People

• Directory

Contact Information

bburden@casselsbrock.com

Telephone: 416 869 5963
Fax: 416 640 3019

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
2100 Scotia Plaza
40 King Street West
Toronto, ON M5H 3C2
Canada

Download vCard

Profile

William Burden

Bill practises in the area of commercial litigation, with an emphasis on contractual disputes and shareholder remedies. He has extensive trial (both in the courts and before various tribunals) and appellate experience, and has been involved in a number of significant arbitrations involving interpretations of contracts.

With over 30 years of expertise in the litigation area he is recognized by the profession in that he is retained by the Lawyers' Professional Indemnity Company with respect to the defence of claims against solicitors.

Bill is a member of the Executive Committee of the firm. He is the former Chairman of the Executive Committee.

Some of Bill's experience includes being involved in the following recent significant matters:

• A decision on the interpretation of a Shareholders Agreement involving a first right of refusal in the context of a takeover bid situation - BNY Capital Corp. v. Katokakis. 194 O.A.C. 353 or 1 B.L.R. (4th) 168.
• A decision in the Court of Appeal for Ontario involving jurisdiction and forum conveniens issues - BNP Paribas (Canada) v. BCE Inc. 33 C.B.R. (5th) 163.
• A case involving contractual interpretation principles in the Court of Appeal for Ontario - Commercial Alcohols Inc. v. Suncor Energy Products Inc. The trial decision is reported in 17 B.L.R. (4th) 86.
• A decision involving an interpretation of arrangement provisions in the OBCA in the context of an acquisition involving a share exchange with dilution implications - McEwen v. Goldcorp Inc. 21 B.L.R. (4th) 262.

Bill is a member of The Advocates' Society, the Insolvency Institute of Canada and the International Insolvency Institute. He is a former lecturer at the Bar Admissions Course, and a former member of the Executive of the Ontario Insolvency Section of the Canadian Bar Association.

He has written extensively about debtor/creditor issues, shareholder disputes and contractual interpretation principles.

Bill received a B.A. cum laude from Yale University, 1971 and graduated from the University of Toronto Law School, 1974.

Bill was called to the bar in 1976.

Education

LL.B., University of Toronto Law School, 1974
B.A. (Cum Laude), Yale University, 1971

Achievements

• Martindale-Hubbell, BV Distinguished™ rating

Call to the bar

Associations

• The Advocates Society
• Canadian Bar Association
• Insolvency Institute of Canada
• International Insolvency Institute
• Ontario Bar Association
• Toronto Lawyers Association