Allan  Coleman

Allan Coleman

Partner, Litigation

Key Contact: Corporate and Securities Litigation

Contact Information

acoleman@osler.com

tel: 416.862.4941

Office

Toronto

Allan has a wide-ranging practice, with particular emphasis on corporate and securities litigation. He has developed significant expertise in advising public companies involved in litigation arising from major mergers and acquisitions and other business-critical transactions. Allan also represents public issuers in class proceedings relating to alleged misrepresentations made in prospectuses, financial statements and other public disclosure documents. In addition, as part of his securities litigation practice, he has advised public companies and registrants in the context of inquiries and investigations by the Ontario Securities Commission. Allan also has extensive commercial litigation experience, including class action defence work and conducting complex commercial arbitrations, including disputes arising from asset purchase agreements and shareholder agreements. He also is a co-author of The Oppression Remedy, with David Morritt and Sonia Bjorkquist.

    • Successfully represented Jazz Aviation in a complex cost benchmarking arbitration against Air Canada
    • American International Group, Inc. and AIG Financial Products Corp. in the first putative class action brought under the  Securities Act against a foreign issuer in respect of  alleged misrepresentations in its financial statements
    • Atomic Energy of Canada Limited in an application for judicial review brought by Sierra Club of Canada relating to the sale of CANDU reactors to China, including a successful appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada establishing the principles governing the granting of protective orders
    • CanWest Global Communications Corp. in a successful motion for summary judgment against Hollinger International Inc. and in a related multi-million dollar arbitration
    • Cara Operations Limited before the Ontario Securities Commission in a successful application to cease trade the poison pill of Second Cup Limited adopted in response to Cara Operations take-over bid
    • Various entities controlled by Carl Icahn in proceedings before the British Columbia Securities Commission and the British Columbia Supreme Court in connection with a take-over bid for Lions Gate Entertainment Corp
    • Chapters Inc. in response to a take-over bid by Trilogy Retail Enterprises Inc., including numerous appearances before the Ontario Securities Commission and a successful application to disqualify a law firm for conflict of interest that was upheld by the Ontario Court of Appeal
    • Goldcorp Inc. in a claim brought by Barrick Gold Corporation in respect of Goldcorp’s acquisition of a 70% interest in the El Morro mining project in Chile
    • Greater Toronto Airports Authority and the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Authority in a dispute arising from the insolvency of Skyservice Airlines
    • Magna International in proceedings before the Ontario Securities Commission in connection with a plan of arrangement involving its controlling shareholder
    • Sears Holdings Corporation in proceedings before the Ontario Securities Commission arising from its take-over bid for Sears Canada
    • Two officers of SunOpta Inc. in a securities class action in respect of alleged misrepresentations made in the financial statements of Sunopta
    • An automotive industry manufacturer in a multi-million dollar arbitration arising from the termination of a supply agreement

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: Recognized in Litigation - Securities; Class Actions
  • Best Lawyers in Canada: Recognized in Class Action Litigation; Corporate and Commercial Litigation
  • Benchmark Litigation Canada: Recognized in Dispute Resolution; Securities; Commercial (Litigation Star)

  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Canadian Bar Association (Ontario)
  • Advocates Society

  • Recent Developments in Securities Litigation, Annual Review of Civil Litigation (2010), Todd L. Archibald and Randall Scott Echlin, ed. (with Mark A. Gelowitz).
  • The Oppression Remedy (looseleaf) (with David Morritt and Sonia Bjorkquist).
  • Commentary: Securities Litigation, Canadian Securities Law Reporter (with Alexander Cobb).
  • An Update of Recent Securities Law Decisions: Sears, Re AIT and Felderhof, The Twelve Minute Securities Lawyer 2008, Law Society of Upper Canada (May 2008) (with Adam Hirsch and Ian Matthews).
  • Supreme Court of Canada Dismisses Appeal in Danier Leather, Osler Update, October 2007.