Securities Litigation

We defend public companies, boards and executives in complex securities litigation and regulatory proceedings, safeguarding business objectives with strategic advocacy.
Key Contacts
Dionne Bourassa PascaleDunne PeterStaley Robert
Building facade

Overview

Public companies must actively manage and resolve issues to achieve business objectives. Litigation for public companies increases in complexity as issues cross international borders and legal disciplines. Counsel need to understand all dimensions of the regulatory, civil and criminal liability issues in order to develop a creative and coordinated approach to obtaining an optimal result.

Our securities litigation counsel have extensive experience in securities litigation, enforcement and regulatory proceedings, class actions and corporate disputes for public companies, and their boards of directors and special committees. We have national experience advocating for clients at all levels of courts and before securities regulatory tribunals in all significant Canadian capital markets.

As experienced trial lawyers in securities litigation matters who know the litigation and regulatory processes, we work with our clients to understand their business objectives and to develop a cost effective strategic plan to achieve the desired business results.

We advise on proactive measures to avoid regulatory issues and litigation, including the conduct of regulatory audits and the institution of best practices. We also assist our clients to respond efficiently and effectively to regulatory issues and contested disputes when they arise.

We assist our clients across a broad variety of issues such as stock option dating, insider trading, antitrust matters and allegations of corporate wrongdoing.

Client Work

Anson Funds

in a significant defamation claim concerning serious and false allegations of securities fraud, market manipulation and other illegal conduct

The Chief Executive Officer of MDA Space

in connection with a securities class action alleging misrepresentations in the Company's disclosure and related claims of insider trading

Biogen

in Canadian legal matters related to a C$100 million securities class action commenced by the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension Plan

Blowers & Grafton Enterprises

represented a successful application of focused, intense litigation to resolve a corporate deadlock with a difficult and stubborn counterparty

Bridging Funds

in all aspects of one of the most complex receivership proceedings in the Canadian restructuring market in recent years

BZAM

in restructuring proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act

Coinbase

in the defence of a class action concerning the application of Canadian securities law to crypto-currencies and other crypto-assets

Dye & Durham

in defence of a novel conspiracy claim which alleges that Dye & Durham's 2020 arm’s-length acquisition of DoProcess was an anti-competitive conspiracy

Endeavour Mining

in a highly publicized putative securities class action

KSV

in recovering nearly C$100 million stolen from certain investors in a syndicated mortgage scheme

Nickel28

in its successful defence of a dissident proxy solicitation by Pelham Investment Partners, including in the Supreme Court of British Columbia

NRStor

in an application relating to an earn-out dispute

Rogers

in the examination, investigation and reporting of governance issues in light of the Rogers family battle for control of the company

Victoria Gold

in its settlement of a securities class action alleging shareholders were misled by the company's disclosure documents regarding mine operations

CannTrust

in defence of a multi-jurisdictional class action

Canada Nickel Company

in defending an action alleging that a number of defendants were part of a conspiracy involving bad faith and fraud

Katanga Mining

in defence of a proposed representative action on behalf of minority shareholders for alleged oppression

Apotex

in two class actions in British Columbia related to pharmaceutical products, including losartan and amitriptyline

Tetra Tech

in defence of a securities class action claim alleging misrepresentation relating to mineral resource and reserve estimates at a mine and processing facility in Mexico

Canopy Growth

in Ontario Securities Commission enforcement proceedings against Cormark Securities
A leading cryptocurrency exchange, in its defence of a novel class action alleging violations of the Ontario Securities Act in relation to cryptocurrency products

Rogers Communications

in the examination, investigation and reporting of various governance issues

Ad Hoc Committee of Unsecured Debtholders

in the US$4-billion recapitalization of Concordia International

Buckingham Securities

in its successful defence of an auditor negligence class action, including before the Ontario Court of Appeal

Volkswagen

in a securities class action commenced on behalf of Ontario purchasers of its securities

Canso

in the $600-million recapitalization of Postmedia Network ("PNI") pursuant to the Canada Business Corporations Act

Central GoldTrust

in Sprott Asset Management's $1-billion hostile takeover bid for all its outstanding units

Silver Bullion Trust

in Sprott Asset Management's $62-million hostile takeover bid for all its outstanding units 

SFC Litigation Trust

in a successful 15-week trial against the former CEO of Sino-Forest Corporation, resulting in a judgment in fraud and breach of fiduciary duty of US$2.6 billion

PricewaterhouseCoopers

in its cross-border Companies Creditors' Arrangement Act proceedings

Mubadala

in its acquisition of all of Global Alumina Corporation's interest in Guinea Alumina
Zahmol Properties v. City of Calgary, 2012 AB C.A. 89 (AB C.A. – Expropriation)

Paramount Energy

in a decision made by a panel of the Alberta Securities Commission Re: Arc Equity Management (Fund 4) 

Alberta Securities Commission

decision re: ARC Equity Management (Fund 4) Ltd., Re, 2009 ABASC 390

Ontario Securities Commission

approved a settlement reached between Research In Motion ("RIM" or the "Company"), together with certain Company directors and executives

Augen Gold

in a requisition for a shareholder meeting made by Augen Capital

Coventree

in an investigation by the Ontario Securities Commission into the Canadian asset-backed commercial paper market - Re Coventree

RBC Capital Markets

in a $115-million bought deal offering of common shares by Verenex Energy

Recognitions

Chambers Canada

Litigation: Securities

The Legal 500 Canada

Ranked, Tier 1, Dispute Resolution: Alberta
Ranked, Dispute Resolution: Ontario

Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory

Litigation - Securities

Global Investigations Review: GIR 100

Ranked, leading firm globally in Investigations

Pascale Dionne-Bourassa

Montréal Managing Partner

Robert W. Staley

Vice Chair and Partner

At the centre of market-shaping deals and high-stakes disputes, Bennett Jones delivers clarity, strategy and results. Our cross-border teams turn complexity into progress, always focused on what drives your success.

The Bennett Jones Story

At Bennett Jones, legal solutions are our starting point. What drives us forward is knowing our clients inside and out—their ambitions, obstacles and success metrics.

For more than a century, we have shaped outcomes that matter in business, in law and in the broader Canadian landscape. And our commitment extends beyond legal matters: we invest deeply in the communities in which we live and work.