Robert is the senior founding partner of Rueter Scargall Bennett LLP. His counsel practice encompasses over 30 years of litigating before courts and tribunals in a broad range of areas including corporate/commercial and securities litigation, professional liability, constitutional and civil liberties, trade disputes and regulatory matters. Robert is also a leader in the area of defamation litigation.

Robert has appeared at all levels of courts in Ontario, Alberta and Quebec, and the Federal Court of Canada. Robert has appeared in a number of cases before the Supreme Court of Canada.

As senior litigation counsel, Robert’s expertise is in advocacy, applied across a full array of civil litigation subject matters. 

Robert received a B.A. (Honours) from York University in 1972 and a J.D. from the University of Toronto in 1975. Robert was called to the Ontario Bar in 1977 and clerked at the Court of Appeal for Ontario following his call to the Bar. Robert was called to the Alberta Bar in 1986. He has also received courtesy calls to the Quebec Bar and the Nova Scotia Bar. Robert has lectured in evidence, trial advocacy and negotiation theory at Osgoode Hall Law School and at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Robert is a member of the University Health Network’s Research Ethics Board and a member of the Ethical Review Committee of the University of Toronto’s Office of Research Services. 

Publications and/or Speeches

Stare Decisis in Commonwealth Appellate Courts
Butterworths, 1981
FIRA and the Rule of Law, 62 Canadian Bar Review
Exposing the Bare Trustee: Principal Liability of the Trust Beneficiary
CBAO
International Commercial Arbitrations
CBAO
Defamation, Some Practical Considerations
CBAO

Selected Cases

Jackson v. Vaughan (City), [2010] O.J. No. 588; Constitutional law, Charter of Rights and Freedom

Iroquois Falls Power Corp. v. Jacobs Canada Inc., [2008] O.J. No. 1967; Limitations

Frambordeaux Developments Inc. v. Romandale Farms Ltd., [2007] O.J. No. 4483; Contract, land development law

Smith v. Toronto Police Assn., [2007] O.J. No. 2221; Corporate governance

Young v. Toronto Star Newspapers et al. [Indexed as: Young v. Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd.], 77 O.R. (3d) 680; Defamation

HSBC Bank of Canada v. Deloitte & Touche Inc. [Indexed as: Regal Constellation Hotel Ltd. (Re)], 71 O.R. (3d) 355; Bankruptcy

Hi-Tech Group Inc. v. Sears Canada Inc. [Indexed as: Hi-Tech Group Inc. v. Sears Canada Inc.], 52 O.R. (3d) 97; Contract

Transamerica Life Insurance Co. of Canada v. Canada Life Assurance Co., [1997] O.J. No. 3754; Professional responsibility, fiduciary duty

A., v. The Queen, [1990] 1 S.C.R. 995; Constitutional law, Charter of Rights and Freedom (witness protection)

Gobuty (Re), [1988] O.J. No. 2607; Banking

Innisfil (Township) v. Vespra (Township), [1981] 2 S.C.R. 145; Administration law