Belinda Fallavollita, Sarah Dovaston, Jayson Thomas, and Scott Hamilton took on new roles
Loopstra Nixon has announced Belinda Fallavollita as chief technology and innovation officer, Sarah Dovaston as chief people officer, Jayson Thomas as general counsel, and Scott Hamilton as deputy counsel.
The appointments took effect on April 13. In addition to their new in-house legal roles, Thomas and Hamilton are partners in the firm’s litigation group.
Loopstra Nixon managing partner Peter A. Saad praised Fallavollita and Dovaston’s contributions to the firm as non-lawyers.
“Today’s announcement is a proud moment for our firm as we celebrate the elevation of two outstanding female leaders. Belinda and Sarah have each made a profound impact – Belinda through her vision and leadership in advancing our technology and innovation strategy, and Sarah through her unwavering commitment to our people and culture,” Saad said in a statement.
Fallavollita has worked with the firm for over 25 years. She has over 15 years’ experience in information technology management.
She spearheaded the firm’s transition from a single local network infrastructure to a cloud-based model serving multiple locations. As CTO, she delivers the firm’s IT strategy and oversees large-scale projects and all aspects of IT operations, including infrastructure development and cybersecurity.
Dovaston has operated in the human resources and HR-related project management space for over six years. As CPO, she supervises talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, and professional development.
She works with department heads on improving employee satisfaction and productivity through HR practices.
Thomas is a trial and appellate litigator handling complex commercial and contractual disputes. He has acted for businesses and individuals as well as for financial, healthcare, and legal professionals involved in regulatory prosecutions.
He has tackled employment matters, shareholder and partnership disputes, real property disputes, and negligence claims. He has been retained to seek extraordinary pre-trial relief, including worldwide asset freezing (Mareva) orders and other forms of emergency injunctive relief.
Thomas has served as lead counsel before trial courts in Canada and the US. He has also been lead counsel in appeals and judicial reviews before the Ontario Divisional Court, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Federal Court of Canada, and the Federal Court of Appeal.
He is committed to public interest litigation, having represented refugees in the Federal Court of Canada and racial profiling and discrimination victims in provincial and federal courts. He was once a trial attorney for the Office of the Public Defender in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Hamilton is a civil litigator experienced in municipal and insurance defence litigation. He has conducted trials and motions before the Superior Court of Justice, Divisional Court, and the Ontario Court of Appeal.
He has served as a lawyer for numerous municipalities and their insurers. He has also tackled commercial litigation, wrongful dismissal, and plaintiff’s personal injury; he has worked with dentists and other professionals in litigation.
“Jayson and Scott are trusted leaders whose judgment and dedication to doing things the right way strengthen the foundation of our firm. Their stewardship of our governance and professional standards is critical to our continued success and we are confident they will serve the firm with distinction in these roles,” Saad said.
Loopstra Nixon was named among Canadian Lawyer’s Top Ontario Regional Firms for 2025-26.
