Class Actions

Over the last 30 years, the Langlois Lawyers team has acquired a wealth of experience in class actions and complex litigation with economic, commercial, political or social implications. Relying on that experience, our professionals are able to advise clients before they adopt a practice or course of action, to minimize risks and avoid events materializing that could provide grounds for a class action. When events that could produce that result do occur, we can suggest strategic actions to limit potential liability. If a class action is ultimately instituted, we have the seasoned professionals to manage the situation, no matter what the area of law or expertise involved. Whether a settlement is negotiated at the authorization stage or a vigorous defence must be mounted and the case contested until a conclusion is reached at trial, the solutions proposed by our team are always dictated by our clients’ interests and needs.

In both class actions and conventional litigation, we currently represent, and have represented, various merchants that fall under the Consumer Protection Act—financial institutions, telecom companies, airlines, manufacturers and service providers—at both trial and appellate levels, including in the Supreme Court of Canada. In some cases, the constitutionality of the Consumer Protection Act has been challenged; in others, the issue was the scope of the Act.

This combination of experience and expertise ensures that our professionals have cutting-edge knowledge of the workings of consumer law as it applies to complex cases that often raise novel issues of substantive law or in relation to class action law.

Given the nature of class actions themselves, which often play out on a national or even international scale, we maintain excellent relations with other law firms that practice in the same field in Canada and abroad. These strategic alliances enable us to effectively manage actions that involve interprovincial, national or international issues. In addition to pooling our varying strengths, the synergy created by adopting national defence strategies often results in significant savings.