Global Litigation Law Firm - McCague Borlack LLP

Our Defamation and Reputation Management Group is comprised of Toronto lawyers whose practices focus on the litigation fields in which defamation actions typically arise. These practice areas include corporate/banking law, municipal law, employment law, and investigation and privacy law.

Allegations of libel and slander can also arise during disputes between members of professional associations, or as a result of media releases.

Because defamation is a unique and complex area of civil litigation where the law frequently changes and special strategic considerations come to bear, we have entered into an affiliation with Mr. David Potts, co-author of Canadian Libel Practice. David is a senior and respected barrister with a practice that is restricted to this area of the law. He is available to assist members of our firm to respond promptly on complex defamation matters.

Services

1. Defence
Our lawyers are experienced in the following matters:

media libel and slander claims;
employer-employee libel and slander claims;
corporate, insurance adjuster, and private investigator defences premised on absolute and qualified privilege;
statements made by municipal councilors, provincial employees, and police officers;
statements made in inter- and intra-corporate disputes;
statements made in inter- and intra-condominium board and owner disputes; and
statements made in disputes between members of professional bodies, including the legal, medical, and engineering professions.

2. Coverage

A primary concern of insurers and insureds is the extent to which a particular defamation claim may be covered by insurance. Our Insurance Coverage Group offers opinions to the firm's clients on a variety of insurance matters, including those pertaining to libel and slander in the context of "personal injury" wordings in CGL policies and other forms of insurance.

3. Reputation Management
Our lawyers also proactively address reputation management issues to prevent or reduce the likelihood of clients becoming embroiled in defamation actions. These services include:

consultation on media releases, or dealing with the media after a claim has been made;
seminars on the management of volatile situations;
periodic newsletters on new developments and caselaw in defamation;
access to defamation specialists throughout Canada, the United States, and in Europe for collaboration, investigation, depositions, and for legal analysis of jurisdictional and other issues.