Barrie Attzs has a Litigation practice focusing exclusively on matters arising from private companies and family businesses, their owners and managers, their stakeholders, their estates and their regulators.

Barrie received his legal education in London, England and in Canada. He articled and practiced commercial litigation at a preeminent Canadian business law firm. He is a resourceful practitioner with years of experience having been involved in a broad range of civil and regulatory litigation cases.

It’s all in the mind and the soul – Barrie has been extraordinarily successful on behalf of clients not just because of well honed legal skills, but because of his pragmatism and imaginative approach to unraveling business disputes. He is a sharp strategist and is recognized for finding creative, cost-efficient, and workable solutions for clients facing difficult business issues mired in legal disagreement. It is not about winning at any cost – it’s about the best resolution within the context of business goals and the available business resources. This means a keen understanding of the real business issues underlying and surrounding litigation--knowing the business and the personality of the owner and determining the law's impact. Barrie applies common sense at times when others are fuelled by strong emotions. Business owners count on him to exercise judgment, get to the heart of the matter, bring clarity to the situation, and, above all, work with them to minimize litigation's unwanted intrusive impact on their operations.

Barrie represents clients in matters extending from personal business disputes to complex contested matters, including misrepresentation, shareholder disputes, fraud, interference in contractual relations, Condominium and property management, estate litigation and construction liens. He has developed particular expertise in breach of contract disputes in commercial and real estate agreements and in seeking and defending injunctions and other pre-trial remedies.

Barrie’s close association with entrepreneurs occurred during the period when he practiced in his own litigation boutique. It was during this time that he acted as assistant commission counsel for the Toronto External Contracts Inquiry – the recent high profile inquiry investigating IT procurement and governance at the City of Toronto.

As with the other litigators at the firm, Barrie supports lawyers who, from time to time, may be seeking to make a specialized referral for a client due to a conflict or for a matter outside of their area of practice. Through the years, for example, Barrie has maintained a keen interest in Tax law. Prior to joining Keyser Mason Ball LLP, he held the position of Senior Consultant with one of the “Big Four” global accounting firms. He advised local and multinational companies on domestic and foreign tax implications of their operations.

While the litigation process itself holds no enjoyment for a client, Barrie has subscribed to the notion that the relationship between client and lawyer should be comfortable for both. All the skill and brilliance in the world mean little if the client has to go through the experience with someone who lacks perspective or humanity. It comes down to treating clients’ business like they do.

Admissions and Affiliations

• Called to the Bar in Ontario 2002

Education

• LL.B. (Hons.) King’s College, University of London, England 1997
• Certificate of Qualification, Federation of Law Societies of Canada (A Average) 2001

Contact Information

• Phone: 905.276.0413
• E-mail: battzs@kmblaw.com

Publications

• The Legal Mine Field of Condominium Rule Enforcement»