Commercial Litigation

Undisputed Excellence Inside and Outside the Courtroom 

In the ultra-competitive corporate environment, you can’t make it to the top without running into a few battles. And you can’t hope to stay there without resolving your disputes effectively and efficiently.

At Miller Thomson, our Commercial Litigation Group works with leading Canadian and multinational companies to develop litigation strategies that match their corporate priorities, doing whatever it takes to deliver successful outcomes while minimizing costs and disruption.  

Whether you are in conflict with a rival company, rogue employee, former commercial partner, industry regulator or even the government, you can trust our creative and pragmatic team to fight your corner, so that you can focus on your core business. 

Depth and Breadth of Expertise 

With over 125 lawyers in our Group across the country, we are experienced in litigating — and winning — cases in virtually all areas of commercial litigation. 

When the stakes are high, Canadian and international businesses turn to the leading counsel in our team for the experience, skills and perspective they bring to the provision of high quality, practical and innovative solutions.  

The Commercial Litigation Group also leverages Miller Thomson’s national reach and full-service structure, drawing on the firm’s cross-practice expertise to provide tailored litigation support that responds to the individual needs of clients. 

You Define Success, We Achieve it 

The business-oriented lawyers in our Commercial Litigation Group begin every matter by identifying and understanding your immediate and long-term goals. These commercial objectives then become our singular focus in the development and aggressive pursuit of a winning litigation strategy.  

If you want a paint-by-numbers litigation team, you’ve come to the wrong firm. Our team views litigation as a business tool and every single action our seasoned professionals take is another targeted, deliberate step on the road to a successful resolution.  

Flexible, Pragmatic Counsel 

In business disputes, victory doesn’t always have to come in the courtroom. In fact, in an era of backlogged and under-resourced court systems, a trial verdict is among the lengthiest and least likely ways to conclude your corporate conflict. Our team utilizes the full range of dispute resolution tools available, including negotiated settlements, mediation and arbitration.  

When matters escalate and court action is called for, the professionals in our team have the experience and know-how to keep matters moving along quickly and the formidable advocacy skills to advance a compelling case before judges at every level of court in any Canadian jurisdiction. Our lawyers also have vast experience appearing before industry-specific tribunals such as the Federal Competition Tribunal, as well as various provincial securities commissions and environmental assessment boards. 

Contact Us

Our expertise is indisputable. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of Miller Thomson’s experienced Commercial Litigation lawyers so that we get started on crafting the innovative and efficient legal solutions you need.

Key Contacts

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Expertise Specializations

Defamation/Reputation Management

Defamation/Reputation Management Protection You Can Trust

As digital advancements continue to transform the worlds of commerce and free speech, at least one thing has remained constant across both realms: the importance of your reputation. Miller Thomson’s Defamation/Reputation Management Group helps individuals, brands and businesses protect this most critical (and vulnerable) of assets, offering creative and practical legal solutions tailored to their unique needs. The seasoned, agile professionals in our team work quickly to tackle damaging attacks originating on social media, online news outlets and other more traditional forms of communication, helping clients set the record straight, limit the harm to their interests and pursue compensation where appropriate.  

Products Liability 

Flawless Products Liability Support

In a business environment defined by high consumer expectations and even higher regulatory burdens, legal danger lurks in every corner of the product lifecycle. Whether you are proactively assessing risks in the design phase, dealing with an emergency recall or mounting a class action defence, Miller Thomson’s Products Liability Group is your one-stop service provider, offering comprehensive and seamless advice to address the full scope of your legal needs. The collaborative professionals in our team leverage the firm’s broader expertise across a wide array of practice areas to provide tailored legal support to clients operating in industries as varied as life sciences, healthcare, energy, transport, automotive, agribusiness and more. 

Partnership/Joint Venture Disputes 

Take Control of Partnership/Joint Venture Disputes

When business partners join forces in pursuit of the same vision, the result is an enterprise that adds up to more than the sum of its parts. But mix in some conflict, and the formula quickly stops working. When partner disputes threaten the profitability or even the viability of your business, Miller Thomson’s Partnership/Joint Ventures Disputes Group can help you act swiftly and decisively to resolve them, calling upon decades of experience to providing creative and practical solutions for clients in virtually every sector of the economy.

Contractual Disputes

Enforcing Your Rights in Contractual Disputes

Even the most beautifully drafted agreements can be breached, potentially wreaking havoc on the finances and day-to-day operation of your business. When your commercial partners are unwilling or unable to hold up their end of the bargain, Miller Thomson’s Contractual Disputes Group helps you enforce your rights under agreements of varying complexity, ranging from single-page, standard-form waivers to multi-party, multibillion-dollar construction contracts. The creative and strategic professionals in our group have extensive experience resolving disputes in and out of court, approaching every matter with clients’ short- and long-term business objectives top of mind. 

Professional Liability  

Professional Liability: Helping the Professionals Protect Themselves  

In our increasingly litigious and highly regulated society, it’s harder than ever for professionals to make it through an entire career without having their reputation threatened by allegations of negligence or disciplinary proceedings at some stage. Miller Thomson’s Professional Liability Group makes lawyers, accountants, architects and other regulated professionals feel surrounded and supported in their lowest moments, providing the creative and strategic advice they need to come through challenging times with both their integrity and their livelihood intact. Our pragmatic team acts for lawyers, doctors, dentists and engineers, among many more professionals in a range of regulatory, civil and quasi-criminal proceedings.

Debt Recovery

Speedy Satisfaction in Matters of Debt Recovery, including Fraud and Asset Recovery

Time is of the essence in debt and asset recovery matters, particularly when fraud is involved. When secured and unsecured debt collection becomes a problem for private and public businesses, Miller Thomson’s Debt Recovery Group springs into action, helping them protect their bottom line with speedy, strategic and cost-effective legal solutions. From institutional and private collections to foreclosures, our team offers comprehensive, timely, responsive and creative debt recovery and civil enforcement legal services, tailored to match the unique needs of businesses and organizations. With financial fraud on the rise, we also have extensive experience using court-ordered injunctions, including Norwich Orders, Mareva injunctions and Anton Piller Orders. In addition, our Debt Recovery Group has extensive insolvency experience and often relies upon remedies under the Bankruptcy & Insolvency Act to set aside fraudulent or under value transfers. We also make extensive use of Court appointed Receivers and Trustees assist in complex investigations and recoveries.

Directors and Officers Liability

Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Solutions that Reinforce Your Corporate Veil

Directors and officers are more likely than ever to find themselves in the firing line as governments, regulators and shareholders are increasingly emboldened to hold companies’ key decision-makers personally liable for their corporations’ harmful actions. At Miller Thomson, our Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Group helps clients insulate themselves from personal liability, providing strategic and practical advice to reduce their exposure in the performance of their corporate duties and defending them in court when necessary. The business-minded lawyers in our team understand the complex web of regulations, caselaw and legislation governing the rights and responsibilities of corporate decision-makers.

Corporate and Business Disputes

Corporate and Business Dispute Resolution That Keep Your Business Moving:  

Disputes are a fact of life in business, but in the competitive corporate environment, you can’t afford to let them become a sinkhole for your energy, time and money. Miller Thomson’s Corporate and Business Disputes Group crafts speedy and strategic solutions that allow you to reinvest those precious resources in the pursuit of more productive goals: growth and profitability. Whether they’re ready to bet the company or chasing a difficult customer for payment, our team helps Canadian and multinational clients find cost-effective resolutions that mitigate risk, minimize disruption and align with their corporate objectives.  

Shareholders Disputes

Navigate Shareholder Disputes With Confidence

When boardroom tensions rise, minor issues can quickly threaten a business's survival. Miller Thomson’s Shareholder Disputes Group is dedicated to resolving disputes efficiently and in alignment with clients' commercial goals. Our experienced lawyers handle both urgent and ongoing shareholder disputes with a focus on cost-effective solutions, assisting a range of clients, including large public companies and small private firms, where family dynamics may complicate matters. Recognized experts in the field, our lawyers combine litigation, corporate, and tax expertise to secure the best outcomes for clients, representing corporations and shareholders in matters such as breach of contract, fiduciary duty, business dissolution, fraud, shareholder oppression, derivative actions, share valuation, and insolvency. 

National Contact

Commercial Litigation Communiqué

Read the latest issue of Miller Thomson’s Commercial Litigation Communiqué.

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