Class Actions

Our goal is to minimize our clients’ exposure legally and from a business perspective, to the effects of class action litigation.

Class actions remain relatively new in Atlantic Canada. The province of Newfoundland and Labrador passed legislation dealing with class actions and class proceedings in 2004. The province of New Brunswick passed legislation dealing with class actions and class proceedings in 2007 and finally the province of Nova Scotia followed in 2008.

In those three Atlantic Provinces, we have represented local, national and international clients in various class actions including:

• products liability claims;
• mass tort litigation;
• environmental claims;
• pension disputes; and
• related litigation.

Class action cases typically raise issues that extend beyond defence of the claims, to working closely and proactively with our clients, in-house counsel and risk managers on the business effects of class actions, including insurance coverage, financing, financial reporting, future corporate transactions, risk management, handling of communication and press issues, and communications with shareholders and interested parties. We routinely advise clients regarding document organization, preservation, and retrieval, the development of product safety programs, and advice concerning contemplated product recalls and public disclosure and press releases.