Munaf Mohamed has been recognized as one of Canada's leading trial and appellate counsel, specializing in complex, high stakes disputes in virtually every area of corporate and commercial litigation, including international fraud, energy, product liability, infrastructure and construction, securities and defamation. He maintains a national practice and has been lead counsel in numerous trials, appeals, arbitrations and judicial review hearings across the country, including a number of multi-month trials. He is head of the firm's economic and financial crimes practice and has repeatedly been named by Benchmark Litigation as one of the top 50 trial lawyers in Canada, and is an inducted Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Ranked Band 1, Chambers recently quoted a source commenting on his extensive trial experience in the commercial litigation field, "He is incredibly good strategically and deadly with a witness. He is very good on his feet in front of judges and arbitrators."
In the economic and financial crimes area, Munaf has extensive experience leading fraud and asset recovery proceedings domestically and internationally, obtaining worldwide freezing injunctions (Mareva orders), Norwich Pharmacal orders, Anton Piller Orders and seeking asset recovery and enforcement in over 20 countries. He has been counsel in some of the largest fraud litigation claims in Canada and abroad.
Munaf also maintains an active arbitration practice having led arbitration proceedings both domestically and internationally under the Rules of the International Chambers of Commerce, the London Court of International Arbitration, the American Arbitration Association, including the ICDR Canada as well as the CPR, International Institute for Conflict Prevention Resolution, in Canada, the United States, South America, the United Kingdom and Europe.
In the white collar defence and investigations area, Munaf is regularly asked to advise on and lead investigations on behalf of boards and special committees on issues of accounting fraud, bribery (CFPOA/FCPA), money laundering, and other sensitive matters. These frequently involve domestic regulators and law enforcement, as well as working and coordinating with colleagues in different jurisdictions on multi-jurisdictional investigations involving various agencies including the U.S. Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, the UK Serious Fraud Office and others.
As well, Munaf is regularly called upon to advise upon, prosecute and defend claims in defamation. Munaf has defended a number of high profile politicians accused of defamation and, most recently, Munaf defended former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, in respect of a $6-million defamation claim advanced by a developer relating to comments made relating to election financing laws.
With over 125 reported cases, Munaf has extensive trial and appellate experience across Canada. Since serving as a law clerk to the Honourable Justice Willis O'Leary, with the Alberta Court of Appeal, he has appeared as lead counsel before the Superior Courts, both trial and appellate, in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, the Federal Courts, with multiple appearances before the Supreme Court of Canada.
Munaf has been named in virtually every legal reporting agency including Chambers Global, the Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers in Canada, Lexpert Guides to Canada's Leading Litigation Lawyers, Who's Who Legal: Canada, as a leading practitioner in the Business Crime practice area, The International Who's Who of Business Crime Defence Lawyers 2011, The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers 2011, The International Who's Who of Business Crime Defence Lawyers and The International Who's Who of Asset Recovery Lawyers 2012 as a leading specialist globally, Global Investigations Review, the Legal 500, Benchmark Canada: the Top 50 Trial Lawyers in Canada and Best Lawyers in Canada.
In addition to having taught at the Bar Admission courses, Munaf regularly speaks on trial and appellate practice, as well matters relating to fraud, investigations and defamation. He was former Chair of the Board of Directors of Inn from the Cold, an organization dedicated to ending family and child homelessness in Calgary and also served on the Economic Advisory Board of the Jesuits of Canada. Munaf is a member of the Bennett Jones Partnership Board and serves as its lead director.