Cory Giordano
Cory has broad experience in civil and criminal proceedings, and has appeared as counsel in various Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada. He believes that great legal writing both engages and persuades. The focus of his practice is to take complex and contentious legal issues and to make them as clear, simple, and interesting as possible. In a word, to make the law accessible.
Bar admission.
Ontario, 2015
Nunavut, 2022
Education.
University of Ottawa, Juris Doctor (J.D., Public Law Option), 2014
Queen’s University, Bachelor of Arts (B.A. [Hons.]), 2011 (with distinction)
Contact.
Tel: 613-695-8855
Fax: 613-695-8580
cgiordano@supremeadvocacy.ca
Connect on LinkedIn
Details.
Cory is a partner at Supreme Advocacy. His practice is focused on appellate litigation, drafting written arguments for cases in all areas of law going to the Supreme Court of Canada. He closely tracks what is happening at appellate courts across Canada which brings a creative edge to his research and submissions.
Cory has broad experience in drafting applications for leave to appeal, responses, factums, and motion materials at Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. His legal research practice includes addressing questions of jurisdiction, constitutional law, and religious freedom. He has appeared as counsel before the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, Divisional Court, Court of Appeal for Ontario, Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Supreme Court of Canada. He has also acted as amicus curiae before the Court of Appeal of Nunavut.
Before joining Supreme Advocacy, Cory participated in numerous criminal trials at the Ontario Court of Justice and Superior Court of Justice, and conducted civil motions and negotiations. He is a contributing author to legal publications, including Civil Procedure and Practice in Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada Manual. From 2021-2022, he served on the Board of Directors for the Glebe Parents’ Daycare Centre. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, where he has taught Appellate Advocacy since 2021.
Select Cases as SCC Agent:
- City of Hamilton v. Otto Bello, 42158 – municipal law; negligence; statutory interpretation
- Jennifer Eichenberg, et al. v. Attorney General of Canada, 41861 – Administrative law; firearms
- John Vabuolas, et al. v. Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia, et al., 41816 – Charter of Rights; religious freedom; right to access personal information held by religious congregations
- Sophia Hemmings, by her Litigation Guardian, Rosalie Brown, et al. v. Lloyd Gregory Padmore, et al., 41350 – torts; professional liability; negligence; causation analysis
- Arcamm Electrical Services Ltd. v. Avison Young Real Estate Management Services LP, et al., 41673 – contracts; contract for service; damages; summary judgment
- Rahimi v. R., 42205 — Criminal law; W.(D.) analysis
- Clarence Phillip Byron Sewap v. Saskatchewan Government Insurance, 42013 — Insurance; statutory interpretation
- Verna Umpherville v. Saskatchewan Government Insurance, 41995 — Insurance; statutory interpretation
- D’Arcy Mosher v. Angela Bossence, 41711 — Family law, evidence
- Michael Paul Dunmore v. Raha Mehralian, 41108 — Family law; custody; habitual residence
- Lundin Mining Corporation, et al. v. Dov Markowich, 40853 — Securities law; statutory interpretation; meaning of “material change”
- Earthco Soil Mixtures Inc. v. Pine Valley Enterprises Inc., 40197 — Sale of goods; contracts; exclusion clauses
- Wenchao Zheng v. Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association, 40984 – Administrative law; appeals
- F. v. N., 39875 – Family law; custody; jurisdiction
- B.J.T. v. J.D., 39558 – Family law; child protection; custody
- Karen Armstrong v. Colin Ward, 39049 – Torts; standard of review
- Jeffrey Bradfield v Royal Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada, 38949 – Automobile Insurance; contracts; exclusions; reasonable investigation of policy breach. Leave granted (April 23, 2020)
- Jeffrey Racette v. The Government of Saskatchewan, et al., 39060 – Contracts; torts
- Many Mansions Spiritual Center, Inc. v. Minister of National Revenue, 38815 – Tax; religious freedoms
- Betty Ann Wasylynuk v. Bernie Bouma, et al., 38791 – Wills & Estates; inter-vivos trust; express trust
- Karen Mawhinney v. Royal Trust Corporation of Canada (previously David Scobie, Thomas Walter and Brian Dau), et al., 38609 – Wills & Estates; interpretation; no contest clause
- Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association, as Representative of its members who are Third Parties to a Request as defined under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015 v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador, et al., 38400 – Access to Information; request for disclosure
- Chad Cadieux, by his Litigation Guardian Michael Cadieux, et al. v. Eric Saywell, 38509 – Torts,; damages
- Ontario Medical Association, et al. v. Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, et al., 38343 – Administrative Law; privacy
- Darius Tsatsi v. College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Province of Saskatchewan, et al. 38360, – Civil Procedure; summary judgment
- Brent McIver v. Carlyle Willis McIntyre, 38170 – Torts; negligence
- Joint Venture formed of Bouygues Building Canada Inc. and Kenaidan Contracting Ltd. v. Iannitello & Associés inc., et al., 38133 – Bankruptcy and Insolvency; procedure
- Andrew Massey, et al. v. Derek Fleming, 36905 – Employment Law; contracts
- Dean Leigh Bassett v. Erin Maureen Magee, 36884 – Family law; custody
- Kevin Karl Morrill v. Nadine Nicole Morrill, 37095 – Family law; custody
- James Chadwick Rankin, carrying on business as Rankin’s Garage & Sales v. J.J. by his Litigation Guardian, J.A.J., et al., 37323 – Torts; negligence
- Carrie Anne Tapak, et al. v. Non-Marine Underwriters, Members of Lloyd’s of London also known as Lloyd’s of London, 38070, – Insurance; limitation of actions
- Neloni Gunawardena v. Callum Bruff-Murphy and Hope Bruff-McArthur by their Litigation Guardian Liese Bruff-McArthur, et al., 37742 – Civil procedure; expert evidence
- Nylene Canada Inc. v. Corporation of the Town of Arnprior, 37837 – Municipal Law; public utilities
- Brenda Berge v. College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario, et al., 37851 – Regulatory Law; Charter
- Arland Richard Bruce v. Mark Steven Cohon, et al., 37696 – Labour Relations; collective
- Mark Mitchell, et al. v. Altaf Nazerali, 38113 – Damages; quantum
Select Cases as SCC Counsel/Co-counsel:
- Kathryn Louise Shukin v. Kirk Norbert Loeffler, Deceased, et al., 42035 – Co-counsel for the Applicant
- R. v. Singer, 2026 SCC 8 – Criminal law, privacy – Counsel for the Respondent
- Ultracuts Franchises Incorporated, et al. v. Christopher R. Cawston, et al., 40980 – Co-counsel for the Applicant
- Health Genetic Center Corp. o/a Health Genetic Center, et al. v. Peter Aldhous, et al., 39047 – Co-counsel for the Applicants
- Gerald Anthony v. Gary Gordon McKenzie, et al., 38598 – Property, inconsistent use – Co-counsel for the Applicant
- Alana Boodhoo, et al. v. Marivic Manuel, et al., 38298 – Property, torts – Co-counsel for the Applicant
- GCT Canada Limited Partnership v. Vancouver Fraser Port Authority et al., Court File No: T-53819 – Removal Motion – Co-counsel for the Respondent
- Rankin (Rankin’s Garage & Sales) v. J.J., 2018 SCC 19 – Torts – Co-counsel for the Appellant. Appeal allowed (May 11, 2018) Rankin’s Garage did not owe a duty of care. Claim against Rankin’s Garage dismissed with costs in the Supreme Court of Canada and in the courts below
- R. v. J.P.1., 2016 ONSC 5522 – Criminal Law, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching; Counsel for the Appellant. Appeal allowed. Convictions were set aside on the basis of an inadequate W.(D.) analysis and insufficient reasons as per Sheppard
Recent Appellate Work:
- Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. John’s v. Guardian Insurance Company of Canada, 2026 NLCA 11 – Co-counsel for the Intervener
- Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. John’s v Guardian Insurance Company of Canada, 2025 NLCA 29 – Co-counsel for proposed Intervener
- Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights v. Canada (Attorney General), 2025 FCA 82 (CanLII) — Co-counsel for the Appellants
- R. v. Singer, 2026 SCC 8 (CanLII) – Co-counsel for the Respondent
- Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights v. Canada (Attorney General), 2025 FCA 82 (CanLII) — Co-counsel for the Appellants
- Abraham et al v. Abraham, 2025 ONSC 770 — Co-counsel for the Applicants
- Del Grande v. Toronto Catholic District School Board, 2024 ONCA 769 — Co-counsel for the Appellant
- Yovcheva v. Hristov, 2024 ONCA 594 — Co-counsel for the Respondent
- Lesage v. Ontario (Attorney General), 2024 ONCA 500 — Co-counsel for the Appellant
- R. v. Coates, 2024 ONCA 216 (CanLII) — Co-counsel for the Applicant
- Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation v. Canada (Attorney General), 2023 ONCA 565 (CanLII) – Co-counsel for the Intervener Walpole Island First Nation
- Prairies Tubulars (2015) Inc. v. Canada (Border Services Agency), 2022 FCA 92 (CanLII) — Co-counsel for the Appellant
- Restoule v. Canada (Attorney General), 2021 ONCA 779 (CanLII) – Co-counsel for the Intervener the Blood Tribe
- Halpin, David J. v. Thibault, Sangeeta et al., (M51184) Motion for Leave to Appeal dismissed by ONCA, September 1, 2020 – costs, jurisdiction – Counsel for the Respondents
- Srebrolow Lebowitz Spadafora PC v. PW Lawyers Professional Corporation, 2018 ONCA 64 (CanLII) – Law of Professions, referral fees – Co-Counsel for the Appellants
- TMS Lighting Ltd. v. KJS Transport Inc., 2017 ONCA 427 (CanLII) – Torts; negligence – Co-Counsel for the Appellants
- Ontario Bar Association
- Canadian Bar Association
- Criminal Defence Lawyer’s Association
- County of Carleton Law Association
- 2021-Present: Appellate Advocacy – Part-time Professor (University of Ottawa)
- February 2019 & 2020: Appellate Advocacy, Civil Appellate Advocacy – guest lecturer (University of Ottawa)
- Civil Procedure & Practice in Ontario (CanLII & Windsor Law) author of chapters on ss. 2-17 of the Ontario Courts of Justice Act
- Bullen & Leake & Jacob’s Canadian Precedents of Pleadings (Carswell, 3rd ed., 2016), Co-author
- Supreme Court of Canada Manual (Canada Law Book, 2015-present), Co-author
- The Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, Research Assistant
- Fernandes v. Araujo: Vehicle Ownership, Possession and Vicarious Liability, The Advocates’ Quarterly, volume 45, number 2, March 2016 (Thomson Reuters Canada Limited Canada Law Book), Co-author
- CanLII Connects, Contributor
- Moot judge, Nelligan Moot, University of Ottawa, Common Law, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2021
- Moot judge (practice sessions), Wilson Moot, University of Ottawa, 2017