Heyla Vettyvel

Heyla Vettyvel is an associate in the Advocacy department of Gowling WLG's Toronto office. Heyla is known for her composed, pragmatic approach and her ability to navigate complex legal disputes with clarity and purpose. Since articling at the firm, Heyla has earned the trust of colleagues and clients alike through her consistently high-quality work, reliability, and collaborative spirit.

Heyla’s practice focuses on commercial litigation (including shareholder disputes, contract disputes, banking litigation, and class actions) with an emphasis on real estate litigation matters. She frequently acts for institutional and private clients and is recognized for resolving matters efficiently. Heyla independently manages large client portfolios, has prepared for and was extensively involved in numerous trials and arbitrations, and has successfully led a team to victory in the defence of a nearly $1 billion claim involving allegations of negligent engineering and project management.

A natural mentor and team player, Heyla is committed to creating an environment where junior lawyers and staff feel supported and empowered. She is someone others want to work with – trusted for her sound judgment, responsiveness, and professionalism.

Outside of the firm, Heyla maintains an active leadership presence in the broader legal community. She serves as an executive member of the Ontario Bar Association’s (OBA) Civil Litigation Section and is extensively involved with the Tamil Bar Association (TBA). In her capacity as an executive with the OBA, Heyla has actively contributed to planning and executing continuing professional development events for the broader bar, has moderated panel discussions, and has spoken on topics relevant to both junior and senior litigators. With the TBA, Heyla has organized and hosted numerous events, including resume and interview workshops, career panels, and mentorship roundtables. These roles reflect her long-standing commitment to professional development, community building, and advancing equity within the legal profession.

Heyla is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, where she served as a criminal law division leader at the Community & Legal Aid Services Programme. She was responsible for all aspects of case management, including conducting client interviews, making regular court appearances, working on defence strategies, carrying out Crown pre-trial conferences and preparing for trial. While at Osgoode, Heyla also competed in and judged numerous mooting competitions and held various roles as an executive member of the Osgoode Tax Law Association.

Heyla graduated with distinction from the BBA program at the Schulich School of Business, completing a triple specialization in accounting, responsible business and entrepreneurship.