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Senior partner of the fi rm, James Woods practices exclusively in litigation and arbitra-
tion and has pleaded at all levels of the federal and provincial courts in Ontario and Qué-
bec, including the Supreme Court of Canada. Member of the Faculty of Law and lecturer
in civil litigation at McGill University. Author of Cases and Materials on Civil Procedure
(Carswell Legal Publications, 1987) and numerous articles and papers, including "Measur-
ing the Results of Class Actions," IBA Conference on Class Actions, Rome, 2007. Called
to the Bars of Québec in 1976, Ontario in 1979, Alberta and British Columbia in 2006,
England and Wales in 2007 and Barreau de Paris in 2013. Has also acted as an arbitrator,
either as president or member of an arbitration tribunal, and has acted as attorney in many
commercial and international arbitrations, either ad hoc or ICC.
Practice focuses on commercial, administrative and constitutional litigation, and in par-
ticular on aspects pertaining to Aboriginal rights and environmental law. Involved in prod-
uct liability cases, including class actions, and in many shareholder disputes. Appears be-
fore all levels of federal and provincial courts, commissions and governmental boards, in-
cluding commissions of inquiry. Taught administrative law at the University of Ottawa,
the University of Montréal and for the Québec Bar. Has given several conferences and
written numerous articles in his fi elds. Fellow of the ACTL. Past Chair of the Montréal
Bar Committee on Civil Justice. Past Secretary of the CBA, Québec Branch and past
Chair of the CBA's Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties Section. Called to the Québec
Bar in 1978.
Chair of the fi rm's Commercial Litigation Group in Vancouver. General litigation coun-
sel experienced in business disputes, including corporate, partnership and joint-venture
disputes; investment; contract (particularly purchase and sale agreements); fraud, breach
of trust and fi duciary duty cases; securities (civil and regulatory disputes); real estate and
municipal cases; class actions; pension disputes and tax cases. Experienced with applica-
tions for emergency relief, such as Mareva freeze orders, injunctions and Anton Piller or-
ders. Also practices administrative/regulatory law, including investigations and regulatory
hearings; public law and white-collar criminal cases. Admitted to BC Bar in 1986. Ap-
pointed QC, 2004. Ranked AV by Martindale-Hubbell. Recognized for corporate com-
mercial litigation, dispute resolution and directors' & offi cers' liability by Lexpert®, Cham-
bers Global, Benchmark Canada, e Legal 500 and e Best Lawyers in Canada. Included
in e Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada,
2009‒2014. Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Senior counsel and leader of the fi rm's Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. Top
ranked by Chambers Global in dispute resolution. Named one of Canada's 25 Most Infl u-
ential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer (2013). Named Best Lawyers' 2012 Vancouver Class
Action Lawyer and 2010 Corporate and Commercial Litigator. Listed in eight areas of
practice by e Best Lawyers in Canada. Featured by e Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide
to the Leading 500 Lawyers. Recognized for Commercial Litigation in Who's Who Legal
Canada 2014. Named a litigation star for arbitration, class actions and securities in Cana-
da by Benchmark Canada 2014. Chair of the BC Justice Reform Initiative 2012. Counsel
to commissions of inquiry into Indian Aff airs Policy, Securities Regulation and the Frank
Paul Inquiry. Counsel in the SCC on constitutional and Charter issues, commercial, tort
and administrative law. Active on investor-state and international commercial arbitration
matters, including CMD v. DRC. Former Director and Chair of Legal Services Society
and BC Chair of American College of Trial Lawyers. Appointed QC, 1997.
James A.
Woods, AdE,
Woods LLP
Tel: (514) 982-4503
Fax: (514) 284-2046
Montréal
Sylvain
Lussier, AdE
Osler, Hoskin &
Harcourt LLP
Tel: (514) 904-5377
Fax: (514) 904-8101
Montréal
Mark D.
Andrews, QC
Fasken
Martineau
DuMoulin LLP
Tel: (604) 631-3115
Fax: (604) 632-3115
Vancouver
Geoff rey
Cowper, QC
Fasken
Martineau
DuMoulin LLP
Tel: (604) 631-3185
Fax: (604) 632-3185
Vancouver
jwoods@woods.qc.ca
slussier@osler.com
mandrews@fasken.com
gcowper@fasken.com
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