Ford et al. v. Hoffmann-La Roche (F.) Ltd. et al., [2005] O.T.C. 207 (SC)

• Judge: Cumming, J.
• Court: Superior Court of Justice of Ontario (Canada)
• Case Date: March 23, 2005
• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Citations: [2005] O.T.C. 207 (SC)

Ford v. Hoffmann-La Roche, [2005] O.T.C. 207 (SC)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2005] O.T.C. TBEd. MR.086

Proceeding under the Class Proceedings Act, 1992 (Biotin)

Glen Ford, VitaPharm Canada Ltd., Fleming Feed Mill Ltd. and Marcy David (plaintiffs) v. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Merck KGaA, Lonza AG, Alusuisse-Lonza Canada Inc., Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Canada Limited/Limitee and Tanabe Seiyaku Co. Ltd. (defendants)

(Court File No. 00-CV-202080CP)

Proceeding Under the Class Proceedings Act, 1992 (Bulk Vitamins)

Glen Ford, VitaPharm Canada Ltd., Fleming Feed Mill Ltd., Aliments Breton Inc., Oger Awad and Mary Helen Awad (plaintiffs) v. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Hoffmann-La Roche Limited/Limitée, Rhône-Poulenc S.A., Aventis Animal Nutrition S.A., Rhône-Poulenc Canada Inc., Rhône-Poulenc Animal Nutrition Inc., Rhône-Poulenc Inc., BASF Aktiengesellschaft, BASF Corporation, BASF Canada Inc., Eisai Co., Ltd., Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd., Takeda Canada Vitamin and Food Inc., Merck KGaA, Daiichi Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., Reinhard Steinmetz, Dieter Suter, Hugo Strotmann, Andreas Hauri, Kuno Sommer and Roland Brönnimann (defendants)

(Court File No. 00-CV-200045CP)

Proceeding under the Class Proceedings Act, 1992 (Choline Chloride)

Fleming Feed Mill Ltd., Aliments Breton Inc., Len Ford and Marcy David (plaintiffs) v. BASF Aktiengesellschaft, BASF Corporation, BASF Canada Inc., Chinook Group, Ltd., Chinook Group, Inc., DCV, Inc., DuCoa L.P. Akzo Nobel Nv, Akzo Nobel Chemicals BV, Bioproducts, Inc., Russell Cosburn, John Kennedy, Robert Samuelson, Lindell Hilling, John L. "Pete" Fischer and Antonio Felix (defendants)

(Court File No. 00-CV-198647CP)

Proceeding under the Class Proceedings Act, 1992 (Methionine)

Glen Ford, Fleming Feed Mill Ltd., Aliments Breton Inc., and Kristi Cappa (plaintiffs) v. Rhône-Poulenc S.A., Rhône-Poulenc Canada Inc., Degussa-Hüls AG, Degussa Corporation, Degussa Canada Inc., Novus International, Inc. and Aventis Animal Nutrition S.A. (defendants)

(Court File No. 00-CV-201723CP)

Proceeding under the Class Proceedings Act, 1992 (Niacin)

VitaPharm Canada Ltd., Fleming Feed Mill Ltd., Aliments Breton Inc., and Kristi Cappa (plaintiffs) v. Degussa-Hüls AG, Degussa Corporation, Degussa Canada Inc., Reilly Industries Inc., Reilly Chemicals S.A., Vitachem Company, Alusuisse-Lonza Canada Inc., Lonza AG, Nepera Incorporated, Roger Noack and David Purpi (defendants)

(Court File No. 00-CV-200044CP)

Proceedings under the Class Proceedings Act, 1992 (Supplemental Choline Chloride)

Fleming Feed Mill Ltd., Aliments Breton Inc., Glen Ford and Marcy David (plaintiffs) v. UCB S.A. and UCB Chemicals Corporation (defendants)

(Court File No. 40610)

Proceeding under the Class Proceedings Act, 1992 (Supplemental Ontario Methionine)

Glen Ford (plaintiff) v. Novus International Canada Inc. (defendant)

(Court File No. 42267CP)

Indexed As: Ford et al. v. Hoffmann-La Roche (F.) Ltd. et al.

Court of Ontario

Superior Court of Justice

Cumming, J.

March 23, 2005.

Summary:

This headnote contains no summary.

Practice - Topic 209.3

Persons who can sue and be sued - Individuals and corporations - Status or standing - Class actions - Certification - Considerations (incl. when class action appropriate) - See paragraphs 14 to 47.

Practice - Topic 9862.1

Settlements - Court approval - Class actions (incl. fee approval) - See paragraphs 48 to 190.

Practice - Topic 9862.3

Settlements - Court orders - Barring further litigation - See paragraphs 135 to 140.

Cases Noticed:

Bendall v. McGhan Medical Corp. (1993), 14 O.R.(3d) 734 (Gen Div.), refd to. [para. 14].

Caputo et al. v. Imperial Tobacco Ltd. et al., [2004] O.T.C. 112 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 14].

Hollick v. Metropolitan Toronto (Municipality) et al., [2001] 3 S.C.R. 158; 277 N.R. 51; 153 O.A.C. 279, refd to. [para. 15].

Hunt v. T & N plc et al., [1990] 2 S.C.R. 959; 117 N.R. 321; 74 D.L.R.(4th) 321; [1990] 6 W.W.R. 385; 4 C.C.L.T.(2d) 1; 43 C.P.C.(2d) 105; 49 B.C.L.R.(2d) 273, refd to. [para. 17].

Hunt v. Carey Canada Inc. - see Hunt v. T & N plc et al.

Anderson et al. v. Wilson et al. (1999), 122 O.A.C. 69; 44 O.R.(3d) 673 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 17].

M.C.C. v. Canada (Attorney General), [2004] O.J. No. 4924 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 17].

Western Canadian Shopping Centres Inc. et al. v. Dutton et al., [2001] 2 S.C.R. 534; 272 N.R. 135; 286 A.R. 201; 253 W.A.C. 201, refd to. [para. 20].

Illinois Brick Co. v. Illinois (1977), 97 S. Ct. 2061, refd to. [para. 23].

Hanover Shoe Inc. v. United Shoe Machinery Corp. (1968), 392 U.S. 481 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 24].

California v. ARC America Corp. (1989), 109 S. Ct. 1661, refd to. [para. 28].

Ford et al. v. Hoffmann-La Roche (F.) Ltd. et al., [2002] O.T.C. 57 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 30].

Vitapharm Canada Ltd. v. Hoffmann-La Roche (F.) Ltd. - see Ford et al. v. Hoffmann-La Roche (F.) Ltd. et al.

Wilson v. Servier Canada Inc. et al., [2000] O.T.C. 884; 50 O.R.(3d) 219 (Sup. Ct.), leave to appeal refused (2000), 143 O.A.C. 279; 52 O.R.(3d) 20 (Div. Ct.), leave to appeal dismissed (2001), 276 N.R. 197; 154 O.A.C. 198 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 31].

Currie v. McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd. et al. (2005), 195 O.A.C. 244 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 31].

Alfresh Beverages Canada Corp. v. Hoechst AG et al., [2002] O.T.C. 19 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 31].

Carom et al. v. Bre-X Minerals Ltd. et al. (2000), 138 O.A.C. 55; 51 O.R.(3d) 236 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 33].

Rumley et al. v. British Columbia (2001), 275 N.R. 342; 157 B.C.A.C. 1; 256 W.A.C. 1 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 33].

Sugar Industry Antitrust Litigation, Re (1976), 73 F.R.D. 322 (E.D. Pa.), refd to. [para. 34].

Catfish Antitrust Litigation, Re (1993), 826 F. Supp. 1019 (N.D. Miss.), refd to. [para. 42].

NASDAQ Market-Makers Antitrust Litigation, Re (1996), 169 F.R.D. 493 (S.D.N.Y.), refd to. [para. 44].

Dabbs v. Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada, [1998] O.T.C. Uned. 269; 40 O.R.(3d) 429 (Gen. Div.), affd. (1998), 113 O.A.C. 307; 41 O.R.(3d) 97 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused (1998), 235 N.R. 390; 118 O.A.C. 399 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 110].

Amoco Canada Petroleum Co. et al. v. Propak Systems Ltd. et al. (2001), 281 A.R. 185; 248 W.A.C. 185; 200 D.L.R.(4th) 667 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 111].

J.M. et al. v. Bradley et al. (2004), 187 O.A.C. 201 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 112].

Cotton v. Hinton (1977), 559 F.2d 1326 (5th Cir.), refd to. [para. 113].

Sparling v. Southam Inc. (1988), 66 O.R.(2d) 225 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 116].

Parsons et al. v. Canadian Red Cross Society et al. (1999), 103 O.T.C. 161 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 117].

Chadha v. Bayer Inc. et al. (2003), 168 O.A.C. 143; 63 O.R.(3d) 22 (C.A.), affing. (2001), 147 O.A.C. 223; 54 O.R.(3d) 520 (Div. Ct.), reving. (1999), 107 O.T.C. 36; 45 O.R.(3d) 29 (Sup. Ct.), leave to appeal dismissed (2003), 320 N.R. 399; 191 O.A.C. 397; 65 O.R.(3d) xvii (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 120].

Tesluk et al. v. Boots Pharmaceutical plc et al., [2002] O.T.C. 233 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 134].

Sutherland v. Boots Pharmaceutical plc - see Tesluk et al. v. Boots Pharmaceutical plc et al.

Nelson v. Bennett (1987), 662 F. Supp. 1324 (E.D. Cal.), refd to. [para. 136].

Nucorp Energy Securities Litigation, Re (1987), 661 F. Supp. 1403 (S.D. Cal.), refd to. [para. 137].

Ontario New Home Warranty Program et al. v. Chevron Chemical Co. et al. (1999), 99 O.T.C. 384; 46 O.R.(3d) 130 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 138].

Millard et al. v. North George Capital Management Ltd. et al., [2000] O.T.C. 305 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 139].

Sawatzky v. Société Chirurgicale Instrumentarium Inc. et al. (1999), 19 B.C.T.C. 220 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 139].

Killough et al. v. Canadian Red Cross Society et al., [2001] B.C.T.C. 1060 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 139].

McCarthy et al. v. Canadian Red Cross Society et al., [2001] O.T.C. 470 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 139].

Bona Foods Ltd. et al. v. Ajinomoto U.S.A. Inc. et al., [2004] O.T.C. 226 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 139].

Silicone Gel Breast Implant Products Liability Litigation, Re, 1994 WL 578353 (N.D. Ala.), refd to. [para. 179].

Alfresh Beverages Canada Corp. v. Archer Daniels Midland Co., [2001] O.J. No. 6028, refd to. [para. 185].

Bona Foods Ltd. v. Pfizer Inc., [2002] O.J. No. 5553, refd to. [para. 185].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Newberg, Herbert B., and Conte, Alba, Class Actions (3rd Ed. 1992), pp. 11-42 [para. 143]; 11-46 [para. 128]; 11-100, 11-101 [para. 123]; 11-104 [para. 115]; 18-15 to 18-21 [para. 35].

Ontario (Attorney General), Attorney General's Advisory Committee on Class Action Reform, Report of (1990), generally [para. 187].

Ontario, Law Reform Commission, Report on Class Actions (1982), vol. 1 [para. 187].

United States, Federal Judicial Center, Manual for Complex Litigation (3rd Ed. 1995), § 30.42 [paras. 113, 127, 142].

Counsel:

Harvey T. Strosberg, Q.C., C. Scott Ritchie, Q.C., J.J. Camp, Q.C., and Joe Fiorante, for the plaintiffs in all actions;

Glenn M. Zakaib, for the defendant, Merck KGaA;

John Callaghan, for Sumitomo Chemical Co.;

William Vanveen and François Baril, for the defendants, Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.;

Ariane Farrell, for Sumitomo Canada Ltd.;

Donald Houston, for Lonza AG, Alusuisse-Lonza Canada Inc., UCB S.A., UCB Chemicals Corp. and Wippon Soda Co.;

Katherine L. Kay and Eliot N. Kolers, for the defendant, Eisai Co.;

Evangelia Kriaris, for Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. (formerly Takeda Chemical Industries Ltd.) and Takeda Canada Vitamin and Food Inc.;

Sandra A. Forbes, for Aventis Animal Nutrition SA, the Rhône-Poulenc defendants and Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co.;

David W. Kent, for BASF Aktiengesellschaft, BASF Corp. and BASF Canada Inc.;

Andrew J. Roman, for Akzo Nobel N.V. and Akzo Nobel Chemicals B.V.;

George D. Hunter, for DCV Inc. and Ducoa L.P.;

James Doris, for Bioproducts Inc.;

Tycho Manson, for Chinook Group Ltd.;

F. Paul Morrison and J.P. Brown, for Degussa Corp., Degussa Canada Inc. and Degussa-Hüls A.G.;

S.A. Dawson, for Novus International Inc. and Novus International (Canada) Inc.;

Jennifer Badley (per D. Kent), for Reilly Industries Inc. and Reilly Chemicals S.A.;

S. Vlahakis, for Nepera Inc., Roger Noack and David Purpi;

Pauline W. Wong, for the defendant, Mitsui & Co.

These motions were heard on March 8 and 9, 2005, before Cumming, J., of the Ontario Superior Court, who released the following decision on March 23, 2005.

Please note: The following judgment has not been edited.