Gord is a senior partner in the Blakes litigation department, with over 30 years’ experience defending class action law suits and serious product liability claims, many of which include cross-border issues. His current cases include acting as lead counsel in Ontario and other provinces, and managing litigation nationally for some of the world's largest manufacturers of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, medical devices, consumer goods and transportation/construction vehicles. Gord has led the defence of class action common issues trials in Ontario. He employs a collaborative approach when working with in-house and external lawyers from the US and other countries.
Gord is Certified by The Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Civil Litigation. He is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in class action and product liability/ life sciences defence in Canada. He has also been involved in bench and bar committees, and organizations interested in improving the civil justice system. Most recently, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Defense Counsel, and chair of its Canadian Class Action Project Task Force. He has also been a member of the Canadian Bar Association's National Class Action Task Force, which developed judicial protocols to manage overlapping, multi-jurisdictional class actions in Canada.
Gord's broad expertise extends to cross-border and multi-jurisdictional issues and cases that involve complex scientific, medical and technical evidence. He provides proactive advice to corporations on product warnings and recalls, litigation-related media issues and strategies designed to avoid litigation and class action suits.