Adrian represents businesses, individuals, and public bodies in complex disputes. His practice includes commercial litigation & arbitration, class action defence (including cutting-edge securities, competition, and product liability matters), white-collar investigations, and public law matters such as judicial review applications and defending regulatory prosecutions.
Adrian has acted before commercial arbitrators, the Ontario Court of Justice, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (including the Commercial List), the Divisional Court, and the Ontario Court of Appeal. He has also worked on class action matters before the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, and in several other provinces.
Adrian summered and articled at BLG’s Toronto office, and he is a member of the Toronto office’s Associates Committee.
Commercial Litigation & Arbitration
- Acted for the majority shareholders of a technology growth equity company, in defending an oppression claim in an arbitration that involved complex valuation issues.
- Act for financial institutions such as banks, trust companies, and money services businesses in a range of civil litigation matters.
- Acted for a publicly-listed technology company in litigation with a publicly-traded investment holding company.
- Acted for a 50% shareholder and director of a company seeking urgent relief under the oppression remedy before the Commercial List.
- Act for an automotive manufacturer in proceedings brought under the National Automobile Dealer Arbitration Program (NADAP).
- Defeated a motion to impose a certificate of pending litigation over a disputed property, in the context of a complex dispute over the existence of a partnership (2022 ONSC 6295).
- Successfully represented the purchaser of a property in an application for specific performance (2022 ONSC 3823).
- Acted for the majority shareholders of a technology growth equity company, in defending an oppression claim in an arbitration that involved complex valuation issues.
- Act for financial institutions such as banks, trust companies, and money services businesses in a range of civil litigation matters.
- Acted for a publicly-listed technology company in litigation with a publicly-traded investment holding company.
- Acted for a 50% shareholder and director of a company seeking urgent relief under the oppression remedy before the Commercial List.
- Act for an automotive manufacturer in proceedings brought under the National Automobile Dealer Arbitration Program (NADAP).
- Defeated a motion to impose a certificate of pending litigation over a disputed property, in the context of a complex dispute over the existence of a partnership (2022 ONSC 6295).
- Successfully represented the purchaser of a property in an application for specific performance (2022 ONSC 3823).
Class Actions
- Defeated certification of a proposed securities class action, including an ensuing appeal, against BMO InvestorLine Inc. relating the payment of mutual fund “trailing commissions” to discount brokers (2023 ONSC 16 aff’d 2024 ONSC 533).
- Act for a pharmaceutical company, in defending ongoing class actions in multiple Canadian provinces, including government healthcare recovery claims (2023 ONSC 6792; 2024 BCCA 58).
- Act for BMO Investments Inc., a mutual fund trustee/manager, in defending ongoing class actions relating to the payment of “trailing commissions” (2021 ONSC 3589).
- Successfully obtained the dismissal of a proposed privacy class action against a hospital on the basis of delay
- Defeated certification of a proposed securities class action, including an ensuing appeal, against BMO InvestorLine Inc. relating the payment of mutual fund “trailing commissions” to discount brokers (2023 ONSC 16 aff’d 2024 ONSC 533).
- Act for a pharmaceutical company, in defending ongoing class actions in multiple Canadian provinces, including government healthcare recovery claims (2023 ONSC 6792; 2024 BCCA 58).
- Act for BMO Investments Inc., a mutual fund trustee/manager, in defending ongoing class actions relating to the payment of “trailing commissions” (2021 ONSC 3589).
- Successfully obtained the dismissal of a proposed privacy class action against a hospital on the basis of delay
Investigations & Regulatory Defence
- Act for private and public sector clients in conducting confidential investigations, including into fraud and competition/antitrust matters.
- Acted for a privately-held technology company in a lawsuit against a former executive arising from the misappropriation of company property that involved the successful execution of an Anton Piller (civil search) order.
- Defend regulatory prosecutions under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- Act for private and public sector clients in conducting confidential investigations, including into fraud and competition/antitrust matters.
- Acted for a privately-held technology company in a lawsuit against a former executive arising from the misappropriation of company property that involved the successful execution of an Anton Piller (civil search) order.
- Defend regulatory prosecutions under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act.
