Torys' litigators have considerable expertise in all aspects of Canadian and U.S. class actions, representing clients in a broad range of areas, including environmental, products liability, securities, competition and antitrust, employment discrimination, healthcare, insurance, copyright, information technology, pensions and commercial matters.
Multiple Jurisdictions
Torys has led and coordinated the defence and settlement of various multijurisdictional class actions, both nationally and internationally. Our class actions practice also includes advising clients on Canadian aspects of U.S. class actions, and providing expert opinion evidence in U.S. class actions concerning various aspects of Ontario’s class proceedings legislation and the recognition in Ontario of U.S. class action judgments. Our lawyers also regularly write and speak on class actions.
Recent cases include defending
- retailers of wireless telephone services in a class action alleging breach of contract, fraud and violation of consumer protection laws
- three of Canada's largest life insurance companies in separate class actions concerning premium offset and sales practices relating to life insurance products
- a U.S. health services company and members of its management in three securities fraud class actions alleging misrepresentation of financial information
- a major media company in a class action concerning copyright and the use of information technology
- an international telecommunications company in a class action alleging securities fraud
- a major international bank in a class action concerning race discrimination
- a real estate holding company and its former officers in a securities class action alleging minority shareholder oppression and misrepresentation of the company's financial position in connection with a sale of the company's assets
- Canadian Red Cross Society in two class actions concerning alleged transfusion-associated Hepatitis C
- a major Canadian consumer electronics distributor in a class action involving allegations of price-maintenance
- several multinational corporations in separate class actions involving allegations of price-fixing and anti-competitive conspiracies
- Law Foundation of Ontario in the first costs hearing dealing with costs payable out of Ontario’s Class Proceedings Fund
- the courts in Ontario and Quebec concerning a settlement fund for the administrator of a class action