Lawyer magazine, Paul past Chair of the Law Foundation of Ontario, and a past President of the Canadian Media Lawyers Association and of Pro Bono Law Ontario. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and sits on the boards of charitable, legal and cultural organizations