Vlad Calina was previously a partner at Toronto firm Koskie Minsky LLP
Vlad Calina, a litigator whose accomplishments include securing a rare Ontario court order to decertify an employment class action, has joined Fasken as a Vancouver partner in the firm’s litigation and dispute resolution group.
Previously a partner at Toronto firm Koskie Minsky LLP, Calina told Canadian Lawyer his return to Vancouver “was a professional homecoming, in a way.”
“I started my legal career clerking for [the British Columbia] Court of Appeal, and my experience here became an integral part of my success as an advocate,” Calina said. “However, it was the chance to join Fasken specifically that drew me from Toronto to Vancouver. The opportunity to join the exceptional class action defence team at Fasken was too good to pass up.”
Calina’s first day at Fasken was Aug. 31.
In 2020, Calina was part of a team representing Strada Crush Limited in a certified class action alleging unpaid wages owed to a group of employees. After certifying the class action, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice later determined that the representative plaintiff, George Azar, was acting out of personal interest rather than representing the class's interests. The court found Azar was not a suitable representative plaintiff in the case.
Calina and his colleague asked the court to dismiss Azar’s attempt to reappoint him as the representative in the case. The lawyers also asked the court to decertify the class. The court agreed.
In an announcement about Calina’s hire, Fasken noted that the achievement, along with Calina’s role as lead counsel in a complex common issues class action trial, gave the litigator a distinction “achieved by only a select group of lawyers in Canada.”
In a statement, Jenny Francis, managing partner of Fasken’s BC office, called Calina a “highly skilled litigator with deep experience in class actions and complex commercial disputes.”
“Vlad's experience and advocacy skills make him an outstanding addition to our team and further strengthen an already leading practice,” Francis added.
Calina said he was honoured to join Fasken’s commercial litigation group.
We have a phenomenal and talented group of lawyers, and I am privileged to be part of the firm’s next chapter,” he said.
