Gowling WLG partner Sandra Barton has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. The induction ceremony took place online at the College's 2020 Annual Meeting and 70th Anniversary Celebration.

The American College of Trial Lawyers is an invitation-only fellowship of lawyers from the United States Canada, and Puerto Rico "who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of trial advocacy, ethical conduct, integrity, professionalism and collegiality."

Based in Gowling WLG's Toronto office, Barton is routinely distinguished among the country's foremost litigators by the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and The Best Lawyers in Canada. She focuses her practice on complex civil and commercial litigation matters, as well as class action defence and professional liability disputes.

"My induction into the College and my ability to practice law, are both significant privileges. Both come with a great responsibility to our profession and to society," said Barton. "I'm honoured and humbled that my career has been recognized in this way, and I look forward to championing the College's core principles in all my work – both inside and outside the courtroom."

A sought-after trial advocacy instructor, Barton trains lawyers across North America in an array of trial skills. She has served as an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School for a number of years, is a lead instructor in its annual Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop for lawyers across Canada, and regularly trains lawyers for The Advocates' Society. She is also a regular visiting instructor at the University of Notre Dame.

"Highly astute and exceptionally talented, Sandra is widely regarded for her ability to achieve optimal outcomes for her clients in even the most difficult disputes," said Mark Ledwell, managing partner of Gowling WLG's Toronto office. "On behalf of the firm, I congratulate her on this important – and well-deserved – career milestone."

Outside of her practice, Barton serves on the board of directors Touching Tiny Lives, a foundation that supports children and families in rural Lesotho who are struggling to cope with the ravages of HIV/AIDS, and formerly served on the board of directors of The Advocates' Society and the Homes First Foundation.

Barton was recently appointed co-chair of Gowling WLG's newly formed Toronto Anti-Racism Action Committee. The Toronto Committee will be working with Gowling WLG's National Anti-Racism Action Committee, and other such committees across the firm, to pursue meaningful initiatives that will help combat racism, with a particular focus on anti-Indigenous and anti-Black racism.

With more than 1,500 legal professionals in 19 cities across Canada, the U.K., Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Gowling WLG delivers comprehensive, strategic solutions that address a broad range of litigation matters – both in the courtroom and through negotiation and alternative dispute resolution – so that clients can achieve their desired results as quickly as possible.