ROCHON GENOVA - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Immigration Consultant / Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant

Alejandra is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) and a Member in good standing with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) which is the national regulator of immigration consultants. Alejandra is an authorized RCIC and ICCRC representative who corresponds with the Canadian immigration authorities on behalf of clients and represents, advises and consults with clients regarding Canadian immigration applications.

Job Titles:

• Associate

Alessandra is an associate in the personal injury group at Rochon Genova LLP. Before joining the firm, Alessandra articled and practiced with a prominent personal injury firm in Niagara. Alessandra holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from Wilfrid Laurier University. During the third year of her undergraduate studies, she was selected to participate in the Wilfrid Laurier International Exchange Program and attended Univsersité Paris Dauphine on academic exchange. Alessandra holds an LL.B (Honours) from the University of Leicester. While in law school, she was an active member of the University Mentoring Program, the Canadian Law Society, and was a finalist in the Law School's Client Interviewing Competition. Prior to law school, Alessandra counseled and facilitated workshops for at-risk youth in the Employment Programs and non-Residential Attendance Centre Program at the John Howard Society. She also volunteered with the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services and served on the Board of Directors of Community Living Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln. Alessandra enjoys the outdoors, is an avid yogi and enjoys exploring Toronto's eclectic food scene.

Job Titles:

• Counsel to
• of Counsel / Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Allan is counsel to Rochon Genova and has special expertise in civil litigation, torts and corporate governance. He has been involved in a variety of civil actions and class actions as both expert and as counsel. Holding an LL.D. from the University of Manchester and being a member of Gray's Inn as well as L.S.U.C., he has been a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University since 1982. During that time, he has also held a variety of visiting appointments around the world, including University of Wales, University of London, University of Sydney, Monash University, and University of Toronto. He is presently the Associate Dean (Research, Graduate Studies and External Relations) at Osgoode Hall Law School. He was recently appointed to the position of distinguished Research Professor at York University and was elected as a fellow to the Royal Society of Canada, which is a national body of distinguished Canadian scientists and scholars that promote learning and research. Allan has published and/or edited 15 books, including a recent book from Cambridge University Press titled Evolution and The Common Law and one from Irwin Law titled The Companies We Keep: Corporate Governance For A Democratic Age. He is also the author of a text on legal ethics, titled Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Allan has contributed many chapters in books and numerous articles in the world's leading law reviews including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and the Oxford Journal of Legal Studies. He has also published many essays, notes and comments in a range of popular newspapers and is a regular contributor to the media.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Member of the Class Action Team
• Partner / Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Annelis Thorsen-Cavers is a partner with the firm. Since joining Rochon Genova in 2002, her focus has been principally on class action litigation, with a particular emphasis on pharmaceutical and medical device cases. Annelis is a graduate of the University of Waterloo (B.A., Hons. in Social Development Studies, 1994) and received her LL.B. from the University of Windsor in 1997. While at Windsor, Annelis' team placed second in the Arnup Cup Trial Advocacy Moot Competition, before her call to the Ontario Bar in 1999. Since joining Rochon Genova, Annelis has been an integral member of the class action team involved in the litigation and settlement administration of such landmark cases as Wilson v. Servier Canada Inc. (diet drugs), Coleman et al. v. Bayer et al. (Baycol), Boulanger v. Johnson & Johnson (Prepulsid), Ledyit v. Bristol-Myers Squibb et al. (Serzone), Bilodeau et al. v. Maple Leaf Foods Inc. et al. (contaminated meat), Voutour et al. v. Pfizer Canada Inc. et al. (Bextra and Celebrex), Mignacca et al. v. Merck Frosst Canada Ltd. et al. (Vioxx), Peter et al. v. Medtronic, Inc. et al. (defibrillator batteries), Robinson et al. v. Medtronic, Inc. et al. (defibrillator leads) and Casseres et al. v. Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited et al. (ACTOS and generic pioglitazone), among others. Annelis has also contributed to the drafting and editing of numerous Rochon Genova conference papers and is a co-author of The Emotional Consequences of Personal Injury, 2nd ed., along with Joel Rochon.

Job Titles:

• Professor

Professor Bernard Dickens, a leading medical ethicist at the University of Toronto, testified that the programs failed to meet the ethical standards of the day, including the ethical obligation of a physical to do no harm and to practice medicine with the best interest of the patient in mind. He opined that "the Province of Ontario did not provide adequate oversight of the patients' welfare and rights, leaving vulnerable, mentally-ill patients to the custody and care of psychiatrists who,… embarked on experimental programs in conditions that fell short of the ethical standards of the day".

Job Titles:

• Law Clerk

Job Titles:

• Founding Partner
• Co - Lead Trial Counsel, Welcomed the Decision
• Managing Partner / Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Joel Rochon is a founding partner of Rochon Genova LLP and heads the firm's class action group. His practice primarily involves products liability, train and aviation accidents, defective drugs and medical devices, securities, anti-trust, consumer protection, and institutional abuse. Through his work, Joel strives to provide access to justice for individuals who have suffered harm. Since establishing the firm in 1999, Joel has led or co-led many of Canada's most important class actions. He is a fierce advocate for those who have suffered harm as a result of the fault of major corporations or governments. Through class actions, the power imbalance can be adjusted, if not leveled. Joel was educated at the University of Western Ontario and McGill University where he received his BA in 1983. In 1986 he received his L.L.B. from the Universite de Moncton (in French). Joel is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Advocates' Society, The Canadian Bar Association, The Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, The Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the Association of Jurist de l'expression Francais de l'Ontario (AJEFO). Joel is the co-author of two books: The Emotional Consequences of Personal Injury - A Handbook for Psychiatrists and Lawyers, 1992 (now in 2nd Edition) and Interlocutory Proceedings - Strategy and Practice, 1996, both published by Butterworths. He is also the author of a number of articles on class action litigation and is a regular speaker at class action conferences in Canada, the United States and France. He has been recognised by L'Expert as "most consistently recommended" in Class Action Litigation and cross-border litigation. Joel P. Rochon, co-lead trial counsel, welcomed the decision: "This landmark decision underscores the inviolability and the right to human dignity of every person, regardless of who they are - no one should be exposed to dehumanizing and degrading treatment and experimentation. This decision sends a strong message that, in treating vulnerable, marginalized members of society, medical professionals are and have always been very much bound by ethical obligations and standards of professional conduct grounded in the Hippocratic Oath, the Nuremberg Code and the Declaration of Helsinki." The Plaintiffs were represented at trial by Joel P. Rochon, Peter R. Jervis and Golnaz Nayerahmadi of Rochon Genova LLP. The decision is a determination of liability on the merits in a lawsuit that began 20 years ago. The trial will now proceed to its second phase, which will involve a determination of damages, including whether punitive damages should be awarded against Ontario and the doctors.

Job Titles:

• Senior Analyst - Immigration Case Management / Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Martha Nino was born in Colombia and immigrated to Canada in 2001. Martha began working at Rochon Genova in 2004 to serve as the link to hundreds of Hispanics seeking to immigrate to Canada. Martha, under the supervision of Vincent Genova, represents the firm in Latin America. The experience that Martha has gained as an immigrant, along with her ongoing studies in immigration law, makes her the perfect fit for our immigration practice. Martha received her Law Degree in 1992 from the Universidad Catolica of Colombia. Martha also achieved two post graduate degrees in Taxation Law and Management from the Universidad del Rosario and La Universidad industrial de Santander in Colombia. In Canada, Martha has been involved in publishing and writing having owned and published the Hispanic magazine ABANICO for six years . Its objective was to assist Hispanics in Canada to adapt to their new culture and society in Canada. She has also authored numerous articles concerning immigration in various Hispanic media outlets both in print and digital.

Job Titles:

• Associate / Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Associate in the Class Action Group

Matthew is an associate in the class action group at Rochon Genova. He is developing a practice focused on class actions and multi-plaintiff actions. Before his call to the bar, Matthew summered and articled with Rochon Genova. During this time, Matthew assisted on a broad range of litigation matters, including preparing submissions for multiple trials and applications before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and appeals before the Court of Appeal for Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada. Matthew has experience in pharmaceutical and medical device product liability, mass tort, securities misrepresentation, and institutional abuse actions. Matthew holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Toronto. While in law school he volunteered with the Pro Bono Students Canada Class Actions Project and Advocates for Injured Workers. Matthew also sat as an Associate Editor on the University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review and was an Academic Advisor for the Faculty of Law Academic Success Program. Prior to joining Rochon Genova, Matthew completed his graduate studies at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine where he conducted biochemical research. Specifically, he used protein X-ray crystallography for drug discovery research with a focus on infectious disease and cancer. Matthew's research and academic achievements have been recognized with various awards including a Canadian Institutes for Health Research Frederick Banting & Charles Best Award and the University of Toronto Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology's Norman Bethune Award. Matthew enjoys mountaineering, rock climbing, and reading.

Job Titles:

• Securities

Job Titles:

• Partner / Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Peter Ivanyi joined the firm in 2000 as an income partner. He specializes in immigration/refugee law, as well as family law. Peter has a BA from the University of Toronto and received his LL.B. from the University of Manitoba. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1996. Peter is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada and of the Canadian Bar Association's Family Law and Immigration Subsections. He is also a member of the Refugee Lawyers Association. Peter regularly appears before The Immigration and Refugee Board, as well as the Federal Court, and at various Superior and Ontario Courts of Justice. Peter is an avid baseball fan and practices Karate in his spare time. Peter is fluent in English and Hungarian.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Partner / Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Peter Jervis is a partner at Rochon Genova LLP. His practice primarily involves securities litigation, class action litigation, complex commercial and financial litigation, and constitutional and administrative law litigation. He has argued cases and advised clients nationally and has appeared before arbitration panels, administrative tribunals, and trial and appellate courts across the country including multiple appearances at the Supreme Court of Canada. Mr. Jervis has also practiced before the securities commissions of a number of provinces and has worked with US counsel on complex, cross-border litigation. He has also acted as counsel on a number of class proceedings dealing with primary and secondary market liability for nondisclosure of material information by public issuers of securities. He is consistently recognized by Lexpert and other publications as a "Repeatedly Recommended" lawyer in Securities and Class Actions, and commercial litigation. He has been recognized in Chambers Global as a leading Business Litigation and Dispute Resolution counsel. He was educated at the University of Toronto, Cambridge University and Queen's University and has a masters degree in law from Osgoode Hall Law School. He lectures frequently in matters dealing with securities litigation and class action litigation.

Job Titles:

• Associate

Pritpal is an associate at Rochon Genova LLP. Prior to being called to the bar in 2023, Pritpal articled and summered at Rochon Genova.

Job Titles:

• Accident Benefits Clerk
• Accident Benefits Clerk / Paralegal / Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Member of the Law Society of Upper Canada

Radha is a Licensed Paralegal with the firm, specializing in Motor Vehicle Accident Claims with an emphasis on Accident Benefits. Radha joined ROCHON | GENOVA LLP in 2009 as a law clerk. Radha is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, ADR Institute of Ontario, Paralegal Society of Ontario and the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario.

Job Titles:

• Associate
• Partner / Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Sara is an partner in the personal injury group at ROCHON | GENOVA LLP. Before joining the firm, Sara articled and practiced with a boutique personal injury firm in Toronto. Sara holds a common law degree from the University of Windsor and a civil law degree from the University of Ottawa. During the third year of her common law studies, she attended L'Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) on academic exchange. While in law school, she was a competitor in the Zuber Moot Competition, the Hicks Morley Labour & Employment Moot Competition, the Koskie Minsky LLP Diversity Moot Competition, and the Bora Laskin Bilingual Moot Competition. As the recipient of the University of Windsor Law Social Justice Fellowship in 2010, she worked at Equitas, an international human rights education organization in Montreal, Quebec. In 2011, she acted as an advocate with Legal Assistance of Windsor, representing clients before the Social Benefits Tribunal, and the Landlord and Tenant Board, and a volunteer with the Legal Information Clinic at McGill University. Prior to law school, Sara earned an Honours Bachelor Degree in Management and Organization Studies from the University of Western Ontario. In her spare time, Sara enjoys fitness training and international travel.

Job Titles:

• Associate
• Associate / Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Sarah is an associate at Rochon Genova LLP. Prior to being called to the bar in 2022, Sarah summered at Rochon Genova.

Job Titles:

• Legal Assistant

Job Titles:

• Founding Partner
• Partner / Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Vincent Genova is a founding partner of Rochon Genova LLP. His specialty is litigation, including catastrophic injuries and personal injury, class actions, long and short term disability, aviation, municipal, automobile and other insurance law litigation. Vincent's expertise in personal injury litigation ranges from fatalities and serious brain and spinal cord injuries to chronic pain cases. Vincent also heads up our aviation law group at Rochon Genova LLP, where he works with a team of lawyers to help plane crash victims and their families. Apart from his involvement in plaintiff class actions, Vincent has defended two national class actions commenced in Ontario, one in British Columbia, and the other in Alberta, on behalf of the largest privately held payday loan company in Canada. Vincent is a graduate of the University of Toronto (B.A., Hons. in Criminology and Sociology, 1984) and received his LL.B. from the University of Western Ontario in 1987. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1989. He has since continued to further his legal education at Harvard Law School, participating in the Advanced Mediation Workshop in June, 2004. Vincent is the past Vice-Chair of the Insurance Law Section of the CBA of Ontario, a member of the Canadian Italian Advocates Organization, the Advocates' Society, the American Association for Justice, and the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association. He was Chair of the CBAO Conference on Class Action Suits in 2000, and was an Instructor in Advocacy at the Bar Admissions Course, for a number of years. Vincent obtained the designation of Certified Specialist (Civil Litigation) in 2003. He was appointed as a Deputy Judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Small Claims Division, in February, 2005 until 2015. Vincent also taught civil procedure for 3 years beginning in January 2014 at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto as an adjunct professor. Vincent has presented papers on insurance issues to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association Claims Conference. He has participated in numerous radio programs and appeared on television programs such as Global News, Goldhawk Live and CBC's Newsworld to discuss various legal cases and issues. Vincent is an avid motorcycle enthusiast. Until recently he was actively involved with his sons' hockey teams and enjoys playing road hockey with his children and their friends. Vincent is fluent in English and Italian, and is currently learning Spanish.