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Class Actions

Any class action is a big deal.

Unlike other forms of litigation, it has the potential to combine the recourses of hundreds, thousands and even millions of potential plaintiffs against corporate or institutional defendants.

The impact of existing or threatened class action lawsuits continues to reshape the legal landscape for Canadian businesses. More and more businesses, in a growing number of sectors in our economy, are feeling that impact.

A class action is unlike ordinary litigation in its unique potential for generating adverse publicity, eroding customer and shareholder confidence and goodwill, diverting scarce resources and creating significant potential liabilities. If your business has just been named in a class action suit, or anticipates potential future exposure, you need to deal with the threat quickly and efficiently.

In addition, class action proceedings are now available to potential representative plaintiffs across Canada, and in many cases are brought simultaneously in multiple provinces. Your business will need the expertise of a law firm with a national platform, a proven track record, and the depth of experience nation-wide that only McCarthy Tétrault's national Class Action Group can offer. Indeed, your critical first step should be to choose the right law firm to steer you through the storm.

McCarthy Tétrault wrote the definitive book for class action defendants, Defending Class Actions in Canada, now in its fifth edition. Our class action practice is second to none in the country because we make this experience and expertise available to you right away, as soon as you need us, in every major business centre in Canada.

Why choose McCarthy Tétrault?

  • Multijurisdictional approach – We do not just have offices with leading practitioners wherever you need us; we also have an integrated team that can work together, in different places at once, harnessing the full power of Canada's largest litigation group with regional knowledge of the local business and legal environment.
  • Breadth and depth – We are able to provide this seamless, co-ordinated service not only in different cities and provinces, but also across different areas of legal practice and industry-specific expertise. In addition to our class action litigators, we have leading practitioners in fields as diverse as securities, mergers & acquisitions, consumer protection, pensions and benefits, corporate finance, financial services, environmental matters, products liability, pharmaceuticals, tax, construction, natural resources, intellectual property, as well as administrative, labour, criminal and real estate law.
  • Thinking strategically – Getting the right outcome often depends on making the right moves early on. Our class action lawyers know from experience when and how to assert your defence vigorously, and when and how to broach the possibility of negotiated settlements. Whichever course is appropriate in your case, you can count on us to work with you to generate the best response, and to bring about the best result, with the least amount of damage.
  • National and international – Because of our unique position as Canada's first national law firm, we also have developed strong working relationships with many of the leading American law firms providing class action defence services. Many Canadian class actions originate out of American proceedings. Several of our clients are subsidiaries of American parents faced with similar litigation across the border. This means that we can co-ordinate with your US counsel like few others. In addition, many of our clients are centred outside of North America, in Europe, Asia and elsewhere.
  • Experience – Our national Class Action Group has represented clients in some of the most high-profile class action cases in the country, in areas like financial services, insurance, product liability, competition law, pensions and benefits, securities and others. In navigating the storm of complex class action litigation, it is essential to rely on experienced counsel. McCarthy Tétrault can provide the insight, knowledge and resources you need to weather any such storm.