Executive summary
John has been a trusted advisor for more than 45 years, with a practice spanning public and private corporate matters, family enterprises, regulation, and government. His work has included advocacy before courts and tribunals, as well as arbitration, mediation, and strategic dispute resolution. John has been called to the bar in multiple Canadian jurisdictions and has represented clients across Canada and internationally, including in England, Europe, Asia, and the United States. Over the course of his career, he has acted as counsel in more than 300 reported trials, hearings, appeals, and judicial reviews, and has served as an arbitrator in numerous commercial arbitrations.
In addition to his litigation and advisory work, John has played a significant leadership role within the legal profession and public life. He has served as an Emeritus Bencher and Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada, President of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, President of the Empire Club of Canada, Chair of the Audit Committee of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and counsel to two Prime Ministers. His career has been marked by service to a broad range of clients and institutions, from heads of state to community organizations and individuals.
John is nationally and internationally recognized as one of Canada’s leading senior trial, appellate, and arbitration counsel, with acknowledgements from Chambers, Best Lawyers, Lexpert, International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, and Martindale-Hubbell. He has also served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School and is the author of Professional Liability in Canada. John continues to write and speak extensively in Canada and abroad, contributing to the ongoing development of the law and the profession.
Expertise
Litigation
Securities, Pensions, Insurance, Competition, Energy, Mining, Estates, Shareholder Disputes
Representative work
- Over 14 cross-Canada and USA class actions: eg. multi-billion-dollar Bre X Minerals Limited successful defence for Nesbitt Burns and BMO; secondary market trading SouthGobi; UPS consumer protection; Barnardo’s home children; Toronto Propane explosion; Via Rail mass torts; Guidant heart pacers and defibrillators; Bristol Meyers Squibb
- The $1.6 billion, 23-year battle between Atomic Energy Canada Limited and Government of Canada and MDS over the supply of isotopes and the construction of nuclear reactors: litigation, mediation, arbitration, settlement
- 47 hearings before the Energy Board and judicial reviews and appeals over sixteen years, regulating rates for hydro and gas utilities, including the deregulation of the natural gas industry in Canada; counsel in a public inquiry; construction
- Major railways in Canada (VIA Rail, CN, CP, Norfolk W & S) in class actions; trials in Courts and hearings- Canadian Transportation Agency over 45 years -Superior Courts, Appeals, tribunals and Supreme Court of Canada
- Leading court cases and tribunal hearings: trials, hearings, appeals and judicial reviews in securities, banking, pensions, human rights, corporate oppression, insurance, environment, construction, energy, pipelines, labour, employment, economic regulation, competition, transportation, mining, copyright, elections, criminal and constitutional
- Counsel and Commission counsel in public inquiries: sponsorship/Gomery Inquiry; regulation of automobile insurance industry; United Nations Oil for Food Investigation conducted under the Chairmanship of Paul Volcker, and counsel to Ontario Energy Board and Competition Bureau-trial: abuse of dominance; merger of Vancouver grain terminals
- Commercial arbitrator and mediator across Canada and internationally, counsel and lecturer in arbitration and mediation (arbitrator in over 20 commercial arbitrations)
International mandates and involvements
- United States of America
- England
- France
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Italy
- South Africa
- Japan
- Indonesia
- China
- India
- Middle East
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- Australia
- Hong Kong
- Taiwan
Insights
Publications
- Ontario Court of Appeal Loosens Restrictions on Securities Class Actions (Timely Disclosure), 5 February 2014
- Bullen & Leake & Jacob’s Canadian Precedent of Pleadings, 2nd Edition (Class Actions), October 2013
- The Constitutionality of Administrative Monetary Penalties Under the Competition Act: Is Rowan a Full Answer? (Competition Policy International), September 2012
- The Marker, Canadian Bar Association’s Criminal Matters Committee of the CBA National Law (Competition Section), September 2012
- Bullen & Leake & Jacob’s Canadian Precedents of Pleadings, Carswell (Class Actions), 2010
- Dispute Resolution Remedies for Private Companies, 28 November 2017
Media
- John Campion discusses what a mediator’s role is with Jim Richards on NewsTalk 1010, 17 December 2019 (podcast)
Presentations
- Cross-Border Litigation Forum, Cambridge, Ontario (Securities Class Actions), 1-3 March 2010
- The Canadian Institute’s 10th Annual National Forum, Toronto, Ontario (Class Actions Litigation), 23-24 September 2009
- Antitrust/Competition & Marketing Law Group Seminar, Toronto, Ontario (Competition Law), 19 November 2008
- 8th Annual National Forum on Class Actions Litigation, 17-18 September 2007
- 8th Annual National Forum on Class Actions Litigation, The Canadian Institute, Toronto, Ontario, 17-18 September 2007
- Recent ‘Must Know’ Developments in Canadian, 17 November 2006
- Antitrust/Competition & Marketing Law Group Seminar, Toronto, Ontario (Competition Law), 17 November 2006
- Insight Information: Securities Law Forum, Toronto, Ontario, 7-8 June 2006
Memberships and recognition
Board memberships
- Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
- Elected Bencher (Governor), Law Society of Upper Canada (2000-2015)
- Past President, Federation of Law Societies of Canada (2009-2010
- Executive, Council Member, Federation of Law Societies of Canada (2007-2011)
- Member, Canadian Bar Association
- Member, Ontario Bar Association
- Member, The Advocates’ Society
- Member, International Bar Association
- Member, Canadian Civil Liberties Association
- North American Committee of The Commercial Bar Association (Combar)
- Trustee, American Bar Association Foundation
- Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)
Professional memberships
- 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
- Law Society of Ontario
- Ontario Bar Association
Recognition
- Who’s Who legal: Canada for Commercial Litigation
- The Lexpert/American lawyer’s Guide to the leading 500 lawyers in Canada for Corporate Commercial Litigation
- Lexpert Guide to the leading US-Canada Cross-Border litigation lawyers for Class Action and Corporate Commercial
- Best Lawyers in Canada for Administrative and Public Law
- Best Lawyers in Canada for Director and Officer Liability
- Canadian legal Lexpert Directory for Class Actions, Litigation – Corporate Commercial, Litigation – Directors’ & Officers’ Liability
- Canadian legal Lexpert Directory for Litigation – Securities
- Canadian legal Lexpert Directory for Litigation – Class Actions, Commercial Insurance, Corporate/Commercial, Director & Officer Liability, Securities, and Professional Liability
- Chambers Global Guide for Dispute Resolution in Ontario
- The Lexpert/American lawyer Guide to the leading 500 lawyers in Canada for Litigation & Dispute Resolution
- Practical law Company for Dispute Resolution (Canada: Ontario)
- 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 – 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
- Lexpert – rated in the corporate commercial litigation, securities litigation and class actions categories
- Martindale-Hubbell “AV” rating
- Chambers Global for Commercial Litigation
- Who’s Who legal for Commercial Litigation
- Global Counsel for Commercial Litigation
- Euromoney, Guide to the World’s leading litigation lawyers and Experts in Commercial Arbitration
Community engagement
- Governed the legal profession as a four-time elected Bencher (now Emeritus Bencher) of the Law Society of Ontario
- Elected President of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, inter alia, representing Canada’s 100,000 lawyers internationally at the IBA, ABA and Union International des Avocats: Cross Canada Mobility; Law School approvals
- Co-authored: Professional Liability in Canada; Bullen & Leake & Jacob’s Precedents – Class Actions (Carswells)
- Taught for over twenty years as adjunct professor of law at Osgoode and Toronto law schools: courses- Advanced Civil Procedure; Appeals and Judicial Review; Trustee of Fox Scholarship Fund; mentor to over 120 barristers and judges
- Lectured across Canada and across the globe – “Campion on Advanced Civil Litigation and Arbitration: TLA & Online”
- Acted for three Prime Ministers, leaders and political parties, and managed and litigated election campaigns
- Qualified as an expert witness before the Senate of Canada and in the Québec courts as an expert in the common law
- President of the Empire Club of Canada, introducing 39 heads of state, chief justice, six Cabinet Ministers, three Premiers, authors, artists, bishops, ambassadors, Nobel Laureate and USA Vice President to a live, broadcast audience
- Founding member of the Dickson Circle, performing pro bono work for persons with disabilities
- Founding member of the Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society
- Director and Chair of the audit committee of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
- University of Toronto: Chair, Chancellor’s Award Committee; Chair Moss Scholarship Committee; Adjunct Professor; and recipient of the Arbor Award for outstanding service to the University Partner, Chair of litigation and Chair of the Firm: Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP (1972 –2017) and currently a partner and Chair, Class Actions at Gardiner Roberts LLP and member of ADR Chambers. He is Chair of the Banting Discovery Foundation provided annual awards and to primary medical research for 100 years across Canada