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ARTICLE · 01 DECEMBER 2010

Ontario Court Awards $455.7 Million Following a Common Issues Trial

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On October 1, 2010, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice rendered a decision in the matter of "Jeffrey and Rudd v. London Life Insurance et al".

CanadaLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
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Article by Michael A. Eizenga and Daniel T. Holden1

On October 1, 2010, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice rendered a decision in the matter of Jeffrey and Rudd v. London Life Insurance et al.2 In this class action,3 the plaintiffs alleged that the acquisition of London Insurance Group (LIG) by the Great-West Life Assurance Company (GWL) involved a number of breaches of the Canadian Insurance Companies Act (ICA).4

The decision is of interest as it results from one of the very few common issues trials conducted under s. 11(1)(a) of the Class Proceedings Act, 1992 (CPA).5 Moreover, the case is particularly noteworthy given that, on the basis of the common issues trial alone, the Court made an award totaling $455.7 million against the defendants. The defendants have announced their intention to appeal the decision.

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