Daniel Szirmak, Toronto

About Daniel

Daniel practises complex commercial litigation with a focus on securities litigation, including class actions, regulatory enforcement proceedings and internal investigations. His experience includes acting for clients in disputes relating to auditors' liability and accounting-related issues, as well as cases involving alleged misrepresentations and other securities issues, contested transactions, insider trading, proxy fights, oppression remedy claims and complex contractual disputes. He regularly acts for financial institutions as defence counsel on securities and fraud-related matters. Daniel has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario and the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC).

Daniel is an active member of the Securities Litigation bar, including serving as a member of the OSC's Capital Markets Advisory Committee and as co-chair of the American Bar Association's Accounting Issues and Canada Sub-Committees within the American Bar Association's Securities Litigation Committee. He is also a volunteer with the OSC's Capital Markets Tribunal's pro bono Litigation Assistance Program, and coordinates CIRO's new Hearings Assistance Program for self-represented litigants.

Daniel completed his articles with the Firm in 2015/2016. He previously spent a summer working at a U.S. law firm in New York and has completed internships with the Supreme Court of the United States, the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration and the City of Toronto (as a prosecutor).

Select Experience

Recent representative matters include acting as counsel to:

KPMG LLP in Hrusa v. CannTrust Holdings Inc. et al., a proposed securities class action relating to alleged financial disclosure misrepresentations
RBC Global Asset Management Inc. in Ross v. RBC Global Asset Management Inc. and Ross v. RBC Global Asset Management Inc., class actions relating to trailing commissions in the mutual fund industry
Grant Thornton LLP in Kew Media Inc. et al. v. Grant Thornton LLP, a Receiver's action
Leading financial institutions on numerous cases, including class actions including class actions, shareholder disputes and cases relating to allegations of fraud, including Ponzi schemes and mortgage fraud schemes
Various "Big Six" accounting firms in connection with confidential internal investigations and regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings brought by Canadian accountancy regulators
A group of U.S. funds in defending a C$1.3-billion action relating to the sale and acquisition of a major telecommunications company
The director of a public Canadian mining company in an OSC enforcement proceeding alleging misrepresentation in public disclosure and accounting controls failures
Torstar Corporation in connection with the court approval of its acquisition by NordStar Capital L.P.
A large accounting firm in an OSC enforcement proceeding and related class and other civil actions alleging contraventions of Generally Accepted Auditing Standards in connection with its audits of a group of investment funds
An Ontario broker-dealer in an IIROC enforcement proceeding alleging misuse of and failure to safeguard confidential information
Applicants and respondents in various proceedings involving the enforcement of letters rogatory obtained abroad