John Kingman Phillips, K.C., is a highly skilled barrister, sought out by a diverse array of clients nationwide. He is a member of the Law Societies of Alberta (1990), Ontario (2002) and in Nunavut. John frequently appears in all levels of Provincial Superior Courts and Federal court, as well as before Provincial Securities Regulators. John has a wide range of experience in corporate/commercial litigation, class actions, administrative law, Aboriginal law, criminal law, professional liability, insurance litigation, labour and employment law and private international law.
John has been counsel in many precedent-setting and high-profile cases in wide-ranging areas of the law. He has extensive experience and expertise in state accountability litigation and trial advocacy. Most recently, John has acted as class counsel in the Gottfriedson class action at the Federal Court on behalf of the Day Scholar Survivor and Descendant Classes and the Band Class for damages suffered as a result of the Indian Residential Schools. This action resulted in two of the largest class action settlements in Canadian history, providing in excess of $200 million in compensation and other benefits to the Survivor and Descendant Classes and $2.8 billion in compensation for the Band Class through an unprecedented Indigenous-led trust model that provides each Band with resources to develop their own linguistic, cultural, heritage, and wellness programs over one generation to address the harmful legacy that the Indian Residential Schools have left on their communities. Over half of all the recognized First Nations Bands in Canada opted in as class members in the Band Class litigation.
Some of John’s other representative cases include: R. v. Stinchcombe, a decision of the Supreme Court of Canada that first imposed disclosure obligations on the Crown in criminal cases, Merrifield v. RCMP, a case that addressed harassment by the RCMP of one of its own members leading the unionization of the force, Currie v. McDonald’s Restaurants, a leading case on notice requirements in class actions, and Fontaine v. Canada, where he acted as counsel to then National Chief Phil Fontaine and the Assembly of First Nations in the multi-jurisdictional class action and settlement on behalf of Indian Residential Schools survivors. He has also represented child soldier Omar Khadr, which resulted in Omar being compensated following his detention and torture in Guantanamo Bay, and numerous intelligence officers who sued their employer, CSIS, for discrimination and harassment.
John is currently representing former diplomats and their families in proceedings against Canada for mysterious damages suffered by them while serving on diplomatic mission in Cuba. John has commenced and resolved proceedings against government and party officials in Prince Edward Island on behalf of whistleblowers who suffered severe retaliation for disclosing wrongdoing and corruption. He also acts for a number of First Nations individuals and communities in remote parts of Canada, providing access to justice to vulnerable or historically disadvantaged populations.
John obtained his B.A. (High Honours) at the University of Saskatchewan (1984), his LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School (1989), as well as his M.A. (Philosophy of Science) from the University of Guelph (1989). He has been a sessional lecturer/adjunct professor at the University of Calgary Law School and later a sessional lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan Law School. Throughout his career, he has taught trial advocacy programs in both Alberta and Ontario.
Updated April 2024
