Monday, March 12, 2007

Iacobucci Inquiry: Counsel John B. Laskin

Laskin is the chief counsel for the Iacobucci Inquiry. As with the other main counsel and Iacobucci himself they are all connected to the huge international law firm Torys LLP. This material is from their website. John Tory the present leader of the Ontario Conservative Party worked at the firm for some time and his grandfather was one of the founders of the firm I believe. Laskin is obviously well recognised and has had some experience in human rights cases but as can be seen he has also defended large corporations in rights cases as well. Tory's LLP prides itself on being a star international player in serving international business clients.
Everyone invovled in this inquiry must pass stringent security regulations. This in itself is probably a sufficient filter to ensure that there will be no really serious harm to the status quo through the inquiry. This does not mean that heads may not roll. Heads are dispensible especially stupid heads that perjure themselves such as Zaccardelli!


Monday, March 12, 2007
partner
John B. Laskin

jlaskin@torys.com
Toronto
416.865.7317


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


practice
John Laskin practices all types of business litigation with an emphasis on administrative and constitutional law, competition law and class actions. He has appeared as counsel in the Supreme Court of Canada, at every level of court in Ontario, in the courts of Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, in the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal, in domestic and international commercial arbitrations and before a variety of administrative tribunals.

practice areas
Administrative and Regulatory, Antitrust and Competition, Arbitration, Class Actions, Constitutional, Environmental, Health and Safety, Healthcare, Intellectual Property, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Media and Defamation, Professional Negligence and Discipline, Trade, White Collar Crime

recognitions
Chambers & Partners’ Chambers Global: World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Client’s Guide 2007—Leading practitioner in Ontario in dispute resolution
Lexpert/American Lawyer's Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada 2007—Leading lawyer in corporate/commercial litigation

Lexpert/Thomson Canada’s Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2006—Most frequently recommended practitioner in corporate/commercial and public law litigation; repeatedly recommended in class actions, competition/antitrust, defamation and media, securities, insolvency, and directors’ and officers’ liability litigation, and in international commercial arbitration

Woodward White’s Best Lawyers in Canada 2006—Administrative and public law; class action litigation; competition/antitrust law; corporate and commercial litigation; defamation and media law; director and officer liability; and securities law

Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World’s Leading Litigation Lawyers 2006—Leading litigator in Canada

Practical Law Company’s Which Lawyer? Yearbook 2006—Highly recommended lawyer in Ontario in dispute resolution

Lexpert/Thomson Canada’s Guide to the Leading 100 Canada/U.S. Cross-Border Litigators in Canada 2005—Corporate commercial, class action and securities litigation


cases
John has recently represented
a major pharmaceutical company in patent proceedings and appeals
the Chiefs of Ontario and the Ontario First Nations Limited Partnership in litigation relating to the proceeds of Casino Rama
the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation in New Brunswick litigation relating to the ownership of art
Canada Post Corporation in an appeal relating to official marks under the Trade-marks Act
the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in appeals from certain telecom decisions raising administrative law and Charter issues
Mitsubishi Corporation in proceedings under the Competition Act
Upper Canada College in class action proceedings arising from allegations of historical sexual abuse
GT Group Telecom and its subsidiaries, and the noteholders of Algoma Steel, in restructuring proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
Panasonic Canada in defending a consumer class action based on alleged breaches of the Competition Act
Ontario Power Generation in successfully defending an application for judicial review of the environmental assessment of a used nuclear fuel storage facility, and an appeal from the dismissal of the application
a U.S. manufacturer and distributor in a successful appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada on vicarious liability and trial procedure issues
TNT Canada in a successful defence against a charge of conspiring to lessen competition unduly under the Competition Act
Trilogy Retail Enterprises in litigation and Ontario Securities Commission proceedings related to its takeover bid for Chapters
prominent Canadian businesses and institutions in human rights proceedings raising disability and other discrimination issues
the Ontario Health Services Restructuring Commission in defending a series of court proceedings attacking provincial hospital restructuring initiatives on Charter and other grounds
TrizecHahn Office Properties in litigation concerning a major office development in Calgary
the Government of Newfoundland in an appeal in the Supreme Court of Canada, involving employment and constitutional issues
another large Toronto law firm in successfully defending an action for professional negligence, and upholding the trial judgment on appeal
the principal creditors of Hurricane Hydrocarbons in debt restructuring proceedings in the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench
a large U.S. manufacturer in an application before a NAFTA Binational Panel
Canada Post in successful proceedings before the National Transportation Agency for approval of Canada Post’s acquisition of a majority interest in Purolator Courier and in resisting court proceedings to set aside the NTA’s decision
Thomson Newspapers in a Charter challenge in the Supreme Court of Canada, involving the powers of compulsory investigation conferred by the Competition Act
various clients in a number of interventions in the Supreme Court of Canada, dealing with Charter and other issues in libel, education, healthcare and labour matters


professional involvement
John is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He speaks, writes and teaches frequently on public law, competition and advocacy issues, and is the principal editor for civil cases of Canadian Charter of Rights Annotated. From 1996 to 1998, John was Torys’ Professional Manager, the member of the Executive Committee responsible for the professional aspects of firm management.
Before entering private practice in 1982, John was Assistant and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto; he remained there for several years as a part-time lecturer on constitutional litigation. He has been Vice-Chair of the Constitutional and International Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association and a member of the Canadian Bar Association Task Force on Constitutional Amendment Processes.


publications and presentations
John’s recent publications and presentations include
“The Certification of Competition-Related Class Actions in Canada,” co-author with Linda Plumpton and Amanda Kemshaw, Litigating Conspiracy: An Analysis of Competition Class Actions, 2006. Also published in Canadian Class Action Review, vol. 3, no. 1, Toronto: Irwin Law, 2006.

“Private Enforcement and Litigation,” co-author, The Antitrust Review of the Americas 2004, Global Competition Review, 2003.

“Sealing Orders after Sierra Club,” co-author with Daniel Puchniak, The Advocates’ Quarterly, vol. 27, no. 2, June 2003.

“Administrative Monetary Penalties and Damages for Reviewable Conduct: Not So Fast!” 2003 Competition Law Invitational Forum, Langdon Hall, Cambridge, Ontario, May 2003.


bar admissions
Alberta, 1987
Ontario, 1979


education
LL.M., 1977
University of California
LL.B. (Gold Medallist), 1976
University of Toronto

B.A., 1971
York University

No comments: