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Shareholder and Corporate Disputes

Shareholder and corporate disputes can have a significant impact on a company’s profitability, growth and reputation. Choosing the right advisors makes all the difference in assessing risk, developing a strategy and resolving a dispute successfully.
 
Blakes is the top choice for many of Canada’s leading companies. Our Litigation & Dispute Resolution group has extensive experience in corporate and commercial litigation, and our litigators are recognized among the best business lawyers in the country.

Blakes litigators regularly appear before all levels of court in Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and have been involved in precedent-setting cases related to hostile take-overs, indemnification of directors and officers, proxy contests, and directors’ duties. Our expertise is complemented by one of Canada’s largest and most experienced corporate and commercial law groups.
 
Specifically, we advise clients about:

  • Oppression Claims and Derivative Actions – Clients rely on our significant expertise in shareholder remedies and shareholder disputes litigation. Our lawyers have acted for both plaintiffs and defendants, often handling shareholder disputes involving allegations of oppression.
  • Change of Control Transactions, Plans of Arrangement and Corporate Reorganizations – Clients across industries frequently seek our advice about successfully completing innovative business arrangements in a timely way. We advise about change of control transactions, plans of arrangement and corporate reorganizations. Our corporate and securities litigators regularly act for companies in court-approval proceedings and have represented clients in many of the largest and most complex business arrangements in Canada. We have also successfully defended challenges to corporate arrangements and are highly regarded by the specialized judges who hear such matters.
  • Hostile Take-Overs and Shareholders Rights Plans – Blakes has litigated high-profile hostile take-overs and shareholders rights plans (poison pills) both for acquirers and targets. Notably, our litigators were successful in the leading Canadian hostile take-over case that dealt with issues such as crown jewels, break fees and conflicts in special committees. We also act in cases dealing with the calling of shareholders' meetings and the enforceability of non-disclosure agreements.
  • Share Valuation Proceedings (Dissents) – Working with our mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, securities, regulatory and tax specialists, we provide practical and timely advice about share valuation matters and assist clients in achieving their transaction goals.

In large, document-intensive cases, we integrate leading-edge document management technology and a project management and e-discovery team to manage matters efficiently and cost-effectively.

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