Toronto litigation boutique Tyr was forged by three partners, James Doris, James Bunting
and Sean Campbell, after calving off their former firm, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg, where all three cultivated their litigation pedigree and earned their individual reputations. Looking to sidestep the conflicts potentially encountered from the corporate capacity at Davies, these entrepreneurial partners went all in on this new-found freedom, naming their firm after the Norse war god who presides over matters of law and justice. Peers are watching and already impressed with the venture. “Tyr has really done impressive things in the short time they’ve been around,” declares one. “They have all kinds of different things on the go.” Another testifies, “I’m seeing them everywhere, and seemingly very suddenly, in all types of interesting cases, and it’s been a pleasure. They are punching way above their weight in terms of files. You see ‘Tyr’ on the letterhead and you know it’s going to be a tough but reasonable fight.” Reinforcing the distinction between activity and volume, one contemporary stresses, “Tyr are choosier about the cases they bring than many others. There is absolutely no eye rolling with a Tyr-originated file. When you see their name on a plaintiff class action, you take it seriously.”
The firm boasts an ever-expanding roster of stars and up-and-comers. “Tyr just seems like they added a ton of people this year, and they are all really good. We like them a lot.” In particular, the firm has doubled down on its intellectual property practice. “IP specialty shops in Toronto are shrinking, fading or disappearing,” observes one peer, confirming, “Tyr, on the other hand, seems to be building this group!” The firm added
Amy Grenon, previously with Norton Rose and Aird & Berlis, to its bench. Grenon juggles a mix of brand-side patent cases as well as trademark and oil-and-gas work.
Cole Meagher, with the firm since 2020, has also been enjoying a rising profile in the IP space, largely (but not exclusively) dedicated to the pharmaceutical space. Another recent (although no longer considered “new”) addition to the firm,
Melanie Baird has long been considered a “powerhouse” in the patent arena, known for her unflinching courtroom chutzpah. “She makes it look easy, but take it from me, she works her ass off and prepares like crazy,” insists a peer. “She is not only a great trial lawyer but an incredible business developer. This is something a lot of trial lawyers are strangely awkward at, even though they’re so confident in court! And a lot of other strong marketers bring a lot of ‘sizzle’ but not much substance. Mel has both, that’s a winning combo.” In addition to Baird’s role as a ‘first call’ for Janssen Pharmaceuticals, she is also leading a team, which includes Grenon and Meagher, that represented Florida Foods in defending a patent infringement action against Kerry Group concerning its patent directed towards a process for preparing natural curing agents, and naturally cured meat products, and advanced a counterclaim for infringement. A peer quips,
“Charcuterie cases might not sound as sexy as pharma, but I don’t know – I think it’s much sexier!” Doris, Bunting and O’Brien act on a securities class action – in th3 defense capacity – commenced in the Superior Court of Justice (Ontario) against Cronos and certain of its current and former officers and directors alleging that Cronos’s public disclosure was misleading. “Everyone is a big fan of Jim Doris, he’s so thoughtful,” insists a peer. “He’s more of the quiet type, but trust me, when he talks, people pay attention.”
