Background
Markus Kremer is a partner practising in the Toronto office. Markus was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1999, after graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School. Prior to obtaining his law degree, he graduated from the University of Guelph with a BA (Honours) in Political Science and French, having spent a year at the University of Mannheim, in Germany. He is fluent in English, French and German.
Areas of Practice
· Public law, including constitutional, administrative and pension litigation
· Commercial Litigation
· Class Action Litigation
Rankings and Recognitions
· Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2012 (Employee Benefits Law)
Professional Experience
· Markus has appeared as counsel before all levels of the Courts in Ontario, before the Supreme Court of Canada, and before the Financial Services Tribunal.
· Representative clients and cases from recent years include:
- Monsanto Canada : Counsel to Monsanto at Supreme Court of Canada and all levels of court below. Monsanto is the leading pension case regarding distribution of actuarial surplus on the partial wind up of a pension plan and was rated the Top Business Litigation Decision of 2004 by Lexpert.
- Bank of Canada : Counsel for the Bank in a class action relating to administrative expenses in its pension plan.
- Bank of Nova Scotia : Counsel for the Bank in a class action relating to the use of VISA cards for foreign exchange transactions.
- Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board: Represented the Board before the Financial Services Tribunal and in Divisional Court on issues relating to the division of pensions on marriage breakdown under the Pension Benefits Act.
- BICC Cables: Represented the company before the Financial Services Tribunal and in Divisional Court with respect to consent benefits in a pension plan.
Professional and Community Activities
· Member of the Executive of the Ontario Bar Association, Pension & Benefits Section
· Member of the Canadian Bar Association (Commercial Litigation Section)
· Member of Amnesty International
Publications
· Markus F. Kremer, 'The Monsanto Decision: New Pension Risks in Corporate Restructurings', Ontario Bar Association, 30th Annual Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Pensions Section (February 3, 2005).
· Christopher D. Bredt and Markus F. Kremer, 'Section 3 of the Charter: Democratic Rights at the Supreme Court of Canada', Ontario Bar Association, 3rd Annual Charter Conference (October 15, 2004), accepted for republication, 8 N.J.C.L. 16.1 (2005).
· Markus F. Kremer, 'Administrative Expense Charges', (2003) 9:4 Pension Planning.
· Markus F. Kremer, 'Jurisdiction Over Foreign Torts', (2002) 9:3 Commercial Litigation.
· Christopher D. Bredt and Markus F. Kremer, 'The Unlimited Liability of the Limited Partner', (2000) 7:4 Commercial Litigation, 379.
· Christopher D. Bredt and Markus F. Kremer, 'The Removal of an Opposing Solicitor Where Another Member of the Firm May be a Witness', (2000) 7 Commercial Litigation 346