Skip to content
Affleck Greene McMurtry LLP | Barristers
Christopher J. Somerville

Christopher J. Somerville

Christopher J. Somerville

Chris brings a creative, strategic, and practical approach to litigation. His wide-ranging experience and expertise encompass numerous areas of law, including corporate/commercial, securities, employment, construction, product liability, asset recovery, and administrative law.

Chris has represented clients as lead counsel at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Court of Appeal for Ontario, and Ontario Securities Commission. Beyond Ontario courts and tribunals, Chris has advocated before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, Canada Border Services Agency, and the Federal Court of Appeal. He is proud to have acted for national and international corporations, investment dealers and advisors, insurance companies, labour unions, charities, high-net-worth individuals, and working families.

Chris is also honoured to be legal counsel for the Canadian Crime Stoppers Association and Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers. He has published on the subject of informer privilege in The Advocates’ Journal and has presented at the Canadian Institute’s Law of Policing Conference.

Before private practice, Chris received the John Yaremko Award in Human Rights during law school at the University of Toronto. He also mooted in French at the Laskin constitutional and administrative law competition, and his team won First Place Pair and Second Place Factum.

View Chris' most recent publications.

Practice Areas

  • Corporate and Commercial Litigation
  • Insurance Defence
  • Securities Litigation
  • Construction Litigation
  • Shareholder & Partnership Disputes
  • Regulatory and Administrative Law

Other Practice Areas

Show More Practice Areas
  • Alternate Dispute Resolution
  • Appellate Counsel
  • Banking Litigation
  • Civil Fraud Cases
  • Civil Litigation
  • Complex Litigation
  • Compliance Programs
  • Constitutional Law
  • Contract Disputes
  • Corporate Governance
  • Cryptocurrency Disputes
  • Defamation
  • Employment Disputes and Wrongful Dismissal
  • Injunctions
  • International Law
  • International Litigation
  • Oppression
  • Products Liability
  • Professional Negligence Claims (lawyers, investment advisors, auditors, insurance brokers)

Experience

  • Partner, Affleck Greene McMurtry LLP, 2020-Present
  • Associate, Affleck Greene McMurtry LLP, 2011-2019
  • Called to the Bar, Ontario, 2011
  • Articling and Summer Student, Bennett Jones LLP, 2009-2011
  • LSAT Instructor, Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions, 2006-2007

Education

  • Juris Doctor, University of Toronto Faculty of Law, 2010
  • B.A. (Honours), University of Toronto, 2007

Memberships & Associations

  • Member of the Law Society of Ontario
  • Member of the Advocates’ Society
  • Member of the Ukrainian Canadian Bar Association

Selected Cases

Hampton Securites Ltd. v. Dean

Obtained judgment at trial for an equity markets trader against an investment firm, upheld on appeal. Reported at: 2018 ONSC 101 (CanLII, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, https://canlii.ca/t/hpt21) and 2018 ONCA 901 (CanLII, Court of Appeal for Ontario, https://canlii.ca/t/hw0m0)

Heavy Plate, NQ-2020-001

Delivered submissions in support of Canadian workers at international trade hearing that found injury caused by dumped steel goods from Germany and Taiwan. Reported at: 2021 CanLII 7551 (Canadian International Trade Tribunal, https://canlii.ca/t/jd25q)

Corrosion-resistant Steel Sheet, NQ-2019-002

Delivered submissions in support of Canadian workers at international trade hearing that found injury caused by dumped steel goods from Turkey and Vietnam. Reported at: 2020 CanLII 88355 (Canadian International Trade Tribunal, https://canlii.ca/t/jbm9f)

WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT US