John A. Campion

John Campion is nationally and internationally recognized as one of Canada's leading senior counsel in a broad range of legal issues, and is senior partner in Fasken Martineau's Toronto office where he is also former head of the litigation department and former non-executive chairman of the firm. He has significant experience in numerous courts and administrative tribunals throughout Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as domestic and international arbitration and mediation. Nationally recognized as a senior class action defence lawyer, John has represented Nesbitt Burns regarding Bre-X Minerals Ltd., as well as Guidant, Bristol-Myers, Via Rail, Dominion General Insurance, McCain Foods, Air Canada, Walkerton and Barnardo, in jurisdictions including Canada, the United States, England, Indonesia, and Australia. He has significant cross-border class action experience with United States counsel.

Of particular note, John served as counsel in an international arbitration in Sweden, hearing matters involving disputes in South Africa, England and Canada. In Canada, he was involved in the domestic arbitration related to the McCain Foods Limited ownership dispute requiring the review of a world-wide food products business; the mediation for MDS Inc. with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited over the construction of nuclear reactors; and litigation and mediation involving the construction of a co-generation plant.

John has more than 160 reported cases in the law reports and public tribunal decisions involving shareholder rights, securities, pensions, banking, financial institutions, insurance companies, corporate governance, criminal, quasi-criminal and regulatory offences, communications, construction, mining, patents and copyright, professional liability, manufacturing and elections. These cases involve matters throughout Canada, England, Sweden, South Africa, Japan, Switzerland, France, Germany, China, Italy, Australia, Holland, Cuba, Indonesia and the United States. 

John has represented clients in more than 60 complex trials and applications in Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and in more than 60 appeals and leaves to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, Courts of Appeal in Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Alberta, the Ontario Divisional Court and the Federal Court.

John has participated in more than 80 hearings before administrative tribunals, including the Ontario and Quebec Securities Commissions, Ontario and National Energy Boards, Canadian Transportation Agency, Competition Tribunal, Municipal Board and Labour Board. The administrative issues involve major public hearings over competition, energy and securities issues including a hearing over the public interest authority under the Ontario Securities Act (Canadian Tire), deregulation of Canada's natural gas industry and the competition tribunal hearing over loyalty plans (Canadian Pipe).

Presentations and Teaching

• Adjunct professor of law at Osgood Hall Law School (1983-1995) and University of Toronto Law School (1990-1996)
• Over 50 papers and lectures delivered in Canada, United States, England and Austria
• Representative Lectures:
  • Chair, Annual Conference, "Securities," The Canadian Institute (2000-2004)
  • Chair, Annual Conference, "Litigating Class Actions," The Canadian Institute (2000-2005)
  • Speaker, "Complex Litigation," The Canadian Institute (2006)
  • Speaker, Queen's Business Law Symposium (2006)

John's many legal accomplishments and complex, industry-watched matters are listed below.

Selected Experience

• Supreme Court of British Columbia dismisses class action against UPS
• Lambert v. Guidant Corporation, [2009] (ON S.C.)

News

• Leaders in Canada's Law Community: Lexpert ranks 76 Fasken Martineau lawyers in 2010 Guide
• Chambers and Partners Ranks 47 Fasken Martineau Lawyers

Presentations

• Class Actions Litigation
• Recent 'Must-Know' Developments in Canadian Competition Law

Membership/Affiliations

• Elected Bencher (Governor), Law Society of Upper Canada (2000-2007)
• Council Member, Federation of Law Societies of Canada
• Canadian Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Advocates' Society
• International Bar Association
• Canadian Civil Liberties Association
• North American Committee of The Commercial Bar Association (Combar)
  

Community Involvement

• Director and Chair, Audit Committee, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (1995-2001) 
• Commissioner, Commission on Election Finances (1989-1999) 
• President, The Empire Club of Canada (weekly live televised and broadcast speaking platform); 49 speakers in 35 weeks to a live audience of 14,000 people; broadcast across Canada - including four heads of state, chief justice, six cabinet ministers, three premiers, authors, artists, bishops, ambassadors, former vice-president and Nobel laureate
• Counsel to National Political Campaign (1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006)
• Director, Canadian Council of Christians and Jews
• Trustee, Moorelands Camp for Underprivileged Children
• Director, Downtown Churchworkers Association
• Coach - Mooredale Soccer
• The Dickson Circle - pro bono work for persons with disabilities
  

Honours and Awards

• Listed as a highly recommended lawyer in the area of Dispute Resolution (Canada:Ontario) by Practical Law Company in 2009
• Certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a specialist in civil litigation
• Arbour Award for outstanding contribution to the University of Toronto
• Profiled as one of "Canada's Top 25 Corporate Litigators," Lexpert Magazine, July/August 2002 - based on combined ratings of corporate commercial, class action, securities and competition litigation and a survey of 3,224 practitioners
• Lexpert - rated in the corporate commercial litigation, securities litigation and class actions categories (1997-2006)
• Lexpert, - rated in the corporate commercial litigation, securities litigation and class actions categories (1999-2006)
• Martindale-Hubbell International Law directory - AV ranking (1997-2006)
• Chambers Global, The World's Leading Lawyers - listed in "Commercial Litigation" (2002-2006)
• International Who's Who of Business Lawyers - listed in "Commercial Litigation" (2002-2006)
• Global Counsel - listed in "Commercial Litigation" (2002-2006)
• Euromoney, Guide to the World's Leading Litigation Lawyers and Experts in Commercial Arbitration (2002-2007)
• Named by Best Lawyers as one of the leading Canadian practitioners for Class Action Litigation and Director and Officer Liability Law.