Ontario Regulatory
Proceedings & Discipline
Defence Lawyers
Your professional licence is your livelihood. When a regulatory body investigates or charges you, you need a lawyer who has stood before these tribunals and won. Legal Solutions Law Firm defends professionals across Ontario at every stage of the regulatory process.
Appeal Tribunal — May 2023
We Won an Appeal Against the Law Society of Ontario
Legal Solutions Law Firm recently represented Alka Singh, a paralegal applicant who had lost her original good character hearing before the Law Society of Ontario — before retaining Ryan Manilla.
Ryan took the appeal to the Law Society Tribunal and achieved something rare: a 5-0 unanimous decision setting aside the lower tribunal's ruling. The decision was released in May 2023. Ms. Singh was licensed as a paralegal in Ontario as a result.
Winning against the Law Society of Ontario at the tribunal level is extremely difficult. This result demonstrates what dedicated, experienced advocacy can achieve when your licence is on the line.
Discuss Your Case — Free Consultation →About Regulatory Proceedings
What Are Regulatory Proceedings in Ontario?
In Ontario, regulatory bodies oversee and maintain professional standards across dozens of regulated industries. When a professional is alleged to have violated a code of conduct, ethics, or licensing requirement, regulatory proceedings are initiated to determine whether disciplinary action is warranted.
Each regulated profession has its own governing body — such as the Law Society of Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, or the Ontario College of Teachers — empowered by legislation to investigate complaints, conduct hearings, and impose sanctions if necessary.
These proceedings are quasi-judicial in nature. Formal rules of evidence apply. The stakes are high — your professional reputation, income, and licence are all on the line. Having experienced legal counsel is not a luxury; it is a necessity.
The regulatory body gathers evidence, reviews documents, and interviews witnesses. You are entitled to respond and retain legal counsel at this stage.
A formal quasi-judicial hearing before a tribunal or panel where both sides present evidence and make submissions on the allegations.
The panel determines whether allegations are proven and, if so, what sanctions are appropriate — from a reprimand to revocation of your licence.
Both parties have the right to appeal tribunal decisions to higher courts. Strict deadlines apply. Legal Solutions has won at the appeal stage.
Our Representation
Tribunals & Regulatory Bodies We Appear Before
We represent professionals facing proceedings before Ontario's major regulatory bodies and discipline tribunals.
Discipline hearings, good character applications, and conduct reviews for lawyers and paralegals.
Complaints involving physician conduct, competency concerns, and licensing matters.
Professional misconduct allegations and fitness-to-practice hearings for educators.
Regulatory investigations and discipline proceedings for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
Disciplinary proceedings, licence suspensions, and conduct hearings for dental professionals.
Incompetence and professional misconduct proceedings for licensed engineers.
Regulatory proceedings involving tradespeople and skilled workers subject to licensing requirements.
Proceedings before FSRA, IIROC, MFDA, and other financial regulatory bodies in Ontario.
Our Approach
How We Defend Your Licence
We review the allegations, explain the regulatory process, assess your exposure, and map out a strategy — in complete confidence, at no charge.
We craft a carefully considered response to the regulatory body, protecting your rights and preventing avoidable admissions at this critical early stage.
We prepare your defence, gather supporting evidence, brief witnesses, and develop the strongest possible case for the tribunal hearing.
Ryan Manilla appears on your behalf at the hearing, cross-examines witnesses, makes legal arguments, and advocates for the best possible outcome.
If the result is unfavourable, we assess the grounds for appeal and, where warranted, take your matter to the Divisional Court or the relevant appeal body.
Your Licence Is Worth Defending
Do not face a regulatory body alone. Contact Legal Solutions Law Firm today for a free, confidential consultation with a lawyer who has stood before these tribunals — and won.
What You Need to Know
Regulatory Proceedings — The Key Issues
You Have Rights — Use Them
Procedural fairness is guaranteed throughout a regulatory proceeding. This includes the right to be informed of all allegations against you, the right to respond to the complaint, and the right to retain and be represented by legal counsel. Do not respond to a regulatory body without first speaking with a lawyer.
The Investigation Process
Regulatory bodies have broad investigative powers — including the ability to compel documents and interview witnesses. Investigations are supposed to be conducted impartially. However, how you respond at this early stage can significantly affect the outcome of any subsequent hearing. Early legal involvement is critical.
Possible Disciplinary Outcomes
Depending on the nature and severity of the alleged misconduct, sanctions can include:
- Formal reprimand placed on your record
- Financial fines
- Mandatory retraining or education
- Restrictions or conditions on your practice
- Suspension of your professional licence
- Full revocation of professional registration
Good Character Hearings
Many regulatory bodies require applicants to demonstrate good character before granting registration. If you have a criminal record, prior discipline history, or financial difficulties, your application may be referred to a formal hearing. Legal Solutions has successfully represented applicants at good character hearings — including a landmark 5-0 appeal win at the Law Society of Ontario.
Complaints and Who Can File Them
Regulatory complaints can be initiated by clients, employers, colleagues, members of the public, or by the regulatory body itself. In some cases, information from court proceedings, media coverage, or referrals from other authorities may trigger an investigation without a formal complaint being filed.
Appeals and Next Steps
If a tribunal rules against you, all is not lost. Both the professional and the complainant have the right to appeal a tribunal decision — typically to the Divisional Court of Ontario. The grounds for appeal are limited and deadlines are strict. If you are considering an appeal, contact a lawyer immediately to preserve your rights.
Client Testimonials
What Our Clients Say
I lost my original hearing before I retained Ryan. He took my appeal and achieved something remarkable — a 5-0 unanimous decision in my favour at the Law Society Tribunal. Without Legal Solutions, I would never have been licensed as a paralegal. I am forever grateful for Ryan's dedication and expertise.
Facing a regulatory investigation is one of the most stressful experiences I have ever gone through. Ryan was calm, thorough, and completely focused on protecting my licence. He understood the tribunal process inside and out and secured an outcome I did not think was possible.
When a complaint was filed against me, I did not know where to turn. Ryan Manilla was recommended to me and I could not have made a better choice. His preparation was exceptional, his advocacy was persuasive, and he kept me informed at every stage. I would not hesitate to recommend Legal Solutions Law Firm.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Serving Professionals Across the Greater Toronto Area
From My Experience: Professional Discipline Cases Are the Most Personal Cases I Handle
I've handled a lot of different types of legal matters over the years — criminal charges, custody disputes, civil claims. But professional discipline cases are in a category of their own. When someone is facing a regulatory complaint, what's at stake isn't just money or even freedom. It's a career they spent years building, a professional identity, a reputation within a community of colleagues. The emotional weight is unlike anything else.
The most important thing I've learned handling these cases is this: the investigation stage — before any formal hearing — is the most critical and most underestimated part of the entire process. Most regulated professionals receive a complaint, panic, and either do nothing or write a long, detailed letter trying to explain everything that happened. Both approaches are mistakes. Doing nothing signals disengagement. Writing a long defensive response without a lawyer often damages your position in ways that are very hard to walk back. Regulatory bodies are not neutral parties. They have their own mandate — to protect the public — and their investigators are trained to find evidence consistent with the complaint. An untrained response can confirm exactly what they're looking for.
What Getting Involved Early Has Changed
In cases where I've been retained at the complaint stage — before any formal allegations were particularized — the outcomes have been significantly better than in cases where I was brought in after the formal hearing had already been scheduled. Early involvement allows us to provide context, correct the record proactively, and in some cases resolve matters before they ever reach a hearing. Many professionals don't realize that an early resolution — a caution, a remediation course, a voluntary undertaking — is almost always preferable to a contested hearing, even when the grounds to fight are strong.
Every college and regulatory body in Ontario operates differently. The Law Society, the College of Nurses, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Real Estate Council of Ontario — they each have their own rules of procedure and their own institutional culture around how discipline matters are handled. That knowledge matters. Understanding how a particular body weighs credibility, or what it considers adequate remediation, shapes the entire strategy.
I've seen careers survive what looked like career-ending complaints, and I've seen matters that seemed minor go badly wrong because the professional didn't take them seriously early enough. If you've received a complaint or a letter from your regulatory body, please don't respond before speaking with a lawyer. It costs nothing to call first and understand your options. 416-274-2222.
Speak With a Regulatory Defence Lawyer Today
Facing a regulatory investigation, discipline hearing, or good character matter? Our lawyers are here to help. Your first consultation is completely free and confidential.