Sandra Shime is the Director of Dispute Resolution Services. Sandra has extensive experience in dispute resolution, adjudication, and management in both the private and public sectors. Most recently she served for 13 years as a Vice Chair and the Alternate Chair at the Workplace Safety & Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT). Sandra adjudicated and mediated cases at the WSIAT and also worked on policy and training initiatives. Sandra has broad expertise in administrative law and mediation and has worked throughout the province with major unions and employers. Her prior roles included working as a litigation lawyer at a national law firm in NYC, as an Assistant District Attorney, and as Director of Pro Bono Programs at the Women's Bar Foundation in Massachusetts. In her volunteer work, Sandra has served as part of the executive team for Women in Leadership Foundation where she has led diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and worked on leadership initiatives in the areas of business, law and technology. She was selected as Co-Chair for the 2022-2023 year. Sandra also volunteers as a mentor with high school students for Achev, a non-profit in Ontario, and has worked as a mentor for law students at Justice for Children and Youth and at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law. Sandra has worked as a lecturer and speaker at the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators and at the Ontario Bar Association. Sandra is a certified mediator in New York, Massachusetts and Ontario. She is currently a member in good standing at the Law Society of Upper Canada and has been admitted to the bar in Massachusetts, Ontario and New York. Sandra was nominated for the 2021/2022 YWCA Women of Distinction Award and she was recently nominated in July 2022 for the Ministry for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Governor-General Award for her work with first generation students and on gender equality in the law.In this episode, Sandra Shime, Director of Dispute Resolution Services in Ontario, explores how legal professionals can bridge the gap between theory and practice. She shares insights on labour law, public service, career transitions, and why listening is a lawyer’s most underrated skill.

Claudio Martellacci brings a unique mix of financial expertise, legal insight, and practical experience to his role as a Partner in Valuations and Litigation Support. A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA), and Chartered Business Valuator (CBV), Claudio has spent his career helping clients navigate complex financial matters with clarity and purpose.

Before focusing on business valuation, Claudio specialized in assurance and tax compliance for a wide range of clients, including not-for-profits and public sector organizations. Today, he applies his valuation skills to support estate planning, corporate reorganizations, shareholder disputes, and litigation involving economic loss and family law matters.

What sets Claudio apart is his genuine passion for assigning value in ways that make a real difference in people’s lives. Whether he’s preparing expert calculations for court or helping clients plan for the future, he combines technical skill with a people-first mindset.

Claudio is a proud Toronto native and loyal fan of the city’s sports teams. When he's not working, you might find him playing sports, spending time with his family, or strumming his guitar.

Erika Bailey⁠⁠ (she|her) has served the University of Toronto for nearly 25 years, specializing in international graduate student advising and coaching. With an MA in Adult Education from ⁠⁠OISE|UT⁠⁠, an MA in Leadership from ⁠⁠Royal Roads University⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Solutions-focused Brief Coaching⁠⁠, her passion is to support internationally trained lawyers and law students with the ⁠⁠University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law’s⁠⁠ graduate programs, specifically the ⁠⁠GPLLM⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠LL.M.⁠⁠ She coaches and advises them in their orientation to, and engagement with, the rigorous recruitment processes for future law licensing candidates, as well as on their licensing processes. In particular, fostering communities of kindness and belonging through mentorship, networking, and transparent dialogue are at the heart of her work.

Tony Albrecht is a former litigator turned legal marketing strategist, and the founder of CONTENDER, a company that helps lawyers build trust and visibility on LinkedIn through meaningful, well-crafted content. Known as “The Yoda of LinkedIn Lawyering,” Tony draws on his years of experience as a practicing attorney to guide legal professionals in growing their personal brands and connecting with their communities. He earned his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law and began his legal career as an associate at McGivney, Kluger, Clark & Intoccia, later working with The Cook Group and in business development roles before launching his own ventures. He’s also the author of In the Creative Arena and the co-founder of UNrationed, a community for entrepreneurial men. Tony lives in a forest north of Toronto with his wife and two young children.

Amanda Haverstieck is a former big law litigator turned legal writing coach, author, and founder of Writing Law Tutors LLC. After 20 years of writing for high-stakes litigation, she now helps lawyers and law students sharpen their writing skills, build confidence, and communicate more clearly and effectively.

She is the author of Dear 1L: Notes to Nurture a New Legal Writer, a bestselling guide for new law students. Through one-on-one coaching and upcoming courses, Amanda is working to change how legal writing is taught, making it more accessible, supportive, and practical for everyone in the legal profession.

Amanda is also a proud mother of three and brings the same warmth and insight from her personal life into her teaching. Whether you are a junior litigator, a 1L student, or someone preparing to enter law school, Amanda’s work is all about helping you grow into the writer and lawyer you want to become. Visit writinglawtutors.com.

Abdi Aidid researches and teaches in the areas of civil procedure, torts, and law & technology at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.

He received his B.A. from the University of Toronto, his J.D. from Yale Law School and his LL.M from the Faculty of Law. Professor Aidid previously practiced litigation and arbitration at Covington & Burling LLP in New York City and most recently served as the VP, Legal Research at Blue J, where he oversaw the development of machine learning-enabled research and analytics tools.

A partner in Torkin Manes’ Litigation Group, Marco’s practice focuses on appellate litigation and applications for judicial review. He regularly appears on behalf of clients before both the Ontario Divisional Court and the Ontario Court of Appeal.

In practice, Marco strategically counsels and advocates for his clients on a range of appellate and public law matters, including administrative, construction and commercial law. Marco invests substantial time to get to know his clients and their matters in order to gain a full understanding of their legal needs. He leverages his years of experience, judgment and legal knowledge to provide clients with opinions and practical advice on various legal issues.

Marco is actively engaged in the University of Toronto’s Alumni Mentorship programs, providing mentorship to students in the Faculty of Arts & Science and the Faculty of Law. Marco is past co-chair of Torkin Manes’ Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

An award-winning legal author, Marco has published many articles on a host of legal issues and is Chief Editor of Torkin Manes LegalWatch. Since 2019, Marco has repeatedly won Lexology’s quarterly legal writing award as a “Legal Influencer” in the categories of Dispute Resolution (Canada) and the Future of Legal Services (Canada) for his publications on appellate and civil litigation. Marco was also recognized by Mondaq as a Thought Leader of Public (Administrative) Law in Canada. Marco was recently shortlisted as a finalist for the prestigious Canadian Online Publishing Awards for his legal writings on the use of AI in Litigation.

As a testament to his prominence in the profession, Marco was recognized as a leader in his field in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, and was nominated as a contender for Canadian Lawyer’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada.

María Mercedes García is a corporate and securities lawyer with a unique cross-border perspective. Originally from Argentina, she practiced tax law in the public and private sectors for over a decade and taught at the university level before relocating to Canada in 2020.

Starting over had a cost: learning a new legal system and rebuilding her career from scratch. After relicensing in Ontario, she now provides in-house legal advisory to Canadian mining companies with projects around the world -including Argentina- focusing on corporate structuring, securities compliance, and ESG matters.

In this episode, Mercedes brings a 360-degree perspective to the law practice, bridges cultural gaps in the profession, and shares what she learned about it: legal advice isn’t just about rules, it’s about context, purpose, and real-world consequences.