Practice Areas

We provide strategic legal advice in a variety of settings, always with an eye to the big picture and the things that are really important. Our clients include non-profit organizations, charities, co-operatives, Aboriginal governments, and lots of regular people. We are privileged to work with clients who believe in social justice just as much as we do.

Our practice areas include, but certainly are not limited to:

Civil Litigation

We act in all levels of courts and tribunals, federal and provincial, on matters ranging from complex civil lawsuits, to judicial reviews, to small claims court files. We specialize in providing first class legal services at rates that make justice accessible to our public interest clients.

Sample cases: Ipperwash Litigation, G20 Class Action, Litigation against a Canadian Mining Company, Defamation Lawsuit against Canadian Ambassador, Matthew Cooperative, Construction Litigation for a Women’s Shelter, Constitutional Case Defending Environmental Rights, Water Contamination LawsuitUnjust Dismissal

Housing Co-operatives & Affordable Housing

Klippensteins has extensive experience acting for housing co-operatives and non-profit housing providers on matters such as strategic and organizational advice, employment issues, civil litigation, tenant matters and more. We aim to “help the helpers” by proactively solving problems so that our clients can get back to offering good quality, affordable housing to those who need it most. We avoid the kind of overly-aggressive lawyering that can make matters worse, but can and will fight hard when that is the right thing to do.

Sample cases: Matthew Co-Operative: fighting for the rights of co-op members, Bridlewood Co-Operative: protecting affordable housing stock

Non-Profit & Charity Law

We help non-profit corporations and charities with various legal issues including incorporation, strategic and organization advice, corporate matters, employment issues, and civil litigation. We recognize the vital role that non-profits and charities play in creating a better world and work with them to help them achieve their public interest goals.

Sample cases: Helping a Women’s Shelter, Protecting Co-Operatives

Corporate Accountability

We represent individuals from around the world that have been harmed by the actions of Canadian corporations in groundbreaking lawsuits aimed at making these corporations more accountable for their actions. These include lawsuits against Canadian corporations over severe human rights violations in Guatemala, and a lawsuit against a Canadian corporation for contaminating groundwater in Alberta.

Sample cases:  Canadian Mining and Human Rights, Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination.

Police Accountability

Lawsuits against police are extremely difficult – police have endless resources to litigate, they “close ranks” when something goes wrong, and they benefit from special rules in court. We know how to overcome these difficulties, and often act for individuals who have had their rights violated by police.

Sample cases: Ipperwash Litigation, G20 Class Action.

First Nations Rights

At Klippensteins, we are deeply dedicated to the advancement of First Nations rights. We act for First Nations groups and individuals in complex Aboriginal and treaty rights litigation, strategic and organizational issues, human rights cases, hunting rights cases, and more. Murray Klippenstein acted for the family of Dudley George in the Ipperwash litigation and inquiry and was a founding board member of Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto.

Sample cases: Ipperwash Litigation, Land Claim for Hydro Dam Flooding, First Nations War Veterans, The Mushkegowuk Cree Fight Workfare, Human Rights Cases for Equal Service for First Nations Peoples

Environmental Law

We represent groups and individuals who are truly committed to environmental protection and sustainability. Murray Klippenstein articled at the Canadian Environmental Law Association, served as the president of Environmental Defence Canada, and has practiced environmental law ever since.

Sample cases: Defending a Natural Garden, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Preserving a Park at Municipal Council, Water Contamination Lawsuit

Constitutional Law, Human Rights, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Klippensteins acts in constitutional and Charter rights cases on topics such as freedom of expression, right to counsel, equality rights, division of powers, Aboriginal rights under section 35 of the constitution, and more.

Sample cases: Natural Garden (freedom of expression), Equality in First Nations Policing (anti-discrimination, equality), Equality in First Nations Special Education (anti-discrimination, equality), G20 Class Action (freedom of expression, right to counsel, etc.), Mushkegowuk Cree Workfare Case (division of powers)

Employment

We act for individuals in wrongful dismissal lawsuits and other workplace-related cases. We understand how important and all consuming these problems can be for our clients; we try to help in a smart and sensitive manner.

Sample case: Unjust Dismissal

Defamation Law

We advise non-profit advocacy organizations and others on how to avoid the pitfalls of defamation law when reporting on the wrongdoing of corporations and other powerful actors.  We also represent both plaintiffs and defendants in defamation lawsuits.

Sample case: Defamation Lawsuit against Canadian Ambassador

Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Securities Litigation

Just kidding – we don’t do any of these things. But just because we are public interest lawyers who care about people does not mean that we are afraid of numbers, spreadsheets, economics, or business. We think it is important to be conversant in these areas, and we bring that knowledge to our work.

 

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