Our Team

Marcus was called to the Ontario bar in 1990 and the Manitoba bar in 2006. Over the last two decades, Marcus has developed a practice focused on providing clients with insurance coverage-related services. He has represented clients at both trial and on appeal. He speaks regularly on coverage-related themes at industry and professional association programs. He co-authors Annotated Commercial General Liability Policy, a leading Canadian insurance law text first published in 1997 and updated annually. Marcus is the inaugural chair of the Canadian Defence Lawyer association’s Insurance Coverage Law committee, has chaired the CDL’s annual insurance coverage symposium, and is a long-standing supporter of the Defence Research Institute, Inc. as an active member of the DRI’s Insurance Law Committee.
Marcus is a member of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel and the American College of Coverage Counsel.

Sébastien was called to the Ontario bar in 2011, starting with the coverage group of a well-respected mid-sized Toronto firm before joining us to continue his coverage practice. Sébastien is fluently bilingual, earning both common law and civil law degrees from the University of Ottawa. While earning those degrees, he was awarded the Bereskin & Parr Prize and Odutola & Co. Intellectual Property Book Prize. His contract law and research skills were recognized early on. He served as a Contracts Law tutor, faculty research assistant and assistant editor of the Ottawa Law Review. Sébastien also spent a summer in London (UK) at University College London as part of Georgetown University Law Center’s 2008 Summer Program. He has supervised research work on and continues to provide editorial assistance to the co-authors of Annotated Commercial General Liability Policy.

Akash joined Snowden Law after completing his articles at a leading Bay Street litigation firm and being called to the Ontario bar in 2016. His client coverage counsel services for both insurers and policyholders include reviewing and preparing policy wording drafting solutions, coverage opinions, position letters and client advocacy on property & casualty and financial/specialty lines forms including property, business interruption, commercial general, umbrella and excess liability, professional liability (D&O/E&O) and cyber insurance. Akash has appeared at trial and appellate courts in Ontario and as co-counsel in the commercial arbitration proceedings.

Akash has a particular interest in and is focusing his practice on the emerging area of cyber coverage including the interrelationship of cyber risk and privacy law. He successfully represented a firm client in one of the first decisions in Canada addressing first party and third party cyber coverage ( 2023 ONSC 4795). In this context, Akash also opines on Canadian privacy law compliance including data retention, safeguards and reporting requirements under relevant legislative regimes including PIPEDA, FIPPA, PIPA (B.C. and Alta.), PHIPA and ATIPPA. His detailed but practical approach to policy drafting, assessment of cyber risks, their impact on privacy interests and advancing coverage arguments at court is supported by fluency in programming languages including Python, Java, HTML and C++. Currently enrolled in Harvard Law’s “Computer Science for Lawyers” course, he is reinforcing his background knowledge of emerging cyber risks to ensure Snowden Law continues to provide top tier coverage counsel services in this emerging area of risk transfer involving algorithms, computational thinking (AI), cyber security, cryptography, and data structures.

In June of 2020 recognizing his demonstrated skillset, firm principal Marcus Snowden appointed Akash as Snowden Law’s CIO. This role includes ensuring the firm’s compliance with applicable privacy and security standards (statutory, regulatory, and contractual).

Mark’s practice as Senior Counsel to the firm is restricted, as it was before his 2018 retirement, to insurance and reinsurance coverage matters involving commercial property, liability, D&O and other financial services policies as well as personal lines homeowner’s and residential policies. He has acted as coverage counsel for clients involved in claims in various Canadian provinces and in the US involving Canadian-based coverage, also acting as an expert on Canadian insurance law in US proceedings. His background for clients also includes drafting various liability and property policy forms, reviewing their underwriting manuals and associated materials.
Mark is the co-author of the leading insurance law text, Annotated Commercial General Liability Policy. A previously peer-rated Lexpert (most frequently recommended) and Best Lawyers in Canada acknowledged leader in the Canadian and international insurance bar, Mark has a well-respected reputation in the insurance, reinsurance and risk management community. Before his 2018 retirement, he was, and in returning to practice in 2019 he still remains a well-recognized senior insurance & reinsurance coverage lawyer who has been involved in some of the most significant domestic and cross-border commercial insurance coverage issues over the last several decades.
In 2005 Mark was elected to the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel and has spoken in educational programs for industry, client and the profession both locally and in the US on insurance-related topics. Mark has also previously been acknowledged in Who’s Who Legal: Insurance & Reinsurance (2015’s most highly recommended Canadian insurance practitioner), Guide to the World’s Leading Insurance & Reinsurance Lawyers and Euromoney’s Guide to the Best of the Best. For his service to the profession and the community at large, Mark was the 2016 recipient of the Toronto Lawyers Association’s Honsberger Award.

Fabia was called to the Ontario bar in 2008. Starting her career at a well-respected Toronto firm, Fabia worked principally with Marcus as coverage counsel, as well as in insurance defence. The former gave her exposure to a drafting-intensive practice while the latter provided invaluable courtroom experience. She also contributed to various publications addressing coverage issues. She then relocated to The Hague, where she acted as a law clerk and as a trial attorney prosecuting criminal matters before international tribunals. Her duties involved the management of complex evidentiary and legal matters, and significant oral and written advocacy. A graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Fabia is pleased to return to coverage work, for which she has always had a fondness. Based in France, she will be assisting Snowden Law as consultant counsel and providing editorial support to the co-authors of Annotated Commercial General Liability Policy.