Gordon McKee Partner Toronto gordon.mckee@blakes.com Toronto: 416-863-3884 Gord focuses on defending class action law suits 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. Gord's broad expertise extends to cross-border and multi-jurisdictional issues and cases that involve complex scientific, medical and technical evidence. He regularly provides proactive advice to corporations on product warnings and recalls, litigation-related media issues and strategies designed to avoid litigation and class action suits. It's been reported that Gord "is at the top of his game; he's really good in trial and great at cross-examination. We rely on him for the biggest cases - he's a positive thinker who will work towards the best solution for the company." - Client comment, Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business 2015. SELECT EXPERIENCE Gord's most recent experience includes: Co-counsel for a leading manufacturer of appliances (front-loading washing machines) in the successful opposition of a multi-province consumer class action before all levels of the Ontario courts, and on a leave application to the Supreme Court of Canada Lead trial counsel in the first medical products class action/common issues trial tried to verdict in Canada (146 trial days), successfully defending one of the world's leading manufacturers of life-saving cardiac devices in a national class action claiming more than a billion dollars in damages (awarded 2013 Canadian Product Liability Impact Case of the Year by LMG Life Sciences) Lead trial counsel successfully defending one of the world's leading manufacturers of fire protection systems in some 20 claims and cross-claims resulting from a large factory fire, including a product liability/environmental class action claiming C$80-million in damages Lead counsel representing multinational pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in class actions involving a wide variety of medicines and devices Representing consumer goods manufacturers in national negligence, warranty and consumer protection
class actions AWARDS & RECOGNITION Gord is recognized as a leading Canadian lawyer in many Canadian and international publications including: Acritas Stars 2018: Independently Rated Lawyer (Nominated as a stand-out lawyer by senior in-house counsel) Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business 2018 (Band 1 - Dispute Resolution: Class Action (Defence) and Litigation - Product Liability) - Gord is described as a "very good leader and trial lawyer" and, in the product liability area, as "a phenomenal lawyer whose expertise is second to none". Who's Who Legal: Life Sciences 2018 (Product Liability) - One of six lawyers listed as "Thought Leaders" for the Americas. Who s Who Legal Analysis states Sources describe Gordon McKee as a standout trial lawyer, adding that he is one of the very top Canadian product liability defence lawyers. He is the top-rated Canadian practitioner in this Chapter this year. Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys - 2018 Edition (Litigation Star in Class Action and Product Liability). In February 2018, Gord was awarded "Product Liability Litigator of the Year" for the fourth time. The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada 2018 (Class Actions and Litigation - Product Liability) The Canadian Lexpert Legal Directory 2018 ("Most Frequently Recommended" in both Class Actions and Litigation - Product Liability) The Best Lawyers in Canada 2018 (Class Action Litigation and Product Liability Law) - Recipient of the "Lawyer of the Year" award: 2018 and 2016 Toronto Class Action Litigation and 2015 Toronto Product Liability Law. Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business 2017 (Band 1 - Dispute Resolution: Class Action (Defence) - Canada - "The "stellar" Gordon McKee has a proven track record defending clients in class actions across the country." Who's Who Legal Analysis: Canada 2017 (Life Sciences); second on the list of "Most Highly Regarded". "Gordon McKee enjoys a phenomenal reputation in the market as a leading litigator. He is highly sought after by clients for his extensive experience in the life sciences area as well as his great knowledge in relation to class action cases." Who's Who Legal Analysis: Canada 2017 (Product Liability Defence); first on the list of "Most Highly Regarded". "The excellent Gordon McKee is renowned for providing exceptional legal services to clients in a range of industry sectors. He focuses his practice on defending class action lawsuits and dealing with large-scale product liability claims." Who's Who Legal: Product Liability Defence 2017 - One of 10 "Thought Leaders" for North America; Marketplace analysis says: "Leading Canadian firm Blake, Cassels & Graydon emerges as one of the country's standout practices... Gordon McKee is regarded as "the undisputed leader of the Canadian product liability defence bar" by a number of sources. He enjoys an excellent reputation on the international stage thanks to his "deep and wide-ranging practice" and "tactical aptitude." The Lexpert Guide to Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers in Canada 2017 (Class Actions and Product Liability)
Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business 2016 (Band 1 - Dispute Resolution: Class Action (Defence) - Canada) - "Gordon McKee is very well regarded for his work on pharmaceutical product liability cases. Clients say: 'He is a really talented legal mind. He is very clear, patient, calm under pressure and thinks fast on his feet.'" LMG Life Sciences Awards 2015 - "Canadian Product Liability Attorney of the Year," for the second consecutive year Martindale-Hubbell (AV Preeminent - Peer Rated For Highest Level of Professional Excellence) PUBLICATIONS Author: Canadian Product Liability Defence - Common Class Action Defence Strategies Who's Who Legal: Product Liability Defence 2017, Law Business Reserach, pp. 12-13, London, United Kingdom, June 2017. Co-author: Generic Drugs and Biosimilars: Innovator Liability in Canada In-House Defence Quarterly, Defense Research Institute, Spring 2017. Co-author: Causation in Canada Revisited: Material Contribution to Risk and the Impact of Clements (Litigation Guardian of) v. Clements IADC Defense Counsel Journal, October 2016. Co-author: Innovator Liability in Canada IADC Drug, Device and Biotechnology Committee Newsletter, July 2016. Co-author: Class Action Reform: The Law Commission of Ontario Review of the Class Proceedings Act Defense Counsel Journal, Volume 83, No. 1, pp 32-44, January 2016. PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCES Panel Speaker: Through the Binoculars: Global Problems, Universal Solutions 18th Annual Legal Reform Summit, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, Washington, DC, October 25, 2017. Panel Speaker: A Comparative Discussion of Who Pays for Document Discovery in Australia, Canada, Guernsey (Channel Islands) and Singapore Vanderbilt Law Review Symposium on The Future of Discovery, Vanderbilt Law School, Nashville, Tennessee, October 13, 2017. Panel Speaker: Christian Perspectives on Tort Law Toronto Chapter CPD Luncheon, Christian Legal Fellowship, Toronto, Ontario, August 30, 2017. Moderator: Motions for Summary Judgment and Summary Trial Cross Country 14th National Symposium on Class Actions, Osgoode Professional Development, Toronto, Ontario, April 6, 2017. Panellist: Mock Juries: Not Just for Trial Outcomes Midyear Meeting, International Association of Defense Counsel, Scottsdale, Arizona, February 22, 2017. Panel Speaker: Hot Topics: Experts & Creative Settlements Class Actions Advocacy Seminar, The Advocates Society, Toronto, Ontario, February 14, 2017. Co-chair: Electronic Trials Program
The Advocates' Society, Toronto, Ontario, June 23, 2016. Panellist: Conduct of Electronic Trials and Appeals The Advocate Matters: Spring Symposium 2016, The American College of Trial Lawyers and The Advocates' Society, Toronto, Ontario, April 27, 2016. Panel Speaker: The Magna Carta, 800 Years Later - Rule of Law or Rule of Lawyers? 16th Annual Legal Reform Summit 2015: A Liability Odyssey, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, Washington, D.C., October 27, 2015. Speaker: Canadian Class Actions PLAC 2015 Fall Conference, Product Liability Advisory Council, Dallas, Texas, October 1, 2015. Panellist and Speaker: Class Actions Around the World - Ontario/Canada DRI Class Actions Seminar, Washington, D.C., July 24, 2015. Co-chair: A Special Litigation Presentation: Electronic Trials The Advocates Society, Toronto, Ontario, June 17, 2015. MEDIA APPEARANCES Quoted: U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform Names IADC as 2017 Outstanding Alliance Award Winner General Counsel News, October 26, 2017. Quoted: Inconsistent, Inefficient Article by Sandra Rubin, The Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers in Canada, November 18, 2016. Mentioned: Civil Justice: The World Tour Civil Justice Playbook, Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, July/August 2016. Mentioned: IADC Announces New Board of Directors Members IADC News, Chicago, Illinois, July 13, 2015. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES Gord is often invited to speak at local, national and international programs on class actions, products liability, advocacy and other litigation issues. He is a member of the Canadian Bar Association's National Class Action Task Force, exploring the development of judicial protocols to manage overlapping multi-province class actions in Canada. For 10 years, he was editor-in-chief of the Federated Press Class Action Journal. He is a longstanding member of the Planning Committee and speaker/panel moderator at the premier Canadian annual national symposium on class actions. Gord is a member of the Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC), the International Association of Defense Counsel (Board Member and past chair of Drug, Device and Biotech Committee), the Defense Research Institute (Drug and Medical Device SLC Liaison), The Advocates' Society, Canadian Defence Lawyers and Christian Legal Fellowship. EDUCATION Certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a Specialist in Civil Litigation - 1998 LL.M., Osgoode Hall Law School (Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution) - 1998
Admitted to the Ontario Bar - 1988 LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School - 1986 Wilfrid Laurier University - 1981-1983