Torys has a leading class actions group with considerable expertise in all aspects of Canadian and U.S. class actions. We represent clients in a broad range of cases, including product liability, securities, competition and antitrust, employment, payments and cards, environmental, health, insurance, copyright, information technology, pensions and commercial matters.
Torys litigators have extensive trial experience, and have defended two of the five major Ontario class action trials.
Torys has led and coordinated the defence and settlement of 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 Canadian law.
Class action cases include defending
- Eli-Lilly and Takeda in resisting multiple proposed product liability class actions relating to the drugs Permax and Actos across Canada including in Quebec
- an international pharmaceutical company in resisting multiple proposed product liability class action proceedings relating to two prescription combined oral contraceptives
- three major insurance companies in two class actions that went to trial in Ontario, arising from a major acquisition
- Abbott, at trial in Quebec, in a product liability class action relating to the drug Biaxin
- Hachette Book Group, a multinational publishing company, in resisting proposed class actions involving allegations of anticompetitive conduct in the Canadian market for eBooks
- CIBC and CIBC World Markets in successfully resisting certification of a proposed class action involving a claim for overtime eligibility
- two international insurance companies in class actions brought on behalf of transferred policyholders concerning benefits related to demutualization
- United Airlines in a proposed class action involving allegations of anticompetitive activity in the Canadian market for air cargo
- a group of twelve underwriters in cross-border class action and insolvency proceedings pertaining to Sino-forest
- 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