Lessons To Be Learned From Two Recent Canadian Carriage Disputes

A nationwide network of Canadian counsel recently settled two disputes related to the carriage of two multi-jurisdictional class actions against defendant corporations, Guidant and Medtronic. The two counsel groups ultimately joined together to form a North American alliance to prosecute both of the products liability class actions. It is significant that Counsel groups from both sides of the carriage contests had entered into arrangements with U.S. counsel, which included the sharing of documentary disclosure as well as litigation strategy. These settlements signify a new era of products liability litigation in Canada, where cross-border relationships will play key roles in the prosecution of international class actions.