The Luceo Legal Team
BREANNA NEEDHAM
Founder & Principal Lawyer
“See something? Say something.
Don’t like it? Do something about it.”
Breanna is a commercial litigation lawyer with a focus on matters where misconduct is an element. She has extensive experience working on cases involving investigations and injunctions, as well as strategic analysis, legal research, written submissions, and opinions in confidential, high-profile, and high-stakes matters.
Breanna has consistently been recognized for her work in the commercial litigation space. She represents companies and individuals in a wide variety of proceedings, investigations, and disputes, including in matters involving fraud, misappropriation, conversion, restrictive covenants, breach of confidence, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and other complex disputes involving shareholders, employees, directors, officers, and nuanced business relationships.
She has successfully represented clients before all levels of court in Ontario, as well as in mediations and commercial arbitrations. Breanna also has experience advising on ethical compliance and conflicts of interest, including legal obligations in the political sector.
Part of Breanna’s approach to practice includes preventing problems before they happen including through offering risk management services to clients so that issues can be addressed before they become emergencies. In addition to working directly with her own clients, Breanna also offers bespoke of counsel and freelance services to other lawyers, law firms, and in-house legal departments to assist with litigation, investigations, injunctions, trials, appeals, and other complex matters.
Breanna founded Luceo Legal after practicing law at two of the largest law firms in Canada, one of the leading litigation boutiques, and the Toronto office of an international law firm.
In addition to her work, Breanna is a frequent speaker at legal conferences and educational seminars on litigation practice and procedure, as well as professionalism, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the legal profession.
Contact Breanna:
Email: bneedham@luceo.legal
To speak with Breanna, call (647) 265-9998
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Listed in the Lexpert® Special Edition: Litigation
2023
Lexpert Rising Stars:
Leading Lawyers Under 40
2022
Best Lawyers,
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada™
(Corporate and Commercial Litigation)
2022 - 2025
Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory,
Leading Lawyer to Watch
(Litigation – Corporate Commercial)
2021 - 2023
Lexpert Zenith Award:
Change Agent in Law
2019
Precedent Magazine
Precedent Innovation Award
2019
Canadian Law Blog Awards (“Clawbies”)
Winner in the “Best Innovative Projects” category
2019
CREDENTIALS
Ontario Bar
2016
J.D., University of Saskatchewan College of Law
(with distinction)
2015
B.Sc. Ag., University of Saskatchewan
College of Agriculture and Bioresources
(with distinction)
2010
Professional Communication Certificate
(technical writing and persuasive rhetoric), University of Saskatchewan Ron & Jan Graham Centre for the Study of Communication
2009
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Team Advisor, University of Saskatchewan Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Team
Volunteer Judge, Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot, qualifying and international rounds
Executive Member: Member-at-Large (2021-2022), The Advocates’ Society, Commercial Litigation Practice Group Leaders
Executive Member: Technology Liaison (2021-2022), Ontario Bar Association,
Civil Litigation SectionExecutive Member , Technology Liaison (2020-2021), Member at Large (2019-2020), Ontario Bar Association Women Lawyers Forum
Executive Member, Technology Liaison (2020-2021), Member at Large (2019-2020), Ontario Bar Association, Class Actions Section
SELECT REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
Prosecuting investment scam proceedings.
Leading civil fraud investigations and forensic audits into kickback schemes.
Prosecuting various proceedings against employees, business associates, and accomplices in respect of schemes to operate competing businesses through the solicitation of clients and misappropriation of confidential information.
Successfully prosecuted a claim for recovery of proceedings of a multi-million dollar invoicing fraud committed against an international manufacturing company by a long-term employee, including international asset recovery proceedings.
Successfully advanced a fraud claim on behalf of a financial institution against a former employee in respect of a long-running scheme to skim funds from various accounts.
Successfully represented an individual executive defendant in a $30M claim for fraud and breach of fiduciary obligations, as well as a proposed worldwide Mareva injunction seeking to freeze assets.
Obtaining injunctive relief, including Mareva (asset-freezing), Anton Piller (civil search and seizure), and Norwich Pharmacal (third party disclosure) orders, as part of investigations into invoicing fraud schemes.
Obtaining injunctive relief (Anton Piller) for the civil search and seizure of evidence related to extensive internet streaming piracy of the creative content of a major telecommunications company.
RECENT EVENTS & PANELS
Speaker, “Maximizing LinkedIn and Social Media to Enhance Your Career,” Ontario Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, May 29, 2024
Speaker, “Advocating for Yourself in the Workplace,” Ontario Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, April 19, 2024
Speaker, “Knowledge Exchange: Enabling Growth Through Sponsorship and Mentoring,” Canadian Lawyer Women in Law Summit, April 17, 2024
Speaker, “#InspireInclusion: If Not Her, Then Whom?” Canadian Technology Law Association (CAN-TECH), March 7, 2024
Speaker, “Paths in Law: A Conversation with Three of Canada’s Top Young Lawyers,” University of Saskatchewan College of Law: McKercher LLP Lecture Series, January 16, 2023
Speaker, “Combining Lawyering and Living in the Face of ‘Professionalism’,"Authentic Lawyer Summit, November 10, 2022
Moderator and Program Co-Chair, “Attracting, Retaining and Championing Diverse Advocates,” The Advocates’ Society, May 19, 2022
Panelist, “Top Cases in Commercial Litigation," The Advocates' Society, February 3, 2022
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Featured, “Commercial Litigator Launches Her Own Firm,” Robyn Doolittle, The Globe and Mail (print), March 31, 2024
Featured, “Inspired by other women in law, Breanna Needham launches her own firm to serve smaller companies,” Robyn Doolittle, The Globe and Mail (online), March 31, 2024
Contributing Author, “Creating a Seat at the Table: Reflections from Women in Law,” University of Regina Press, October 2023, with foreword by Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
Co-Author, “Supreme Court of British Columbia grants Mareva injunction in aid of pending foreign civil proceeding,” CanLII Connects, April 11, 2023
Co-Author, “Think the limitations clock has run out? Think again; it may not even be ticking,” CanLII Connects, July 13, 2022
Co-Author, “Calling on the Code: Civil Consequences for Cryptocurrency”, Internet and E-Commerce Law in Canada, vol. 23, no 3, July 2022
NOTABLE PUBLICLY REPORTED CASES
Tar Heel Investments Inc v H.L. Staebler Company Limited, 2022 ONCA 842, on the application of the tort of conversion to intangible property.
Stedfasts Inc v Dynacare Laboratories, 2020 ONSC 8008, successful motion to strike a $40 million claim for damages against a medical services laboratory.
HZC Capital Inc v Lee, 2019 ONSC 4622, successfully resisted a motion for a proposed worldwide Mareva injunction seeking to freeze the assets of an individual executive in a $30 million claim alleging fraud and breach of fiduciary obligations.
Ridel v Goldberg, 2018 ONSC 3113; 2019 ONCA 636, successfully represented a former director of a bankrupt corporation in resisting an action for breach of duties brought by creditors standing in the shoes of the bankrupt entity.
McGoey, Re, 2019 ONSC 80, successful motion on behalf of a trustee in bankruptcy invalidating sham property trusts established by the bankrupt by using expert evidence on the provenance of the fonts in the documents.
SONAL MASHANKAR
Associate Lawyer
Sonal is passionate about using advocacy to navigate complex legal challenges and help clients find practical solutions. Her interests lie in commercial litigation, informed by her experience across multiple jurisdictions and a sincere commitment to client service. Sonal is a dual-qualified lawyer licensed to practice in Ontario and India. Before joining Luceo Legal, Sonal articled at a national law firm in Ottawa, where she worked on a broad range of civil litigation matters. She has four years of experience as a litigator before courts in India, which not only honed her advocacy, legal research, and legal drafting skills, but also brings a unique international perspective to her work.
Sonal has successfully handled a range complex matters, including arbitrations, with a focus on commercial litigation and insolvency proceedings. She is passionate about commercial litigation and its intersection with employment law, and believes in using effective advocacy to navigate complex legal challenges and develop solutions to align with client goals and business objectives.
Sonal holds a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from the University of Ottawa, and a law degree from the National Law Institute University, India. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2025.
NICOLE D’ALESSANDRO
Associate Lawyer
Nicole joined Luceo Legal after completing her articles with a premier litigation boutique in Toronto. As an articling student, Nicole honed her legal research and drafting skills across various commercial litigation, bankruptcy and insolvency, and employment law matters. After being called to the Ontario Bar, Nicole had the opportunity to collaborate on civil litigation matters and engage in human rights tribunal work. She has experience independently managing complex litigation matters, providing clients with comprehensive case assessments and strategic advice. Nicole is particularly skilled at guiding clients through successful alternative dispute resolution processes, including settlement negotiations, in order to achieve timely, efficient, and effective resolution of matters.
Nicole completed her law degree at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law, where she developed a passion for client advocacy and advancing access to justice. She represented the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law, in multiple moot competitions and has appeared before various tribunals and levels of court. During law school, Nicole also volunteered with several legal clinics and Pro Bono Students Canada.
Prior to attending law school, Nicole worked for an Ontario regulatory college, where she gained critical experience with and insight into the complaints and investigations process. Nicole completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, obtaining an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree with high distinction. Nicole is committed to the betterment of the community, with a focus on poverty alleviation. She currently volunteers with Pro Bono Ontario, and her volunteer work with Lawyers Feed the Hungry inspired her to both pursue a legal career and deepen her commitment to giving back to the community.
Nicole was called to the Ontario bar in 2024.
FRED WU
Counsel
Fred Wu is a litigation lawyer with broad experience in civil-commercial disputes, and a particular focus in intellectual property. Fred’s experience stems from his work at top Canadian and UK boutiques, as well as large national and multinational full-service firms. He has acted for leading businesses in matters before the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, Ontario Superior Court of Justice (including Divisional Court), Court of Appeal for Ontario, and UK Supreme Court.
Fred combines his technical acumen, legal expertise, and creative problem-solving in law practice. The University of Ottawa Faculty of Law conferred on him a JD cum laude in Law & Technology. Before law school, Fred trained as a molecular virologist, obtaining an BMSc (Hons) with distinction in Biochemistry from Western University and a MSc in Medical Microbiology & Immunology from the University of Alberta. Fred was called to the bar of Ontario in 2017.
JUSTINE COAKLEY
Office Manager & Law Clerk
With over a decade of experience in civil litigation, Justine has a deep and practical understanding of the Rules of Civil Procedure, as well as comprehensive knowledge of court procedures and case flow management. Justine’s extensive experience ensures that client matters are handled efficiently and effectively at every stage, regardless of the type of dispute or proceeding, from intake through to resolution.
Justine is passionate about delivering exceptional service and takes pride in supporting both clients and the Luceo Legal team with professionalism, accuracy, and care. Her dedication to client-focused service and procedural excellence contributes to ensuring a consistently high level of quality work for clients.
DR. LENA SALEH, Ph.D.
Law Student
Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Lena holds a B.A. Honours (First-Class Standing) and M.A. in Political Science from the University of Alberta. She later completed her Ph.D. in Political Science from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. Prior to beginning her legal studies, Lena worked at the University of Toronto and the Government of Canada with Public Safety Canada.
Lena is currently a law student at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Ontario, and is heading into her final year of law school with an anticipated graduation in the Spring of 2026. Lena’s areas of academic focus include regulatory offences, legal procedure, and administrative law, with a particular interest in the intersection of litigation and public interest work.
Lena is an experienced writer and researcher, with a number of published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on a range of topics, including human rights and electoral politics. Additionally, Lena has a variety of pending publications focused on key issues in the legal profession, including judicial independence, women’s rights, municipal regulatory offences, and the impact of provincial electoral politics on the legal profession.