Sheila Gibb

Sheila is an advocate at her core. She is smart, strategic and sees the justice of a case. A thoughtful listener and intuitive problem solver, Sheila gets to the heart of the matter for her clients, and applies her top-notch analytical skills and judgment to assess the best path forward. Sheila is equally adept at building relationships to negotiate creative separation agreements as she is pursuing strong litigation strategy to achieve success in all levels of court.

Drawing on her corporate law experience at a leading New York City law firm, Sheila advises clients on complex business, trust and family wealth matters in the context of family law. Sheila's experience as a litigator significantly informs her solicitor and planning work, including her meticulous drafting of sophisticated marriage contracts and cohabitation agreements.

With keen emotional insight, Sheila is a remarkable advocate on children's matters, ensuring that children's best interests and well-being take precedence, including in cases of high-conflict litigation, alienation or non-contact. Sheila has particular expertise in inter-provincial and international jurisdiction matters, including child mobility, child abduction and the Hague Convention.

Compassionate and perceptive, Sheila recognizes the importance of relationships.  She prioritizes healthy co-parenting communication where possible, and she is sensitive to family dynamics, power imbalance and domestic violence issues.

For select files, Sheila acts as parenting coordinator, mediator or arbitrator and helps families resolve disputes with creative, timely and customized solutions.

Sheila is honoured to serve as a Director of The Advocates' Society, where she works to promote excellence in advocacy and professionalism within a fair and accessible justice system. Sheila regularly writes and speaks on family law and litigation for The Advocates' Society, the Ontario Bar Association and the Law Society of Ontario and at educational programs for judiciary.

Sheila is a thespian within the family law bar, incorporating skits and poetry into her legal education talks.  She enjoyed some laughs with her portrayal of the hapless Helena in Nightwood Theatre's inaugural "Lawyer Show" production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.