Aspiring litigator Sandhu finds a match in condo law

Aspiring litigator Sandhu finds a match in condo law

Posted by: Condominium Group - Inderpreet Suri , October 25, 2019

Toronto condominium lawyer Inderpreet Sandhu has found a perfect match in her chosen sector of law.

Sandhu, an associate with Shibley Righton LLP's Toronto office, prides herself on her ability to connect with clients, and she tells AdvocateDaily.com that developing those relationships is one of her favourite parts of the job.

“Most of the time with clients, you get one-on-one interaction with a single person, but with condos, you’re dealing with many different individuals. There are board members, property managers, executives at property management companies, and many more,” Suri says. “My style is to always be accessible, and I like to encourage friendly and open communication.

“I’ve always been a big people person, so condo law has really worked out well for me,” she adds.

Suri says she felt destined for a career in the legal profession from an early age, driven in part by encouragement from family, including her newcomer Canadian parents.

“It was always in the cards for me to choose a career that was well respected, and I found I was immediately drawn to the legal environment,” she says. “It’s definitely hard work, but at the end of the day, it’s ultimately about helping people, which is all I really wanted to do.”

Suri kept her practice area options open during her time at Queen’s University law school.

She signed up for a broad spectrum of classes, and excelled at most of them, picking up academic awards for the highest standing in both Commercial Law and Insolvency & Restructuring. In addition, Suri found time to work with the faculty’s prison law and family law clinic.

Suri articled with Shibley Righton before her call to the bar in 2018 and has been able to maintain variety in her legal practice, despite working exclusively with the firm’s Condo Law Group.

“Condo law is perfect for juggling various interests because, in addition to litigating disputes in court or tribunals, you’re also dealing with contracts, employment issues and other legal matters,” she says. “The condo law world encompasses all different types of law, so it’s a perfect match for me.”

Although the firm also acts for individual unit owners in matters, most of Suri’s work is done on behalf of condo corporations, assisting boards and management companies on a variety of issues, including advice on governance, bylaw and declaration drafting, and contractual agreements.

“Enforcement is also a big part of my practice — we help boards enforce compliance, whether by letter, negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or eventually, through court if necessary,” she adds.

Outside of the office, Suri enjoys travelling, cooking and watching movies. In addition to offering services in English, she also speaks fluent Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.