Sidney H. Troister, KC, LSM

As a leading member and senior statesman of the Ontario Real Estate Bar, Sidney Troister has built an established solutions-oriented practice encompassing all aspects of commercial and residential real estate, leasing, and financing transactions and practice. 

With his broad real estate experience, he is consulted regularly by industry, government, title insurers, and lawyers for his expertise, and his practical and creative approach to transaction problem solving. He serves as counsel to the Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company and title insurers, and litigation counsel providing legal opinions, transaction strategy and litigation support regarding the standard of practice of real estate lawyers in Ontario and the enforceability of real estate transactions.

With more than 50 years of commercial real estate and leasing experience, Sidney is one of Ontario's few arbitrators and mediators with hands-on transactional expertise, bringing exceptional insight to the resolution of complex real estate and leasing disputes; learn more on his Real Estate Dispute Resolution website.

He is a leader in the profession. He is an elected bencher and has chaired important committees for the Law Society of Ontario. He is the author of the preeminent text, “The Law of Subdivision Control in Ontario,” (the Planning Act “bible”), its 4th edition recently published that reflects the most recent amendments to the Act, of which he was instrumental in effecting after more than two decades of championing such changes to the legislation.  

He has dedicated much of his career to leadership in continuing legal education. He has been in the forefront of educating lawyers to changes to the law regarding rent control, title insurance, planning law, and title and mortgage fraud. From 1990 to 2000, he was the co-head of the Real Estate Law section of the Ontario Bar Admission Course. For 20 years, he chaired the well attended Law Society of Ontario's annual Real Estate Law Summit, which he founded in 2004. A noted educator and sought-after speaker, he frequently presents at continuing legal education programs for the Law Society of Ontario, the Ontario Bar Association, and many local Ontario law associations on a wide range of real estate law-related topics. He authors and issues a regular Real Estate Bulletin to more than 1200 lawyers across the province, advising on changes in the law and the careful practice of real estate law.

As a testament to his outstanding contributions to the profession in Ontario, he was the recipient of the Ontario Bar Association Award for Excellence in Real Estate in 2000 and the prestigious Law Society Medal in 2008. In 2023, he was awarded the Ontario Bar Association Award for Distinguished Service. In 2023, he was named Kings Counsel for his contribution to development of the law in Ontario. In 2024, the Osgoode Hall Law School Alumni Association honoured Sidney with an Alumni Gold Key Award for Achievement in recognition of the numerous contributions and achievements he has made to the practice of law, mentorship and education of others, and advancement of legislation in Ontario.