Serge represents plaintiffs in class actions and other complex litigation, with a focus on investor rights advocacy. He has appeared at all levels of courts in Ontario as well as the Supreme Court of Canada.
Serge has represented investors in a number of significant and precedent setting securities class actions, including acting as counsel to:
shareholders against CannTrust Holdings, its directors and officers, its auditor and its underwriters, managing the case through its insolvency proceeding, and recovering $126 million to date;
shareholders against Imax Corporation, the first case to obtain leave under Part XXIII.1 of the Securities Act, where he successfully represented shareholders before the Supreme Court of Canada on the interpretation of secondary market liability laws;
Discovery Air Inc. debenture holders in a $35 million oppression class action;
investment account holders against Miller Bernstein in an auditor negligence class action;
share and note holders in a securities class action against Sino-Forest Corporation, recovering over $160 million, including record-setting settlements with Sino-Forest’s auditor and underwriters;
investors in The Cash Store Financial Inc., managing the case through in its insolvency proceeding, recovering $13.7 million;
security holders of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. in a securities class action arising out of the company's disclosure of its relationships with specialty pharmacies; and
investors in ongoing securities class actions against Cronos Group Inc., Akumin Inc. and Kew Media Group Inc.
Since 2021, Serge has been selected by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers for his work in class action litigation.
Serge has extensive experience navigating securities class proceedings through insolvency proceedings, having negotiated plans of arrangement in CCAA proceedings involving Sino-Forest, The Cash Store and CannTrust.
Serge was a member of the Ontario Securities Commission Investor Advisory Panel, an independent advisory group that provides the OSC and other regulators with feedback on proposed rules and investor protection issues from the retail investor perspective.
Credentials:
Called to Ontario Bar, 2008;
LLB, Queen’s University, 2007; and
B.Com, University of Toronto, 2004.