Class Actions

These include COVID-19 in long-term care homes; listeriosis in tainted meat; e-coli in municipal drinking water; negligently-designed medical products; contaminated pet food; fires and explosions in residential buildings; privacy breaches; and sexual and physical abuse in schools, religious organizations and other institutions.

Defending class actions requires an in-depth understanding of the client’s business and interests; an appreciation of the law, including the recently-amended Class Proceedings Act; a thorough understanding of the practicalities of running a class action; and a highly attuned sense for when negotiation might be appropriate or when hard-fought litigation is required.

Stieber Berlach has been involved in some of the most high-profile class actions in Canada including: COVID-19 in long-term care homes; listeriosis in tainted meat; e-coli in municipal drinking water; negligently-designed medical products; contaminated pet food; fires and explosions in residential buildings; privacy breaches; and sexual and physical abuse in schools, religious organizations and other institutions.

We understand how to deal with the competing priorities of responding to media and regulatory inquiries in real time, while also preserving the clients’ defences in the class actions. We keep stakeholders (companies, individuals, boards and insurance towers) informed on a regular basis regarding our assessment of liability and damages.

We staff our class action files efficiently, with a mix of senior and junior lawyers, to be able to respond nimbly to the sometimes urgent and complicated issues arising in class actions. Our lawyers work as a team with clients and their insurers and we enjoy rising to the challenges presented by class actions.

 

To learn more about our practice in Class Actions, please contact:

Deborah Berlach & Elizabeth Bowker