Expertise
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Practice Areas:
- Bar Admissions:
- Education:
- Queen's University (1977) LLB
- Carleton University (1974) BA
Details
- Bio
- Cases
- Associations
- Blog Posts
- News & Media
- Publications & Presentations
- Recognition
Peter Griffin
is counsel and one of the five founding partners at Lenczner Slaght.
"Peter Griffin is one of the best litigation lawyers in Canada. He has an excellent grasp of the issues and the law, as well as the gravitas to address difficult issues." — Chambers Canada
Peter is recognized by his peers as one of the top litigators in Canada, particularly in the areas of corporate commercial litigation, class actions, securities matters, insolvency, and professional and director/officer liability. He has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario and the common-law provinces, and before the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2021, Peter was recognized with the prestigious Law Society Medal for his exceptional advocacy, unwavering commitment to education and mentorship, and involvement in positively advancing the legal profession.
Peter has extensive experience in complex cross-border litigation, especially as it relates to both class proceedings and insolvency and restructuring. He regularly advises boards of directors and national and multinational corporations with respect to their obligations. He is retained as counsel of choice on appeal. He frequently represents clients in arbitration and acts as an arbitrator in contested arbitration proceedings. Peter is constantly sought out as an expert speaker on advocacy, shareholder disputes, class actions, professional liability and insolvency and restructuring.
Peter is past President of The Advocates' Society, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and past Chair of the American College of Trial Lawyers Ontario Committee.
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Grant Thornton v New Brunswick
Counsel to Grant Thornton in a successful appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada clarifying the rule of discoverability in limitation periods law across Canada.
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Counsel to the successful partner of a multi-billion dollar residential and commercial real estate developer and builder in obtaining successful order winding up and selling the partnership.
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12178711 Canada Inc v Wilks Brothers, LLC
Counsel to G2S2 Capital Inc., a significant creditor, in connection with a contested CBCA restructuring of Calfrac Well Services Ltd.
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In the Matter of the Receivership of Xela Enterprises Ltd
Counsel to the court-appointed receiver in an application to recover a judgment debt from Xela Enterprises Ltd., the parent company to several subsidiaries located primarily in Central America and the Caribbean.
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HH and GH v York Downs Golf and Country Club
Counsel to the York Downs Golf & Country Club in an application before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. Successful in having proceeding dismissed.
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Re Investment Management Corporation of Ontario
Counsel to IMCO in a breach of contract claim with manager of public infrastructure projects.
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Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Aphria Inc.
Counsel to the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Aphria Inc. in connection with allegations made by short sellers regarding the value of certain assets and insider dealings.
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The Mangrove Partners Master Fund v TransAlta Corporation
Counsel to the directors of TransAlta Corporation in an oppression claim brought by a significant shareholder.
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Wintercorn v Global Learning Group Inc
Counsel to a defendant law firm in a proposed class proceeding in Ontario relating to a tax donation program alleging professional negligence.
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GCT Canada Limited Partnership v Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and Attorney General of Canada
Counsel to Global Container Terminals in a judicial review of a decision of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority refusing to consider Global Container Terminal’s proposed port expansion project.
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American College of Trial Lawyers - Fellow; Chair, Ontario Committee
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The Advocates' Society - Past President 2012–2013
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Canadian Bar Association
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Ontario Bar Association
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Sir William Campbell Foundation
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Commercial List Users' Committee
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Turnaround Management Association
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Quadrennial Commission for Judicial Compensation - Commissioner (2016-2023)
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Fixing the Mistake: Limitation Periods in Professional Negligence Cases
Over a decade after Ontario’s Limitations Act, 2002 came into force, courts are still grappling with when a cause of action is discoverable and a limitation period starts to run. An increasingly litigated question relates to whether a limitation period runs while efforts are ongoing to fix the error that gave rise to the plaintiff’s claim. The Court of Appeal for Ontario recently addressed this issue in Presidential MSH Corp v Marr, Foster & Co LLP.
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In contractual disputes, after-the-fact conduct is admissible after all
To most people, a contract is a written agreement, typically signed by all parties, that sets out what different parties promise to do. But what happens that the written agreement is ambiguous? Courts have long held that evidence of the “factual matrix” of the contract—that is, the surrounding circumstances that inform the context in which a contract is created—is admissible in the interpretation of a contract. In its recent decision in Shewchuk v Blackmont Capital Inc, the Ontario Court of Appeal confirmed that evidence of subsequent conduct may also be admissible to interpret the agreement itself.
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Legalwriter.Net’s Top 10 Business Decisions of 2021, Part II – and the Law Firm Players
Grant Thornton LLP v New Brunswick is featured as one of the top 10 business decisions of 2021 by LegalWriter.net. Peter Griffin, lead counsel for the successful appellant, was interviewed on the significance of the case.
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The 2022 Lexpert Directory Recognizes Lenczner Slaght’s Litigation Excellence
31 of our expert litigators are recognized by their peers as the foremost practitioners across 18 fields.
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Lenczner Slaght Ranked for the 20th Consecutive Year in Chambers Global
Canada’s leading litigation firm continues to be recognized for its dispute resolution expertise by world-renowned directory, Chambers Global, alongside notable full-service, national, and international firms.
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Lenczner Slaght’s 21st Year at the Centre of the Lexpert Bull’s Eye
Lenczner Slaght continues to be recognized as the #1 firm in Toronto for Litigation and Commercial Litigation by the 2022 Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada.
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Mercedes-Benz Settles Canadian Diesel Emissions Class Action
Daimler AG and its Canadian and American Mercedes-Benz subsidiaries have agreed to settle a class proceeding concerning approximately 83,000 "BlueTEC" diesel vehicles in Canada. The proposed settlement provides for cash payments and other benefits to current and former owners and lessees.
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Lexpert Recognizes Lenczner Slaght’s Litigation Expertise
Following an in-depth peer review process, the 2021 Lexpert Special Edition: Canada's Leading Litigation Lawyers guide recognizes 19 Lenczner Slaght lawyers for their extensive courtroom experience and subject-matter expertise.
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Top 10 Business Decisions of 2020-2021
In Lexpert's Top 10 Business Decisions of 2020-2021 article, Lenczner Slaght is featured for its involvement in Grant Thornton LLP v New Brunswick and Corner Brook (City) v Bailey. Peter Griffin also provides his expert insights on the significance of Grant Thornton LLP v New Brunswick for the feature.
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Legal 500 Highlights Lenczner Slaght’s Litigation Dominance
Legal 500 recognizes Canada’s leading litigation firm as “a regular fixture in the country’s ground-breaking contentious cases”.
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Federal Judge Hears Arguments in Roberts Bank Battle
Business in Vancouver provides coverage of Peter Griffin, Matthew B. Lerner, and Chris Yung on their recent appearance before the Federal Court regarding Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and GCT Global Container Terminals Canada Ltd.
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Chambers Canada Recognizes Lenczner Slaght’s Litigation Excellence
Canada’s leading litigation firm and its expert litigators continue to advance their position in the latest edition of world-renowned directory, Chambers & Partners.
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Peter Griffin co-chaired The Advocates' Society program "Litigating Contract Disputes". Peter led the panels Drafting Effective Pleadings in Contract Disputes and View from the Bench: Litigating Contract Disputes.
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Peter Griffin presented at The Advocates' Society's program "Litigating Contract Disputes". He will share his expertise on the panel Framing Your Contract Claim.
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Peter Griffin and Tom Curry spoke at The Advocates' Society's 19th Annual Spring Symposium on the module The Civil Advocate. Their session included an update on principles of civility for advocates and how to handle questions from the Bench on appeal.
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Professionalism and Civility at Trial
Peter Griffin presented at the Ontario Bar Association's premier program Anatomy of a Trial: A Deeper Dive Into Jury Trials that provided a comprehensive examination of the best techniques for conducting a jury trial. Peter spoke on the panel "Professionalism and Civility at Trial".
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35th Annual Joint Colloquium on International Arbitration
Ian Binnie and Peter Griffin presented at the 35th Annual Joint Colloquium on International Arbitration. They shared their expertise on the panel discussion Mastering Effective Techniques for Cross-Examination.
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Peter Griffin spoke at The Advocates' Society's program on "Litigating Contract Disputes". He was a member of the "Framing Your Contract Claim" panel.
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15th Annual Symposium on Class Actions
As one of the leading experts in Class Actions, Peter Griffin spoke at Osgoode PD's 15th Annual Symposium on Class Actions on the panel "What Goes Around Comes Around: Lawyers Under Class Action Attack".
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Peter Griffin presented at the Advocates' Society's program on Motions Advocacy. He shared his expertise and experience on how to prepare oral and written submissions.
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The Appeal: The Travel Ban on Trial in the Supreme Court of Stratford
Peter Griffin appeared at Stratford Festival's Forum Showcase on September 30, 2017. He acted as counsel to Romeo in the Appeal of Prince Escalus' executive order banishing Romeo from Verona. Peter cross-examined the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson appearing as the expert witness and challenged the legality of the travel ban.
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The Advocates' Society Civil Litigation Skills Certificate Program - Trial from A to Z
Peter Griffin presented the Trial Preparation: 90 Day Checklist lecture for The Advocates' Society Civil Litigation Skills Certificate Program: Trial...
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Law Society Medal (2021)
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Ontario Bar Association Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation (2017)
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American College of Trial Lawyers (2004)
Fellow
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Benchmark Canada (2012-2022)
Top 50 Trial Lawyer in Canada and Litigation Star – Competition, Commercial, Insolvency, Professional Liability, Securities, Insolvency
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Best Lawyers in Canada (2006-2022)
Alternative Dispute Resolution, Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Class Action Litigation, Corporate & Commercial Litigation, Director & Officer Liability, Health Care Law, Insolvency & Financial Restructuring, Legal Malpractice, Medical Negligence, Securities
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Best Lawyers in Canada (2013)
Toronto Corporate and Commercial Litigation "Lawyer of the Year"
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Best Lawyers in Canada (2014)
Toronto Bet-the-Company Litigation "Lawyer of the Year"
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Best Lawyers in Canada (2016)
Toronto "Lawyer of the Year" in Director and Officer Liability
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Best Lawyers in Canada (2017)
Toronto "Lawyer of the Year" in Corporate and Commercial Litigation
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Best Lawyers in Canada (2019)
Toronto "Lawyer of the Year" in Legal Malpractice Law (2019)
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