Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes), one of Canada's leading business law firms, won three awards at the first Benchmark Canada Awards ceremony held at the Park Hyatt in Toronto on February 6. Blakes was awarded with Product Liability Firm of the Year, Class Action Litigator of the Year (James Sullivan), and Product Liability Litigator of the Year (Gordon McKee). In the 2013 Benchmark Canada rankings also released this week, 24 Blakes litigators were recognized across the country, with star representation in all major offices and practice areas.
James Sullivan has appeared as counsel in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, as well as before the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Canada. He has also frequently appeared before the British Columbia Environmental Appeal Board and other administrative tribunals. He has represented clients in numerous major corporate commercial, class action, energy, contaminated site, regulatory offence, constitutional, and product liability cases. Jim advises clients on national and international compliance with foreign and domestic anticorruption legislation.
Gordon McKee focuses on defending class action lawsuits and serious product liability claims and has many years of experience in this area. He has defended clients in class actions involving prescription and over-the-counter medicines, medical devices, automotive equipment, fire protection systems, consumer protection matters, environmental contamination, Competition Act matters, conspiracy allegations and employee benefits. In the product liability area, he has represented multinational manufacturers and distributors of a wide variety of products. He is lead counsel in Ontario and manages litigation nationally for some of the world's largest manufacturers of pharmaceutical medicines, medical devices, consumer goods, automotive parts, and heavy equipment.
For more information on Blakes, visit the firm's website at www.blakes.com or by following the firm on Twitter @BlakesLaw.