
Overview
Peter is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Group at Goodmans. He has a broad civil litigation practice, which focuses on assisting clients with complex commercial litigation matters. His experience includes commercial disputes, securities matters, shareholder activism and corporate governance, director and officer liability claims, civil fraud, insolvency proceedings, proceedings to enforce foreign judgments, professional responsibility proceedings, plans of arrangement and fiduciary obligations disputes.
Peter has been counsel in over 40 reported decisions, including three that have been recognized by Lexpert Magazine or the Law Times as top cases of the year. He has also acted for corporations in various industries on over 35 unreported plan of arrangement proceedings under the Canada Business Corporations Act, and the business corporations acts of Ontario, Alberta, B.C. and Manitoba.
Peter has
appeared as counsel in trials, appeals, applications and motions before the
Ontario Superior Court of Justice, including the Commercial Court, the Ontario
Divisional Court, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Supreme Court of Canada,
the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, the Federal Court, the United States
Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, as well as Law Society of
Ontario discipline panels.
Peter is recognized as a “next generation partner” by The Legal 500 Canada in Dispute Resolution: Ontario and by Benchmark Litigation Canada as a “Future Star”.
Peter is fluent in French.
Expertise
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Appellate Advocacy
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Arbitration - Domestic and International
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Corporate and Commercial Litigation
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Corporate Governance and Stakeholder Litigation
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Dispute Resolution
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Energy
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Insolvency Litigation
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Mergers and Acquisitions
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Professional Liability
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Regulatory, Administrative and Public Law
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Securities Litigation
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Shareholder Activism
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White Collar Defence and Investigations
Featured Work
Peter’s representative work includes acting for:
- Cineplex Inc. as lead counsel in its successful claim against Cineworld Group, plc and a subsidiary (collectively “Cineworld”) for damages for wrongful repudiation of a merger agreement
- an intervener in two appeals to the Supreme Court of Canada regarding the interpretation of Ontario’s anti-SLAPP legislation
- a crypto asset trading platform that was investigated by the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) for allegations of breaches of the Ontario Securities Act and Commodity Futures Act, which involved a precedent setting settlement as it was the first time the OSC settled allegations against a crypto asset platform
- Chevron Canada Limited in a successful summary judgment motion, upheld on appeal, that dismissed an action that had sought to enforce a US$9.5 billion Ecuadorian judgment for alleged environmental pollution, now a seminal Canadian case on corporate separateness
- Hudbay Minerals Inc. in a proxy contest that successfully defended a proceeding by a dissident shareholder that sought adjournment of a shareholders’ meeting
- Paulson & Co. Inc. in a proxy contest, including successfully responding to a claim by Detour Gold Corporation alleging insider trading and tipping
- a Crown corporation which was a plaintiff in an action for damages for fraudulent misrepresentation where $44 million in damages were awarded following a 16‑day trial in which 15 witnesses, including experts, testified
- the Court-appointed Monitor of Nortel Networks in various matters in its proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, including successfully opposing leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal for Ontario from an order allocating $7.3 billion in sale proceeds following a joint trial before the Ontario and Delaware courts; the decision was recognized by Lexpert Magazine’s Top 10 Business Cases of 2016
- Chevron Canada Limited in motions and appeals to stay proceedings on the basis of lack of jurisdiction; the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision was recognized by Law Times’ Top Cases of 2015
- Sun Indalex Finance, LLC in a successful appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada that overturned a decision distributing reserve funds to pay a pension deficit; the decision was recognized by Lexpert Magazine’s Top 10 Business Cases of 2013
- an individual director of a reporting issuer in an appeal to the Ontario Divisional Court from decisions of the Ontario Securities Commission involving violations of the Securities Act
- Look Communications Inc. in a successful defence against three proceedings seeking advances of legal fees from the company that was suing its former officers and directors for breaches of fiduciary duties
- Copper Mesa Mining Corp. and two of its directors in successfully having struck three actions seeking over $90 million for alleged human rights abuses in Ecuador
Awards & Recognition
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The Legal 500 Canada Next Generation Partner, Dispute Resolution: Ontario 2023
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The Legal 500 Canada Next Generation Partner, Dispute Resolution: Ontario 2022
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Benchmark Canada Future Star, Dispute Resolution 2022
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The Legal 500 Canada Next Generation Partner, Dispute Resolution: Ontario 2021
Credentials
Professional Involvement
Credentials
- Osgoode Hall Law School, LL.B., 2006
- McGill University, B.A., 2002, Honours
Professional Affiliations
- Law Society of Ontario
- The Advocates’ Society
- Canadian Bar Association
- Ontario Bar Association
Call to Bar
- 2007 Ontario
Insights
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Dispute Resolution
Force Majeure and COVID-19 – Porter Airlines v. Nieuport Aviation Trial Decision
The COVID-19 pandemic presented businesses with unprecedented challenges. It was inevitable that litigation would follow, and that the courts would be required to interpret familiar contract terms in… -
Restructuring
Supreme Court of Canada Holds Pre-filing Claims can be Set Off in Proceedings Under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
In Montreal (City) v. Deloitte Restructuring Inc., a majority of the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (the “CCAA”) authorizes a court, though only in rare… -
Dispute Resolution
Supreme Court of Canada Clarifies “Carrying on Business” Standard for Enforcement of Foreign Judgments
In our increasingly globalized world where businesses can easily operate virtually, the question of whether a company is “carrying on business” in Canada can be difficult to answer. The Supreme Court… -
Dispute Resolution
Supreme Court of Canada Confirms Contractual Discretion Must be Exercised in Good Faith
In an important case for anyone who drafts, performs or enforces contracts, the Supreme Court of Canada recently considered the scope of the duty to exercise contractual discretion in good faith. Many… -
Dispute Resolution
Supreme Court of Canada Revisits Duty of Good Faith in Contract Performance
In its 2014 decision in Bhasin v. Hyrnew, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously recognized that good faith contractual performance is an organizing principle of the Canadian common law of contracts… -
Dispute Resolution
Charter Protection Against Cruel and Unusual Punishment Does Not Apply to Corporations
The Supreme Court of Canada recently ruled that the constitutional protection against cruel and unusual treatment or punishment under s. 12 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms does not…
News & Events
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Banking and Financial Services
The Legal 500 Canada Continues to Recognize Goodmans with Top Tier Rankings
We are pleased to announce Goodmans LLP has once again received top tier recognition from The Legal 500 Canada in their 2023 Guide released today. Recognition from The Legal 500 is based on… -
Capital Markets
Goodmans ePresents: Taking the Reins on Climate Change: Risks, Obligations and Opportunities
The impacts of climate change are broad and far-reaching and have now undeniably made their way to many of the country's boardrooms. Organizations must continually stay on top of new and evolving… -
Goodmans Recognized at the Canadian Law Awards 2022
We are honoured to announce that Goodmans has been recognized at the Canadian Law Awards 2022. The Awards recognize Canada’s leading law firms, in-house legal teams, individuals, deals and cases over…