Laura Dougan

Laura is a standout litigator specializing in handling high-profile commercial disputes, defending class actions, and tackling constitutional as well as public law challenges. Her role is critical within the Public Sector Crisis & Compliance group, where she steers clients through the intricacies of legal predicaments that carry significant reputational and financial stakes. Her docket regularly features cases involving media and defamation, privacy breaches, and public access to information, along with providing sage advice on matters related to governmental and internal probes and public hearings.

Her acumen extends to advising on the nuances of lobbying, the ins and outs of gifting protocols, navigating conflicts of interest, and understanding the intricacies of election finance regulations. Laura's prowess in defending consumer protection class actions is well-regarded, benefiting a wide range of clients from the automotive industry to food and consumer goods manufacturers, professional services, financial entities, and insurance firms.

Before her tenure at Blakes, Laura enriched her legal repertoire clerking at the Federal Court of Appeal, laying a solid foundation for her subsequent achievements.

Laura's recent legal victories are as varied as they are impressive. She successfully represented a U.S.-based fruit and vegetable processor in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit stemming from a product recall and stood for a major financial institution in an insurance-related class action. Her expertise facilitated defense for a North American car maker in class actions over alleged negligent design and consumer law breaches, as well as for a consumer goods giant in similar allegations.

Her arbitration skills shone in an international patent license dispute under ICDR rules, and she championed the cause of major Canadian media outlets seeking transparency in high-profile criminal investigations. Laura's defense in libel and slander cases for news organizations and her involvement in international maritime loss disputes further underscore her legal versatility.

Laura's excellence in administrative and public law has not gone unnoticed, earning her a spot in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2024. Her professional commitments are extensive, including memberships in the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Bar Association, and The Advocates' Society, among others.

Her commitment to justice extends beyond the courtroom through pro bono work for public interest groups and corporate entities alike. Laura's international engagements include supporting women's and girls' rights in Malawi and advising on hate speech laws for an organization in Burma.

Laura's scholarly contributions are as impactful as her legal practice, co-authoring insightful publications on lobbying, consumer protection, election law, and access to information, reflecting her comprehensive knowledge and thought leadership in her field.

Her educational background, with honors degrees from Osgoode Hall Law School and McGill University, underpins her distinguished career in law. Laura's practice areas are broad, encompassing appellate advocacy, class actions, consumer protection, and privacy law, among others, serving sectors like food and agribusiness and public sector compliance with unmatched expertise.