Expertise
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Practice Areas:
- Bar Admissions:
- Education:
- Queen’s University (2020) JD
- Queen’s University (2017) BA (Honours – Political Studies)
Details
- Bio
- Associations
- Blog Posts
- News & Media
- Recognition
Peter Douglas (he/him)
is an associate at Lenczner Slaght.
Peter maintains a broad litigation practice spanning complex commercial litigation, class actions, and product liability matters. He has acted for clients in the consumer products, insurance and real estate development sectors in multi-party, multi-jurisdictional proceedings, and has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario.
Prior to joining Lenczner Slaght, Peter practiced at a national firm, where he gained extensive experience defending multinational automotive manufacturers in product liability claims and consumer class actions across the country. He also represented clients in high stakes corporate commercial and real estate disputes.
Peter completed his JD at Queen's University. While in law school, he received the Queen's Law Prize for the highest standing in Civil Procedure and completed an exchange term at the University of Glasgow.
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The Advocates’ Society
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Canadian Bar Association
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Ontario Bar Association
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Peter Douglas authored a blog examining the British Columbia Supreme Court’s decision in MacKinnon v Pfizer Canada Inc, which highlights the challenges of certifying national class actions based solely on provincial consumer protection legislation. The decision underscores the significant differences among provincial consumer protection regimes and reinforces the difficulty of advancing national class proceedings without relying on additional causes of action such as negligence, breach of contract, or Competition Act claims. (Prior to Lenczner Slaght)
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The COVID-19 Virus Does Not Trigger Business Interruption Insurance Coverage
Peter Douglas co-authored a blog on the landmark decision in Workman Optometry Professional Corporation v Certas Home and Auto Insurance Company, the first Canadian trial decision to address whether COVID-19-related business interruption losses were covered under commercial insurance policies. The decision provides significant clarity for insurers and policyholders across Canada regarding the interpretation of business interruption insurance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Prior to Lenczner Slaght)
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Peter Douglas explores evolving approaches to managing multijurisdictional class actions in Canada in the blog he co-authored, Discontinuance of a Class Action: A New Approach to Multijurisdictional National Settlements in Québec. The blog examines the Québec Superior Court’s decision in Bourgeois v Electronics Arts Inc and how it signals a willingness by Québec courts to defer to settlements approved in other provinces where the rights of Québec class members are adequately protected, potentially paving the way for a more streamlined single-jurisdiction settlement approval process for national class actions. (Prior to Lenczner Slaght)
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Diverging Approaches to the Certification of Class Actions
Peter Douglas co-authored a blog examining how recent amendments to Ontario’s Class Proceedings Act, 1992 are reshaping the class action landscape by introducing stricter certification requirements and accelerated procedural timelines. It highlights early judicial interpretations of the amendments, including decisions that expand defendants’ ability to bring pre-certification motions and require dismissal of delayed proceedings, signaling a more defendant-friendly approach in Ontario compared to other jurisdictions. (Prior to Lenczner Slaght)
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Lenczner Slaght Welcomes Peter Douglas
Canada’s leading litigation firm continues to strengthen its expertise with the addition of Peter Douglas.
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Course Prize in Civil Procedure (2019)
Queen’s University