Steve Tenai’s practice includes class action, securities, corporate, commercial and oppression litigation. In addition to defending companies and individuals in class action lawsuits, he has represented various major Canadian companies in corporate and commercial disputes over a broad range of issues. He has significant experience in responding to investigations by securities regulators, including within the context of cross-border investigations by securities and law enforcement agencies and class action litigation.
Mr. Tenai has further litigated public law and copyright matters and advised clients on matters of broadcasting law. He has acted in a variety of civil and administrative matters before trial and appellate courts and a number of tribunals including the Ontario Securities Commission.
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Year of call
Ontario 1992
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Law school
LL.M., University of Michigan, 2000
LL.B., University of Toronto, 1990
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Education
B.A., University of Toronto, 1987
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Selected client work
Mr. Tenai has acted recently for the following clients as counsel or as a member of their legal team:
- ArcelorMittal in a $1 billion shareholder class action suit arising from the takeover of Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation and in an OSC s. 127 hearing concerning a shareholders’ rights plan established by Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation
- SNC-Lavalin Inc. in defending multiple class actions, including claims under the civil secondary market liability provisions in the Ontario Securities Act and for prospectus misrepresentation
- Gildan Activewear Inc. in defending shareholder misrepresentation class action litigation regarding earnings guidance, including proposed civil secondary market liability claims under recent amendments to the Ontario Securities Act
- SunOpta Inc. in defending shareholder misrepresentation class action litigation regarding the company’s restatement of quarterly financial results, including proposed civil secondary market liability claims under the Ontario Securities Act
- BCE Inc. and Bell Canada before the Supreme Court of Canada relating to the $51.7-billion privatization of BCE
- Nortel Networks Corporation in defending multiple securities-related class actions and in the settlement of those class actions as part of a global resolution of several Canadian and US class actions
- Nortel Networks Corporation in its OSC settlement relating to the company’s restatement
- An officer of Research In Motion (now BlackBerry) in civil and regulatory proceedings concerning stock option grants
- Royal Group Technologies Limited and two outside directors in defending securities-related class action and on the settlement approval hearing
- Bell Canada International (BCI) on multiple class actions brought by shareholders and debentureholders arising from BCI’s recapitalization
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Speaking engagements
- Mr. Tenai has spoken at a number of conferences on such topics as coordinating defences and investigations in cross-border securities litigation, trends in class action litigation, the oppression remedy, derivative actions and civil litigation practice.
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Rankings and recognitions
- Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2011-2013: Dispute Resolution: Class Action
- Benchmark Canada, 2013 - recognized as a local litigation star in Ontario; Litigation star in Canada in Class Action
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2012: recommended in Class Actions and Litigation - Securities
- Best Lawyers in Canada, 2012-2013 - Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Securities Law
- Lexpert’s Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers in Canada, 2007 - “Litigation Lawyer to Watch”
- BV Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating
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Memberships and activities
- Canadian Bar Association
- The Advocates’ Society
- Co-chair of the Commercial Litigation practice group
- Federated Press Corporate Litigation Journal
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Related events
The Ontario Securities Commission identified specific red flag risks and its expectations regarding compliance with existing disclosure requirements..
2013-04-12
During this session Jeremy Devereux and Steve Tenai will review recent key decisions and developments in securities class actions in Canada..
2011-10-04
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Related publications
The BC Supreme Court criticized empty voting and noted that courts have the power to curtail the practice..
2012-09-18
New Ontario decision raises uncertainty about the operation of the limitation period under Ontario’s statutory secondary market misrepresentation liability regime..
2012-09-07
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Related news
Ogilvy Renault lawyers Pierre Bienvenu, Steve Tenai, Ruth Wahl and Catherine Martel were featured in the 2008 Lexpert Guide to the Leading U.S./Canada Cross-Borde....
2008-11-01
Steve Tenai, partner and co-chair of the Class Actions team in the Toronto office, and Pierre Bienvenu, Managing Partner of the Firm, were recognized in La Presse....
2008-06-26