The Toronto outpost of global juggernaut firm Baker McKenzie has made a considerable impression in a short period of time, a remarkable feat considering that much of its litigation activity revolves around disputes that don’t specifically involve traditional “Bay Street” issues. One client goes so far as to testify, “I have no hesitation in saying that there are only a handful of Canadian lawyers who have had the involvement in cross-border and multi-jurisdictional exposure than the Baker team in their career. represents their clients with skill, vigor, and adheres to the highest level of ethical standards and professionalism.”
John Pirie, a practitioner with a practice largely dedicated to white-collar trials and investigations, elicits overwhelming client review. One declares, “John is the senior partner that I deal with on a regular basis. I’ve known him for many years professionally and have acted as co-counsel and in other capacities in several cases with him, including in Canada’s largest shareholder fraud/misrepresentation case, and as co-counsel in the recent high-profile Paramount Foods shareholder/civil fraud case where John and his team succeeded on an extraordinary motion taking control of the Paramount empire for their clients. John is a well-known, respected litigator. He has acted for a range of high-profile clients including Ontario judges in sensitive matters on more than one occasion. Clients trust John’s judgment when the stakes are high, and his courtroom presence is compelling.” A member of the bench even voices favor on Pirie’s behalf: “I am a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. When I was a lawyer, John and I were on several files - sometimes with interests aligned, other times against each other. We developed a mutual respect from the outset, nearly 25 years ago. We had several court appearances together, including one lengthy 10-month trial, and then the subsequent resulting appeal. I honestly can't think of something John doesn't do well. He is the best litigation strategist I have known, an excellent cross-examiner, a reasonable negotiator, a thorough researcher and a pleasure to deal with. He is always available to discuss matters, whether as a client or an opposing counsel. John was my only choice to represent my firm. Even if the file wasn't his bailiwick, John would be able to get up to speed and fulfil the client's needs like he did mine.”
Matthew Latella and David Gadsden are both more commercial litigation-focused partners. Latella successfully represented Israel's largest coffee chain in a franchise dispute with precedent-setting court proceedings in Ontario, resulting in a judgment setting aside two arbitral awards totaling $12.5 million on the basis of reasonable apprehension of bias. Gadsden is cheered by a client as “an excellent lawyer, knowledgeable of the law and with good strategic sense.” Another testifies, “David worked with John Pirie in overseeing and running a two-month trial defending their multinational client in what was a truly a ‘bet the company’ situation. I know their client was delighted with the result. Only a handful of Canadian litigators have overseen a trial of this magnitude which involved more than 40 witnesses, thousands of documents, and multiple experts.” Gadsden and Pirie have been engaged to defend Avet in a national class action alleging price fixing. The Canadian claim followed on the heels of the client's entry into a plea deal in the context of a US DoJ investigation. In Canada, the plaintiffs seek damages of CAD 5 billion and allege that Avet played a central role in conspiring with over 50 generic drug manufacturers to allocate market share, fix prices and manipulate the supply of generic drugs in Canada. The claim seeks to certify a class comprising all Canadian private sector purchasers of generic drugs from January 2012 to present. The certification motion will be argued before the Federal Court in December 2024. George Avraam, a labor and employment practitioner, is addressed as “incredibly responsive, professional, service oriented, skilled and discerning” by a client. Another testifies, “George is detail oriented and a strategic thinker, who has a vast breadth of knowledge on complex areas of law. He led multiple teams of lawyers on complex cases at courts of appeal and the Supreme Court for us this year, and we were extremely pleased with the work in these cases. We feel honored to have a lawyer of such high caliber and knowledge represent us.”
