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Maureen M. Ward

Partner

Partner | Email

T: 416.777.4630

Email

Toronto

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Ward Maureen
 
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T: 416.777.4630


Email

Toronto

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  • Education
  • Bar Admissions
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  • Recent Recognition
  • Insights, News & Events
  • Related Services
  • Select Experience
  • Recent Recognition
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Maureen Ward is a leading commercial litigator with a practice that includes fraud and asset recovery, cross-border financial crime, investigations, and enforcement of international judgments and arbitral awards.

Maureen is a member of the Fraud Law Group and was ranked by Chambers & Partners in their 2024 Global Guide for Asset Tracing Recovery litigation lawyers. Her clients and market peers note that she is “technically excellent” and is “a force of nature: fantastic in her approach to clients and problems, with real energy and drive".

What Clients Say

“Maureen Ward is a force of nature: fantastic in her approach to clients and problems, with real energy and drive. Within the Canadian space, she is incredibly powerful. She stands out in the global space in her holistic approach and is someone I rate highly."

Maureen represents stakeholders from multiple industries in complex domestic and international cross-border litigation, internal investigations and multi-jurisdictional disputes. She frequently provides swift legal and strategic advice after the discovery of a fraud including by attending at court to seek urgent tracing and freezing orders. Maureen is an Officer of the International Bar Association Asset Recovery Committee.

What Clients Say

“Maureen Ward is very accomplished, well spoken, skilled and extremely professional. I would not hesitate to refer her to my contacts. She is a great partner to collaborate with."

Maureen's practice includes:

Litigation Related to Fraud and Asset Recovery: Including domestic and international/cross-border litigation, receiverships, liquidations and insolvencies arising from or connected to fraud, cryptocurrency insolvency and crypto-fraud litigation, corruption-related and financial regulatory investigations, bank and professional liability. Maureen also has extensive experience in obtaining Mareva injunctions, Anton Piller orders, Norwich Pharmacal orders, orders in regard to fraudulent conveyances and criminal restitution orders. Maureen also acts as an independent supervising solicitor for the execution of Anton Piller orders and provides advice in responding to injunctions.

Internal Investigations: Including both domestic and international investigations arising from fraud or corruption, employee theft, kickback schemes, whistleblower complaints or regulatory proceedings.

Enforcement of Foreign Judgments and Arbitral Awards: Including conducting asset investigations, seeking injunctive asset freezes and other relief, arguing preliminary motions challenging jurisdiction and all other manner of enforcement work.

Anti-Money Laundering and Corruption Investigations and Compliance: Including advising on compliance with laws and regulations, ABC policies and best practices and assisting in investigations arising from corruption allegations.

Letters Rogatory / Letters of Request: Including by enforcing and defending requests from foreign jurisdictions to obtain evidence or other relief.

What Clients Say

“Maureen Ward handles situations in a calm and balanced manner. She is technically excellent."

Her advocacy experience includes litigation of issues regarding Ponzi schemes, offshore banking, bank liability, data-breaches, bills of exchange, investment disputes, tracing assets in high-value contentious divorce cases involving international and domestic hidden assets, credit card and cheque fraud, insurance fidelity claims, secret commissions, major contractual disputes, international letters of credit and bankruptcy matters.

In addition to these practice areas, Maureen's work also spans a broad range of matters including commercial arbitration proceedings, complex cross-border commercial litigation, Investor-State NAFTA disputes and competition law investigations.

Maureen is frequently called upon to speak and provide lectures in relation to her practice areas including at leading conferences, the International Bar Association, Universities (Osgoode Law and Western Law) and CLE programs. Maureen was interviewed by CBC in respect of investment fraud in Canada. She was also a guest instructor at and completed the Canadian Police College Integrated Financial Investigations course on Investment Fraud. She is a co-author of the legal chapter of the Association of Certified Forensic Investigators of Canada (ACFI) Certification Manual.

Maureen is on the steering committee and is a member of the International Fraud Group, a network of fraud litigation lawyers around the world, which allows for ease at tackling multi-jurisdictional high-value fraud disputes. She is a co-founder of the North American Chapter of CFAAR, a crypto fraud and asset recovery network. She is also a member of the International Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Advocates Society. She was awarded best oralist in Canada in the Philip C. Jessup International Moot competition.

Education

University of Guelph, BA, 1996, with honours University of Windsor, LLB, 1999 

Bar Admissions

Ontario, 2001

Select Experience

Joint Liquidators of Three Arrows Capital based in the British Virgin Islands which is a $5-$8 Billion insolvency in recognition proceedings in the Ontario court
Joint liquidators in Antigua’s Stanford International Bank in leading the Canadian civil asset recovery proceedings of a $5.5-billion collapse resulting from the world’s second-largest Ponzi scheme
A large Venture Capital fund in Chicago in respect of a $22.5-million cross-border investment fraud involving obtaining a freeze order and Anton Piller Order
An arbitral award winner seeking to recognize and enforce a US$170-million judgment in Canada
In relation to a multi-billion-dollar Brazilian fraud and the related international asset tracing where $1.3 billion was misappropriated and used to undertake corporate acquisitions in the Canadian public markets, apparently in an effort to launder the funds and further the fraud
A multi-million dollar Canadian construction company in respect of a cross-border "business email compromise" fraud dispute
For a multi-billion dollar European company in respect of a $77-million kick-back scheme claim
For the winner of an arbitral award against a foreign sovereign in respect of enforcing the multimillion dollar arbitral award. 
For the joint liquidators of Antiguan based Stanford International Bank, in international and Canadian recovery efforts arising from losses in the amount of $4.4 billion, the world's second largest Ponzi scheme
For The United States of America Securities and Exchange Commission court appointed federal equity receiver in Texas, in litigation and asset recovery work in the "Chinese Warren Buffet" multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme
For a large European publicly traded bookmaker in obtaining and executing an Anton Piller Order following the theft and attempted reselling of private information and data belonging to over a million customers
For a large publicly traded European company in relation to a complex and sophisticated short-selling scheme in obtaining and executing disclosure orders to identify web-based wrongdoers
For a large aircraft manufacturer in responding to an aircraft asset freeze arising from a multi-million dollar foreign arbitral award against a foreign sovereign
A Swiss-based organization, the Bruno Manser Fund, in a first-of-its-kind application for a Norwich Pharmacal "disclosure" order to obtain information for use in connection with a potential private prosecution relating to the alleged money laundering in Canada of the proceeds of Malaysian political corruption
For a large aircraft manufacturer in anti-bribery and corruption compliance and investigation
For an intermediate oil and gas company, Lone Pine, in a NAFTA investor state dispute in Canada
Investors in Stanford International Bank Ltd. in claims against Toronto-Dominion Bank. Dynasty v. Toronto Dominion Bank, 2010 ONSC 436 Court File No. 09-8373-00CL Date: 2010-01-21
For the court appointed receiver in "Canada's largest Ponzi scheme" involving numerous corporations and individuals
Hollinger International Inc., in responding to summary judgment motion for $22.5 million arising from transactions with CanWest. CanWest Global Communications Corp. v. Hollinger Inc.; 2004 CarswellOnt 3291; Ontario Superior Court of Justice; August 13, 2004; Docket; 03-CV-260727CM
Hollinger International Inc., in an arbitration arising from the sale to CanWest Global Communications of approximately $3.5 billion of Hollinger International Inc.'s newspaper and other media assets
Loblaws, in a multi-million dollar kick-back scheme
For various Ontario hospitals regarding internal kick-back schemes and frauds
For the Competition Bureau in respect of "Interac"
For a multi-million dollar construction company in a $7-million dollar kick-back scheme

Recent Recognition

Chambers Global - Litigation Support
Ranked Global Wide, Asset Tracking & Recovery
Benchmark Litigation: Canada
Recognized as a Future Star

Insights, News & Events

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Bennett Jones Lawyers Named Among Canada’s Top Litigators By Benchmark Canada

May 01, 2025
       

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Bennett Jones Ranked in Chambers Canadian Fintech Guide 2025

December 05, 2024
       

In The News

Spotting The Red Flags In Money Laundering Schemes

August 28, 2024
       

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Competition/Antitrust
Anti-Corruption Investigations & Compliance
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