Book Review: Defending Class Actions in Canada: A Guide for Defendants

• Author: Michael A Crystal and Maria Khan
• Pages: 5-8

5

BOOK REVIEW:

DEFENDING CLASS

ACTIONS IN CANADA: A GUIDE FOR

DEFENDANTS

Michael A Crystal* & Maria Khan**

The f‌irst thing you notice when you crack open Defending Class Actions

in Canada: A Guide for Defendants is its ruby red covers. After reading

this book, I am convinced this is not a coincidence. The threat of a class

action constitutes a red alert for any in-house counsel or corporate ocer.

The promise of this book is that it will stand by you and act as your go-to

source during the potential tsunami of litigation ahead.

A word should be said about the authors, the McCarthy Tétrault

national class action department. The group consists of partners, senior

counsel, and associates from both civil and common law jurisdictions

across Canada. Jill Yates, who is both the editor-in-chief and contribut-

ing author of this book, is the Chair of McCarthy’s National Class Actions

Group and Practice Lead of their Vancouver Litigation group. She was also

an editor and contributing author to the previous editions of Defending

Class Actions.

Defending Class Actions is in its f‌ifth printing. The book’s preface

states that this book does not “comprehensively discuss every aspect of

class actions in Canada”; rather, it “provides key information and prac-

tical advice.” The latest edition features commentary on the Law Com-

mission of Ontario’s July 2019 report on Class Actions,1 as well as updated

* Michael A Crystal is a practicing lawyer and part-time professor at the University of

Ottawa, Faculty of Law.

** Maria Khan is a recent graduate from the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law and

articling student working with Michael Crystal.

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