Speakers and Facilitators
Antoine L. Collins
Antoine L. Collins has been practicing law in the United States and Canada for over two decades. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Chicago School of Law, he began his legal career as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Baltimore, where his prosecutorial work encompassed a wide range of cases, from minor theft to serious offenses such as felony child abuse and domestic violence. After immigrating to Canada in 2009 and being called to the Ontario Bar in 2011, Antoine transitioned to various legal fields, including real estate, immigration, and refugee law, while also providing pro bono support to low-income Ontarians.
Currently, he serves as a Member (Adjudicator) with the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, where he makes well-reasoned, efficient, and fair decisions on refugee protection claims and spearheads innovative initiatives that enhances decision-making quality and efficiency.
Antoine is actively involved in the Ontario legal community. He has held numerous leadership roles with the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) and is an executive of the County of Carleton Law Association (CCLA). As Immediate Past President of the National Capital Region’s chapter of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL), Antoine is dedicated to mentorship, diversity, equity, and inclusion, believing that a diverse legal profession is essential for access to justice. Oh, did we forget to mention, Antoine is also a celebrated jazz recording artist, with three full-length albums already released and a fourth set to debut this fall. Stay tuned!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoine-l-collins-9637094/
Christopher Bredt
ADR Chambers
Chris is an arbitrator and mediator with ADR Chambers. He has considerable expertise in public law, including regulatory issues in the areas of professional discipline, securities, constitutional and First Nation issues.
Chris has extensive experience in adjudication and mediation in the area of professional discipline. He was a member of the Law Society Tribunal from 2008 - 2024 and served as Vice-Chair of the Appeal Panel from 2016 to 2019. He was a member of the Ontario Judicial Counsel from 2016 - 2023, sitting on discipline proceedings involving provincial court judges. He chairs discipline panels for CIRO – Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization. Before he retired to mediate and arbitrate full time, Chris was a senior litigation partner/counsel at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-bredt-lsm-9493894/
Colin Johnston
Partner, Lenczner Slaght LLP
Colin Johnston is a partner at Lenczner Slaght and former legal counsel to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Colin’s litigation practice focuses on healthcare litigation and administrative law, acting for physicians and other professionals in civil and regulatory proceedings before the courts and various tribunals. He provides physicians with practical advice in all aspects of healthcare law, including medical assistance in dying, mental health law, hospital governance, and professional regulation. Colin has been recognized as a leading lawyer in the fields of medical negligence and professional liability by the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and Best Lawyers in Canada.
Shayne Kert
Lawyer/Adjudicator
Shayne Kert is a lawyer who has practised criminal and quasi-criminal law in Ontario and Nunavut. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 1990, and to the Nunavut Bar in 2010.
Shayne has also been a frequent lecturer and participant in continuing legal education, particularly in the areas of criminal and mental health law.
Jennifer Khurana
Chairperson, Canadian Human Rights Tribunal
Jennifer was previously the Vice-Chairperson of the CHRT and has also served as a Vice-Chairperson at the Social Security Tribunal of Canada and at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, and as a Member of the Ontario Social Benefits Tribunal.
Internationally, Jennifer was the Director of International Humanitarian Law at the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C., and from 2003-2009 served as Legal Advisor in Chambers and as External Relations Advisor to the President of the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
Jennifer was the Chairperson of the Council of Canadian Administrative Tribunals (CCAT) from 2019 to 2022 and served on CCAT’s executive committee as Past Chair. She was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Centre for Plain Language. She a regular contributor at conferences and professional development programmes.
Jennifer completed her Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Ottawa and her Bachelor of Laws at the University of Toronto. Jennifer also holds an LL.M. from the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at Lund University in Sweden.
Clifford McCarten
Lawyer & Adjudicator
Clifford McCarten is a lawyer and researcher at Osgoode Hall Law School. Between 2019-2025, he adjudicated refugee claims and led national technology transformation initiatives at Canada’s largest administrative tribunal to accelerate and scale quality decision making. His designs underwrite the decision-making workflow of hundreds of refugee adjudicators deciding tens of thousands of claims a year. He previously had a practice in immigration and refugee law, where his work focused on detention, criminal inadmissibility and deportation.https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliffordmccarten/
Malcolm Mercer
Chair, Law society Tribunal
Malcolm Mercer has been:
- Chair, Law Society Tribunal since 2020
- Member, Law Society Tribunal, from 2011 to 2018
- Member, immigration and Refugee Board, 2018 to 2021
Ahmad Mozaffari
Counsel
Ahmad is counsel at Steinecke Maciura LeBlanc, where he practises in all areas of professional regulation. Ahmad has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario as well as specialized administrative tribunals. Ahmad’s practice also includes representing regulators on appeals before the Divisional Court. Prior to joining Steinecke Maciura LeBlanc, Ahmad gained varied litigation experience at a boutique litigation firm where he practised primarily in the area of professional regulation, representing professionals in civil and regulatory proceedings as well as prosecuting on behalf of several health regulators. Most recently, Ahmad worked at a large financial institution where he maintained a broad practice including fraud, anti-money laundering and class actions litigation.
Naomi Overend
Retired Vice-Chair, Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
Naomi Overend was a litigation lawyer with Ontario Human Rights Commission and the Law Society of Ontario. She held the position of Vice-chair and Acting Associate Chair with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. Most recently, she worked as an assessor adjudicating claims under a sexual misconduct class action settlement.
Angela Peco
Tribunal Counsel and Manager, CMTO
Anxhela (Angela) Peco is Tribunal Counsel and Manager at the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario, where she has managed the Hearings Office since 2018. As an adjudicator with two provincial tribunals as well as national and international sport dispute resolution bodies, she also draws on her front-line adjudication experience to advise decision-makers on a wide range of procedural and substantive matters. Ms. Peco holds a Master of Public Administration degree and previously worked in justice and health policy development.
Maureen Salama
Partner, Brauti Thorning LLP
Maureen's practice focuses on criminal defence, regulatory, and professional discipline cases. She often represents members of police services, health care providers and other professionals who have been charged with professional misconduct or other offences. Maureen often acts as amicus before various professional discipline tribunals and is tasked with cross-examining complainants in self-represented proceedings.
Maureen also represents victims of crime, particularly of sexually-based offences. She acts as Statutory Director and as external prosecution counsel for various regulatory agencies.
Mark Sandler
Senior Partner, Cooper, Sandler, Shime & Schwartzentruber LLP
Mark Sandler has been a criminal and regulatory appellate and trial litigator for over 45 years. He is a former part-time member of the Human Rights Tribunal, a former Chair of the Law Society of Ontario's Appeal Panel and Vice-Chair of the Tribunal, a former Commissioner and adjudicator at the Ontario Securities Commission and former Chair of its Tribunal Committee, and a former chair of panels respecting other financial regulatory bodies.
Kafui Sawyer
Executive Director of Joy Health and Research Centre
Kafui Sawyer is a Registered Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor, and Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa. She serves as an elected Council Member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and sits on its Discipline Committee. Kafui has worked nationally as a Trauma Consultant for Health Canada and an EDI Consultant for McGill University. She is the Founder of the Black Psychology Section of the Canadian Psychological Association and Co-Founder of the Black, Indigenous, and Racialized People Psychology Web. Kafui has collaborated extensively with Indigenous and Black communities across Canada to strengthen culturally grounded and trauma-informed care. Her research and clinical practice focus on breaking intergenerational cycles of child maltreatment and promoting equitable mental health care.
Laura Siperman
Adjudicative Tribunals Counsel
Laura is currently Adjudicative Tribunals Counsel with the Tribunals Office of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario. Prior to this, she held several progressive roles at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, including as an Adjudicator and National Training and Mentorship Lead at the Refugee Protection Division, and as Counsel Conduct Project Lead at the Refugee Appeal Division. She also worked as Discipline Counsel with the Law Society of Ontario, where she prosecuted professional conduct cases before the Law Society Tribunal.
Lyla Simon
Acting Head, Adjudicative Tribunals, CPA OntarioLyla Simon is a lawyer and the Acting Head, Adjudicative Tribunals with Chartered Professional Accountants Ontario, the governing body for 105,000 members and 19,000 students in Ontario. Previously Ms. Simon was with the MFDA (now known as CIRO) where she prosecuted cases across Canada, and prior to that, she held roles with Merrill Lynch and McCarthy Tétrault LLP. Outside of professional work, Ms. Simon has a number of volunteer passions, including serving the sport of Olympic-style amateur boxing as an Official (referee/judge) locally, nationally, and internationally.
Lisa Spiegel
Partner, Miller Thomson
Lisa Spiegel has an advocacy practice servicing the health industry. Renowned as a trusted advisor to health industry clients on a broad range of legal matters, her practice includes the defence of regulated health professionals, hospital privileging and medical staff issues, and medico-legal defence. With a rich background in health litigation, including having acted as a prosecutor at the CPSO navigating complex misconduct cases, Lisa is a seasoned representative in courts and tribunals, offering practical and responsive legal advice.
Lisa’s robust presence in academic forums, including her instructor roles at Osgoode Hall Law School as both a co-teacher of its Professional Governance in the Professional LLM Health Law program and an instructor in its Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop, underscores her passion for spreading legal knowledge while offering valuable insights in professional regulation courses.
Lisa is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, The Advocates’ Society and the Medico-Legal Society of Toronto among others. She has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in Canada for in multiple legal domains, including administrative law and health law. Lisa also contributes as a facilitator in legal education programs, including through the Advocates’ Society, supporting her dedication to continuous learning and development in the legal sphere.
https://www.millerthomson.com/en/your-team/lisa-spiegel/
Dionne Woodward
Tribunal Counsel, HPDT
Dionne Woodward is a lawyer and public health epidemiologist. For 15 years, Dionne has held roles of progressive seniority in the public and non-profit sectors, including over ten years at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). Through this work, Dionne has developed substantial expertise in the regulation and discipline of health professionals. Her regulatory experience has included leading the development and review of complex CPSO policy files to guide professional physician conduct, investigating complaints regarding physician practice, conduct and capacity, and currently as Tribunal Counsel with the Health Professions Discipline Tribunals. Drawing on her combined legal and health expertise, Dionne taught health law for two years at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). Dionne holds a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and a Master of Health Science in Community Health and Epidemiology from the University of Toronto. Prior to her call to the bar in 2014, Dionne served as judicial law clerk to the Superior Court of Justice.
