Dispute Resolution: Class Action (Defence) | Canada

Blake, Cassels & Graydon houses a leading national team of dedicated class action defence specialists with considerable expertise in product liability, privacy, antitrust and securities cases. The team offers ample experience representing domestic and international clients from a broad range of industries before all levels of provincial and federal court, as well as the Supreme Court of Canada. The firm fields well-resourced teams in Toronto, Montréal, Calgary and Vancouver, demonstrating a strong track record in cross-border disputes.

McCarthy Tétrault operates an impressive litigation practice with consummate national class action strength, particularly from key hubs in Toronto and Vancouver. The firm maintains a strong bench of litigation professionals with experience acting at all trial levels. The practice oversees leading cases in the antitrust, securities and product liability sectors, with added strength in healthcare and pharmaceutical actions. The group is regularly cited as a first port of call for defence work with privacy and data breach aspects, as well as cases relating to employment, financial services, insurance and franchising.

Stikeman Elliott has a stellar reputation for its accomplished handling of class action files for prominent national and international clients. The team is especially well known for its competition class action expertise and is further commended for its broad capabilities in securities, consumer protection and privacy litigation. The firm enjoys a particularly prominent reputation in Québec and Ontario, and frequently takes a leading role among the defence counsel in high-stakes multiparty actions.

Torys operates a top-drawer litigation practice, providing integrated nationwide class action representation out of its Toronto and Montréal offices. The firm handles prominent cases in various areas including securities, competition, employment and environmental law as well as advising on consumer class actions and privacy matters. The team provides wide-ranging industry expertise to prominent clients in the pharmaceutical, technology and financial sectors, among others. Its lawyers possess deep trial experience in both Canadian and US class actions, frequently working on cross-border matters with the support of the firm's office in New York.

Bennett Jones is a regular feature of class action litigation in Canada, possessing longstanding experience acting for players in the pharmaceutical, medical device and automotive sectors, with added capabilities in competition, product liability and securities matters. The firm also ably handles insurance, consumer, employment and professional liability disputes. The litigation group is often called upon to handle multi-jurisdictional and cross-border cases, as well as proceedings involving national classes.

Borden Ladner Gervais has a solid class action defence practice with national and multinational capabilities across a variety of sectors, principally operating out of its offices in Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver. The team regularly acts on behalf of prominent institutional clients and insurers on product liability litigation in the automotive, medical and pharmaceutical sectors. The firm also draws on specialised expertise across various practices in constructing defences, including banking, securities and competition, as well as consumer protection, health and employment law.

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg features skilled litigation practitioners in Toronto and Montréal, offering class action expertise for both common and civil law jurisdictions. The group is particularly renowned for its specialists in securities, privacy and competition litigation and its representation of clients in the mining, telecoms, medical, financial services and automotive industries. The firm can frequently be seen advising on matters involving national classes and those with parallel proceedings in the USA.

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt maintains a skilled dispute resolution group, commended for the breadth and depth of its class action practice, including support on high-value cases involving product liability, securities, consumer protection and competition disputes. The team handles complex litigation for a range of high-profile clients in the financial services, pharmaceutical and tobacco industries. The firm derives significant strength from its Ontario operations, coupled with notable class actions experience from its respected offices in Québec and Alberta.

Fasken fields an experienced defence team with multi-jurisdictional capabilities in competition and securities class actions. The firm's clients hail from a range of sectors including technology, mining, pharmaceutical and financial services. The team offers further strength in construction, IP, insurance and environmental law. It is also notable for its expertise in cybersecurity actions and its privacy law specialists. With experience across its national office network, the group is particularly highly regarded for its key strength in Vancouver.

Lenczner Slaght is a prominent Toronto litigation boutique commended for its performance in multi-defendant class actions. The firm frequently handles cases at the pre-certification, trial and appellate levels and represents clients from the financial services, insurance, manufacturing, mining and pharmaceutical sectors. The team is particularly well known for its expertise in securities, consumer protection, product liability and employment matters and is often selected for cases concerning professional negligence involving lawyers, accountants and physicians.

McMillan is a high-profile law firm with a class action practice of particular renown for its product liability work. The group is additionally instructed for its counsel on competition and securities law cases, as well as consumer protection disputes. The firm represents a broad range of clients, including electronic manufacturers, pharmaceutical and transport companies, and financial service providers.

BCF LLP operates a sophisticated class action defence practice from its offices in Montréal and Québec City. The team is particularly adept at assisting with actions brought against car manufacturers, but has further expertise in medical product, consumer protection, construction and securities disputes. The lawyers frequently represent significant public and private organisations.

Cassels Brock & Blackwell has a solid litigation practice group with significant class action expertise emanating from its Toronto office. The team is renowned for its deep securities expertise, servicing major institutional clients in mining, financial services and the cannabis sector. The firm is also noted for its role in competition, consumer protection and insurance class proceedings.

Dentons Canada has an expert team focused on representing clients in complex class actions. The firm advises an array of automotive, technology and financial clients on matters related to allegations of negligence, product liability issues and Competition Act breaches. Clients benefit from its strong capabilities across its Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal offices.

Norton Rose Fulbright is acknowledged for its longstanding experience of defending life sciences clients in product liability class actions. The team also demonstrates skill in competition, securities and consumer protection matters for a broad array of clients in the telecoms, education and retail sectors, among others. The firm is notable for its cross-border coordination of its offices in Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Québec City and Vancouver. Its lawyers are well suited to advise on complex domestic actions, drawing on knowledge bases across its global offices.