Hugh DesBrisay

DMG Advocates - Ontario

Counsel

155 University Avenue, Suite 1230
Toronto, ON, M5H 3B7

+1 416 238 7495

Litigation Star


Jurisdiction:

Canada
Ontario

Practice area:

Class action
Commercial
Product liability and recall


A commercial litigation lawyer, Hugh has been a legal advocate, adviser and problem solver for over 35 years. His counsel practice focuses on product liability litigatio(automobiles, machinery and equipment), franchise litigation, consumer protection litigation, shareholder and other corporate disputes, and the defence of class actions.

Hugh has conducted trials and argued applications and appeals in the Superior Courts in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Ontario Securities Commission and before a variety of private arbitration panels. He is currently lead counsel on a number of products liability class actions.

Recently, he was successful in the defence of a $1.5 Billion consumer protection class action initially before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and subsequently before the Ontario Court of Appeal (with leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada denied).

Hugh has been a speaker on advocacy issues and an instructor in advocacy skills and was formerly the chair of the Education Committee of The Advocates’ Society. He has been recognized as a leading lawyer in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory invarious litigation categories, including Litigation – Product Liability and Litigation – Corporate Commercial.

Hugh was named 2023 Product Liability Law - Lawyer of the Year for the Toronto Area in the Best Lawyer publication and, in that same year, he was shortlisted for The Benchmark Canada Awards Product Liability Litigator of the Year.

Prior to co-founding DMG Advocates in 2018, Hugh was a partner and counsel at a national law firm and a partner at a prominent Toronto litigation boutique.

Updated March 2024