Anna Matas

Partner (She/Her)

Email: anna.matas@stlbarristers.ca

Phone: 647 245 0126

Follow Me:

LinkedIn

IG: @anna_matas_law

Blue Sky: @anna-matas.bsky.social

    • Administrative Law

    • Anti-SLAPP Litigation

    • Appeals

    • Civil Litigation

    • Civil Sexual Assault & Harassment

    • Health Law

    • Investigations

    • Media & Defamation Law

    • Professional Liability & Regulation

    • Public Law

  • Selected Cases

    • Bullock v Doe, 2025 ONSC 947

      • Successful summary judgment motion securing dismissal of a claim of malicious prosecution against our client, who reported sexual assault to the police.

    • Neve v Adams, 2024 ONSC 6117

      • Successful Rule 21 motion to dismiss the plaintiff’s claim of defamation on the basis the impugned communication was protected by absolute privilege.

    • BE v. OR, 2024 ONSC 6193

      • Obtained judgment following trial in a civil sexual assault case, achieving a notable punitive damages award of $250,000.

    • 40 Days for Life v. Dietrich, 2023 ONSC 5879 (Div. Ct.)

      • Successfully quashed an injunction restraining client’s speech on the first appeal to Divisional Court to consider whether an injunction can be granted once the stay in s.137.1(5) of the Courts of Justice Act is in effect following service of an anti-SLAPP motion. Leave to Appeal was dismissed by the ONCA.

    • Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia, 2023 ONCA 476

      • Acted for an intervenor at the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada on the issue of whether courts should recognize a tort of family violence. (SCC appeal argued February 2025; decision reserved).

    • V.T. v. D.T., 2021 ONSC 5926

      • Represented plaintiffs in a successful motion for summary judgment relating to childhood sexual abuse. Decision is an important step forward in recognizing the inherent difficulties associated with litigating sexual assault and abuse cases and serves as a precedent for future costs awards that acknowledge a trauma-informed approach to assisting survivors may require plaintiff-side lawyers to invest more time in preparation.

    • ONCRPO v. O’Brien, 2020 ONCRPO 4 (CanLII)

      • Provided Independent Legal Advice to the Discipline Committee of the Ontario College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario in a case arising from allegations of sexual abuse.

    • Ontario (College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario) v. Kaveri, 2017 ONCPSD 55 (CanLII)

      • Acted as counsel for a physician in relation to Discipline proceedings before his regulatory college, during a complicated matter involving overlapping proceedings before the CPSO, the Information and Privacy Commissioner, and the civil court system

    • Rosenthal v. Rosenthal, 2014 ONSC 317

      • Acted as amicus curiae in a historical civil sexual assault case

    • Hill v. Allen, 2009 ONCA 70

      • Successfully represented a physician at the Court of Appeal for Ontario in his defence of a medical negligence claim.

    • Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB), 2011 – 2022 (18 reported decisions)

      • Overwhelmingly successful in the defence of health professionals (physicians, dentists) in regulatory matters before the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board

  • Select Presentations

    • “Working With Vulnerable People in Civil Sexual Assault and Personal Injury Cases” - Presenter at TAS’ Tricks of The Trade (January 31, 2025)

    • “Fundamentals of Civil Sexual Assault” - Chair of Ontario Bar Association Conference (November 21, 2024)

    • “The Missing Middle: The Rising Cost of Legal Fees for Individuals” - Speaker at Law Society of Ontario & Women’s Law Association of Ontario panel (October 30th, 2024)

    • "Trauma-Informed Lawyering" - Speaker at the Ontario Bar Association's Anatomy of a Trial (June 13th, 2024)

    • "Suing for Silence" - Speaker for webinar with Durant Barristers LLP relating to the phenomenon of litigating against “silence breakers” (April 29, 2024)

    • "Damages" - Speaker at Osgoode PD, Civil Sexual Assault Conference (April 1, 2024)

    • "International Women’s Day" - Speaker at WLAO & LSO Equity Legal Education Series (March 6, 2024)

    • "Update on the Tort of Family Violence" - Speaker, Law Society of Ontario, The Eight-Minute Family Law Lawyer (November 28, 2023)

    • "Special Issues in Sexual Abuse Hearings" - Speaker at OsgoodePD, Certificate in Professional Regulation & Discipline in the Ontario Health Care Sector (November 29, 2023)

    • "Are We There Yet? Discussion on Pay Equity, Partnership and Serving the Public" - Speaker at Law Society of Ontario & Women’s Law Association of Ontario, Access to Justice Week (October 25, 2023)

    • "Main Character Energy: Taking Risks and Embracing Career Advancements" - Speaker at The Advocates’ Society, Women in Litigation Symposium (October 27, 2023)

    • Two Worlds Collide: Defending Civil Actions Arising out of Criminal Matters - Speaker for the Canadian Defence Lawyers (July 20, 2023)

    • Ontario Micro Conference on Gender Equity - Speaker at Lancaster House (April 19, 2023)

    • Claims 101 - Speaker at Osgoode PD, Critical & Emerging Issues in Civil Sexual Assault (February 27, 2023)

    • “Good, fast or cheap? Compensation for victims of violent crime is changing, and it won’t be all three”, Advocates’ Journal, vol. 38, no. 2, Fall 2019, p. 34-36

    • “Missed opportunities when derivative claims for sexual abuse aren’t considered”, The Lawyer’s Daily, October 10, 2017

    • “The use of pseudonyms in civil cases”, Canadian Lawyer Magazine, December 7, 2015

    • “Law takes aim at cyberbullies”, The Lawyer’s Weekly, November 4, 2015

    • “A bankrupt can’t escape a judgment for sexual assault”, Slaw, March 26, 2014 (with Elizabeth Grace)

    • “Liability and the sexually transmitted disease”, The Lawyer’s Weekly, February 7, 2014

    • “Introduction”, The Law Reports of the Special Court for Sierra Leone: The Prosecutor v. Fofana and Kondewa (The “CDF” case), (Martinus Nijhoff: Leiden, 2014)

    • “State Practice with Respect to Provisional Measures Orders”, Official Congress Document, 2nd World Congress Against the Death Penalty, Montreal, October 6- 9, 2004

Anna Matas, a partner at St. Lawrence Barristers, is an experienced litigator in personal injury and professional liability. She represents survivors of sexual violence in civil and administrative proceedings and defends regulated health care providers facing allegations of negligence, misconduct, and other complaints. She also acts for both plaintiffs and defendants in defamation cases and has significant expertise in anti-SLAPP (strategic litigation against public participation) proceedings. Anna regularly represents clients before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board, and other administrative bodies.

 

With experience spanning Bay Street, boutique litigation firms, and international war crimes tribunals in East and West Africa, Anna brings a unique perspective to her practice. She is frequently retained as Independent Legal Counsel in discipline matters for regulated health professions, offering neutral advice on complex procedural and substantive issues. This neutral work also informs her role as a third-party investigator into workplace harassment and discrimination.

 

Anna takes a trauma-informed approach to legal problems, recognizing that legal processes are often difficult for all participants. She combines creativity and realism to resolve disputes, and prioritizes making the law accessible so that clients understand their options for pursuing justice. Clients value her practical, strategic advice and her ability to advance their goals toward meaningful resolution.

 

Anna is committed to giving back to her profession and community. From 2016 to 2024, she served on the Board of Directors of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, including four years on the executive and, in her final year, as Chair. She continues to support the Clinic as pro bono legal counsel in its intervention work, as the Clinic continues to advocate for systemic change and improvements in access to justice for women and gender-diverse individuals who have experienced violence. In 2025, Anna joined the Advocates’ Society’s Mid-Career Advocates’ Standing Committee. She is actively engaged in mentoring young lawyers, including through the Advocates’ Society and her alma mater, McGill Law.

 

Anna is the recipient of the Women’s Law Association of Ontario’s 2024 President’s Award for leadership and excellence in the legal community. She is Lexpert ranked for Medical Malpractice (2023) and has been recognized by Best Lawyers since 2021 for her work in Personal Injury Litigation, Professional Malpractice Law, Medical Negligence, Health Care Law, and Administrative & Public Law.

Education:

  • B.C.L./LL.B., Law McGill University (2006)

  • B.Sc. Biochemistry University of Winnipeg (1998)

Bar Admissions:

  • Ontario (2008)

Recognition:

  • Women’s Law Association President’s Award (2024)

  • Lexpert ranked for Medical Malpractice (2023)

  • Recognized by Best Lawyers since 2021 in Personal Injury Litigation, Professional Malpractice Law, Medical Negligence, Health Care Law, and Administrative & Public Law.