Gillian Hnatiw is the founder and principal of Gillian Hnatiw & Co., a feminist litigation firm in Toronto. Her broad civil litigation practice focuses on administrative and public law, health, employment, professional liability and, in particular, claims for sexual abuse, harassment, assault, and discrimination. Gillian is renowned for her empathy and frequently navigates sensitive, complex matters for both individuals and organizations. From 2021-2023, she acted as senior Commission Counsel to Nova Scotia’s Mass Casualty Commission, where she lent her expertise to the gender-based violence aspect of the mandate. She has appeared before all levels of court, including multiple appearances before the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2020, she was awarded the TLA’s Honsberger Award and hailed as a “formidable champion of women’s civil rights”. In 2023, Canadian Lawyer named her one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers. She is a former Lexpert “Rising Star”, a recurring Benchmark “Litigation Star", a perennial Best Lawyers lawyer and currently recognized as one of Benchmark’s Top 100 Women Lawyers. Gillian is past-Chair of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF).
