We lead the profession in developing the law through our involvement in some of the most important and high-profile proceedings in the country.
Our experience translates into concrete results. We have had particular success in defeating class actions at, or even before, certification. Where appropriate, we have negotiated and implemented favourable settlements for our clients. When we cannot stop a class action at the outset or negotiate a favourable resolution, we have the substantive expertise and trial experience to defend class proceedings on their merits.
With Chambers-ranked lawyers in Canada’s three most active class actions jurisdictions (BC, Ontario and Québec) and offices across the country, backed by Canada’s largest and most diverse disputes department, BLG is Canada’s class actions defence firm.
Our team has represented clients in hundreds of Canadian class actions. Our lawyers collaborate with your marketing, public relations, finance and HR professionals to understand your business priorities and create a targeted strategy.
Our expertise includes:
- preliminary challenges
- class certification criteria and the litigation process
- resolving class actions across Canada
- internal investigations, reporting and governance issues
- managing multiple class filings or multi-jurisdictional class actions
- co-ordinating cross-border class actions
- appellate reviews
- addressing issues arising from contingency fees, costs and litigation funding
We have a proven track record of setting defence precedents and achieving firsts for our clients in defending class actions, including:
- making first use of bar orders in Canada to facilitate settlements
- negotiating the first inter-provincial class actions settlement (Ontario and Québec)
- successfully defending the first common issues summary trial in British Columbia
- being the first obtain reversal on a certification order by the British Columbia Court of Appeal
Particular accomplishments on behalf of our clients include:
- obtaining dismissals of privacy, consumer protection and mass tort class actions at or before certification / authorization
- setting precedents limiting disgorgement claims arising out of statutory causes of action
We have an accomplished history of managing risks and defending class actions related to:
- banking and financial services
- consumer issues and product liability
- cybersecurity
- data and privacy breaches
- insurance policies
- securities and investors
- labour and employment
- price fixing and competition law
- environmental liability
- drugs and medical devices
