Executive Summary
John has been a trusted advisor for 45 years in public and private corporate, family enterprise, regulation and government: advice, court tribunal, arbitration, and mediation, dispute resolution and strategy; teaching, writing and development of law: called to the Bars of Ontario, Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Québec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. He has represented clients in England, Europe, Asia and the USA, before the Courts of ten Provinces, the Federal Court, the Supreme Court of Canada and before federal and provincial tribunals, public inquiries, mediations and arbitrations (nationally and internationally). John has been counsel in over 300 reported private law and public law trials, hearings, appeals and judicial reviews and arbitrator in over 20 commercial arbitrations.
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 CBC, counsel to two Prime Ministers and much more, serving everyone from heads of state to underprivileged children during a storied career.
John Campion is nationally and internationally recognized (Chambers, Best Lawyers, Lexpert, International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell) as one of Canada’s leading senior trial, appeal and arbitration counsel. He has been an elected Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada since 2000 and was President of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, representing Canada’s 100,000 lawyers nationally and internationally. He has been active in his community: President of The Empire Club of Canada, counsel to the Director of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and an adjunct professor of law, Toronto and Osgoode. He is an author of Professional Liability in Canada and publishes and lectures broadly throughout Canada and internationally.
Expertise
- Litigation, Arbitration and Mediation
- Over 300 reported public and private trials, appeals, tribunals and judicial reviews in corporate, family enterprise, regulation and government
- Securities, Pensions, Insurance, Competition, Energy, Mining, Estates, Shareholder Disputes
Representative Work
- Over fourteen 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)
Articles and Presentations
Articles
- John Campion discusses what a mediator’s role is with Jim Richards on NewsTalk 1010 – December 17, 2019 (podcast)
- Ontario Court of Appeal Loosens Restrictions on Securities Class Actions (Timely Disclosure – February 5, 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
Articles
- Dispute Resolution Remedies for Private Companies - 11/28/2017
Presentations
- Cross-Border Litigation Forum, Cambridge, Ontario (Securities Class Actions) –
March 1-3, 2010 - The Canadian Institute’s 10th Annual National Forum, Toronto, Ontario (Class Actions Litigation) – September 23-24, 2009
- Antitrust/Competition & Marketing Law Group Seminar, Toronto, Ontario (Competition Law) – November 19, 2008
- 8th Annual National Forum on Class Actions Litigation – September 17-18, 2007
- 8th Annual National Forum on Class Actions Litigation, The Canadian Institute, Toronto, Ontario – September 17-18, 2007
- Recent ‘Must Know’ Developments in Canadian – November 17, 2006
- Antitrust/Competition & Marketing Law Group Seminar, Toronto, Ontario (Competition Law) – November 17, 2006
- Insight Information: Securities Law Forum, Toronto, Ontario – June 7-8, 2006
My Blog
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, 2013
Recognition
- Who’s Who Legal: Canada 2016 for Commercial Litigation
- The 2015 Lexpert/American Lawyer’s Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada for Corporate Commercial Litigation
- Lexpert 2014 and 2016 Guide to the Leading US-Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers for Class Action and Corporate Commercial
- Best Lawyers in Canada 2015-2020 for Administrative and Public Law
- Best Lawyers in Canada 2012-2015 for Director and Officer Liability
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2013-2016 for Class Actions, Litigation - Corporate Commercial, Litigation - Directors’ & Officers’ Liability
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2013-2015 for Litigation - Securities
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2011 for Litigation - Class Actions, Commercial Insurance, Corporate/Commercial, Director & Officer Liability, Securities, and Professional Liability
- Chambers Global Guide 2011-2014 for Dispute Resolution in Ontario
- The 2011 Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada for Litigation & Dispute Resolution
- Practical Law Company 2009 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, July/August 2002 - based on combined ratings of corporate commercial, class action, securities and competition litigation and a survey of 3,224 practitioners
- Lexpert 1997-2006 - rated in the corporate commercial litigation, securities litigation and class actions categories
- Lexpert 1999-2006 - rated in the corporate commercial litigation, securities litigation and class actions categories
- Martindale-Hubbell “AV” rating
- Chambers Global 2002-2006 for Commercial Litigation
- Who’s Who Legal 2002-2006 for Commercial Litigation
- Global Counsel 2002-2006 for Commercial Litigation
- Euromoney, Guide to the World’s Leading Litigation Lawyers and Experts in Commercial Arbitration 2002-2007
Professional 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
- Law Society of Ontario
- Ontario Bar Association
Community Involvement
- 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 for three years at Gardiner Roberts LLP and member of ADR Chambers