Maureen M. Ward

Partner

T: 416.777.4630 / E: wardm@bennettjones.com

Toronto

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.