
Overview
Peter Ruby is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Group. He has a national and international practice focused on the litigation and arbitration of a wide variety of business disputes, including related to technology, energy, corporate, commercial, and restructuring matters.
His technology dispute resolution work includes software, cloud services, hardware, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, telecommunications, film, television, privacy and data protection, intellectual property, ecommerce and internet litigation, and Canadian and cross-border arbitration and mediation. Peter has a balanced practice, representing multinational and entrepreneurial vendors of technology and services, along with many end-users of information technology.
Peter handles disputes and regulatory matters relating to the energy industry, has acted as counsel for the Canadian Electricity Association, the Electricity Distributors Association, electricity utilities, developers and operators of renewable power projects, resource companies and provincial government bodies. He has appeared at the Ontario Energy Board with respect to generation, transmission, mergers and acquisitions, real estate development and distribution issues, and before other provincial energy regulators.
With respect to privacy and data protection, Peter has litigated business-related privacy cases and has considerable experience assisting clients, on a highly confidential basis, on data breach incidents and cybersecurity. He also assists organizations to deal with privacy inquiries and investigations by privacy commissioners and to negotiate privacy-related agreements.
Peter also represents clients with respect to a variety of corporate, commercial and restructuring disputes, including shareholder matters, contract interpretation and application issues and acquisition-related disputes.
He has appeared at all levels of the courts of Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as at many arbitration proceedings. In honour of Peter’s advocacy and professionalism in dispute resolution, in 2021 one of his clients endowed a Dispute Resolution Award in his name at Osgoode Hall Law School.
In addition to his busy counsel practice, Peter acts as a sole and panel member arbitrator and mediator. He is a member arbitrator/mediator of Arbitration Place, and on the Canadian roster of the AAA’s International Center for Dispute Resolution. Peter is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Peter is recognized as a leading litigator and arbitration counsel in Chambers Canada and Chambers Global, The Legal 500 Canada, The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, the Lexpert Special Edition: Technology and Health Sciences, Euromoney’s Guide to The World’s Leading Information Technology Lawyers, Best Lawyers in Canada, Benchmark Litigation Canada and Who’s Who Legal, with peer reviews such as “brilliant IT litigator” and “vast experience resolving complex IT disputes”.
During law school, Peter was the recipient of several awards of distinction, including the Ronald D. Manes Alumni Award for demonstrated excellence in academics and leadership and the Fraser & Beatty Award.
Expertise
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AI
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Anti-Spam and Malware
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Appellate Advocacy
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Arbitration - Domestic and International
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Cleantech
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Communications and Media
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Corporate and Commercial Litigation
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Crisis Management and Urgent Proceedings
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Dispute Resolution
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Energy
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Food and Drug Regulatory and Litigation
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Insolvency Litigation
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Intellectual Property
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Judicial Review
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Outsourcing
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Patent Prosecution, Licensing and Transactions
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Patent, Trademark and Copyright Litigation
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PMPRB Strategies and Litigation
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Privacy and Data Protection
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Real Estate Litigation
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Regulatory, Administrative and Public Law
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Securities Litigation
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Technology
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Technology Disputes
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Trademark Prosecution, Licensing and Transactions
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White Collar Defence and Investigations
Featured Work
Peter’s representative work includes acting for:
Technology
- the Monitor of Nortel Networks in an unprecedented cross-border dispute over the allocation of the insolvent Nortel’s assets and advising on IT, IP, business law and valuation issues
- Oracle in several litigations involving customers, business partners and implementers
- SAP in litigation and arbitration proceedings involving customers, business partners and implementers
- the Business Development Bank of Canada in software fraud litigation concerning a failed technology acquisition
- Trader Corp. in mass on-line copyright infringement litigation
- Bell Media in a Reference to the Supreme Court of Canada opposite Canada’s largest cable companies
- Bell Media and Rogers Media in arbitration proceedings
- Software AG in litigation and arbitration with respect to disputes with Canadian corporate and government customers
- CBS Television in internet identity theft litigation
- AXA Asia in obtaining an injunction to prevent a software provider from shutting down an insurer’s operations
- NBCUniversal in copyright litigation with respect to the film Charlie Wilson’s War, and other matters
Energy
- 19 power companies in a landmark case in the Supreme Court of Canada against Canada’s cable television companies
- the Canadian Electricity Association about an appeal concerning access by wireless companies to public lands
- a renewable energy developer in an arbitration over compensation owing to it by other participants in the project
- the majority owner of a wind-power project in arbitration regarding a shareholder dispute
- a dispute with respect to a gas development project
- Atlantic Power in regulatory and arbitration proceedings
- Several provincial government bodies with respect to commercial and corporate issues
- Various power companies, including Hydro Quebec, B.C. Hydro, New Brunswick Power, ENMAX Corporation, Manitoba Hydro and Greater Sudbury Hydro, in connection with novel matters arising in each of their provinces and/or at hearings
Commercial, Corporate and Restructuring
- several litigations and arbitrations for the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO)
- litigation concerning the restructuring of Stelco
- litigation concerning a contract dispute arising from the insolvency of Nortel
- the restructuring of Cirque du Soleil
- litigation concerning the insolvency of Crystallex
- litigation for the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario
- litigation for the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO)
- a dispute about the ownership of music rights upon the insolvency of a publisher
- appellate litigation with respect to arbitral jurisdiction
- arbitrations concerning breaches of representations in share purchase agreements
- arbitration concerning a purchase price adjustment under an asset purchase agreement
- many litigation and arbitration proceedings turning on the interpretation of contracts
Awards & Recognition
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Chambers Global Band 3, Information Technology 2023
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The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory Recognized, Computer & IT Law, Data Protection & Privacy, Telecommunications 2023
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Chambers Canada Band 3, Information Technology 2023
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The Legal 500 Canada Leading Individual, Technology 2023
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Who's Who Legal Recommended Global Leader, Telecoms and Media 2023
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Who's Who Legal Recommended Global Leader, Information Technology 2023
Credentials
Professional Involvement
Peter was a law clerk to the Federal Court of Canada and for over a dozen years was a Professor of Law (adj.) at the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School teaching internet law. He was a co-chair of the 2017 World Technology Law Conference in Chicago, is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Technology Law Association, the Co-Lead of North America committee of the Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center, a member of the Board of the Osgoode Hall Alumni Association and the founder of Canada’s popular Tech Law Discussion Forum.
Credentials
- Osgoode Hall Law School, LL.M., 2000
- Osgoode Hall Law School, J.D., 1994
Professional Affiliations
- Law Society of Ontario
- Vice-President, International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw)
- Arbitrator/Mediator, Arbitration Place
- Arbitrator/Mediator, ICDR Canada
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Fellow
- Co-Lead of North America Committee, Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center
- Former Director and Member, Canadian Technology Law Association
- Member, Toronto Computer Lawyers Group
- Member, The Advocates’ Society
- Member, Canadian Bar Association
Call to Bar
- 1996 Ontario
Insights
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Privacy and Data Protection
B.C. Court Rules Facebook Liable for Privacy Violations in Class Action
Another chapter in the now decade-long saga of Douez v. Facebook was penned earlier this month as a British Columbia Court found Facebook liable for providing advertisers access to users… -
Intellectual Property
Lexpert Recognizes the Goodmans IP Team
The Goodmans IP Team is proud to have been recognized in the 26th edition of the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2022.As a group, the Goodmans IP Team was recognized as follows:Intellectual Property… -
Intellectual Property
Goodmans IP Team Recognized
The Goodmans IP Team is proud to have recently been recognized by both Who's Who Legal: Life Sciences 2022 and Chambers Global 2022.The following members of the Goodmans IP Team were recognized by… -
Technology
Technology Sourcing 2021 - Canada Chapter
Richard Corley, Jessica Bishop and Peter Ruby co-authored the 1st edition of the International Comparative Legal Guide - Technology Sourcing 2021, Canada chapter. The Canada chapter covers common… -
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
Federal Privacy Regulation 2.0: Now with Bite and Bark
This week, the Canadian Federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry introduced for first reading in Parliament Bill C-11, An Act to enact the Consumer Privacy Protection Act and the Personal…
News & Events
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- Technology
Peter Ruby at the 2023 World Technology Law Conference
Join Peter Ruby on May 24th - 26th at the 2023 World Technology Law Conference. The 2023 World Technology Law Conference covers topics such as: Antitrust / Anticompetition in Technology… -
Banking and Financial Services
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2023 Continues to Recognize Goodmans
We are proud to announce we have once again been recognized in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2023.85 Goodmans lawyers have been recognized as top-tier in their fields and leaders across… -
Banking and Financial Services
Chambers and Partners Continues to Honour Goodmans with Global Recognition
We are proud to announce Goodmans LLP has once again received top tier recognition from Chambers and Partners in the Chambers Global 2023 Guide released today. Recognition from Chambers and…