SAMPLE CASES

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.

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Guatemalan Plaintiffs reach fair and reasonable settlement in Canadian mining lawsuits
Guatemalan Plaintiffs reach fair and reasonable settlement in Canadian mining lawsuits

TORONTO, ON, Oct. 7, 2024: Lawyers for the Plaintiffs are pleased to announce that after more than a decade of litigation, the Mayan Q’eqchi’ Plaintiffs have successfully reached a fair and reasonable settlement with Hudbay Minerals Inc. which resolves litigation regarding allegations of human rights abuse at the Fenix mine in Guatemala.

Ipperwash Litigation & Inquiry
Ipperwash Litigation & Inquiry

In 1995, First Nation activist Dudley George was shot and killed by police in Ipperwash Provincial Park at a protest seeking to protect native burial grounds and Treaty lands.

First Nations war veterans
First Nations war veterans

Canadian veterans returning from World War II were offered generous government assistance programmes — except for First Nations veterans, who were simply sent back to their reserves, with a fraction of the farming, housing and educational opportunities that were made available to the non-Natives at whose side they had fought.

First Nation land claim for hydro dam flooding
First Nation land claim for hydro dam flooding

In the early frontier years of Ontario’s history, a power company built an illegal dam across a major northern Ontario river, flooding parts of the ancestral lands of the Mattagami First Nation, guaranteed to them by Treaty just a few years before.

The Mushkegowuk Cree fight Workfare
The Mushkegowuk Cree fight Workfare

When the provincial government dramatically cut back provincial social assistance,First Nations people across the province were especially hard-hit. TheMushkegowuk Council of First Nations on the James Bay coast asked us to challengethe province’s imposition of the changes on First Nations.

Equal Policing for First Nations Communities
Equal Policing for First Nations Communities

In early 2006, despite years of clear warnings of unsafe conditions and chronic underfunding by the federal government, a fire destroyed the dilapidated and unsafe police station in Kaschechewan First Nation in northern Ontario.

SAMPLE CASES

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.

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G20 Summit Class Action
G20 Summit Class Action

In June of 2010, Toronto police conducted the largest mass arrests in Canadian history during global G20 summit meetings in Toronto.

Klippensteins and Eric Gillespie were co-counsel in a hard-fought eleven-year class action lawsuit defending the rights and liberties of all Canadians, which ended with a settlement that included a public police acknowledgement, police policy reform, and a substantial compensation to 1100 arrestees.

Ipperwash Litigation & Inquiry
Ipperwash Litigation & Inquiry

In 1995, First Nation activist Dudley George was shot and killed by police in Ipperwash Provincial Park at a protest seeking to protect native burial grounds and Treaty lands.

SAMPLE CASES

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.

Featured
Guatemalan Plaintiffs reach fair and reasonable settlement in Canadian mining lawsuits
Guatemalan Plaintiffs reach fair and reasonable settlement in Canadian mining lawsuits

TORONTO, ON, Oct. 7, 2024: Lawyers for the Plaintiffs are pleased to announce that after more than a decade of litigation, the Mayan Q’eqchi’ Plaintiffs have successfully reached a fair and reasonable settlement with Hudbay Minerals Inc. which resolves litigation regarding allegations of human rights abuse at the Fenix mine in Guatemala.

G20 Summit Class Action
G20 Summit Class Action

In June of 2010, Toronto police conducted the largest mass arrests in Canadian history during global G20 summit meetings in Toronto.

Klippensteins and Eric Gillespie were co-counsel in a hard-fought eleven-year class action lawsuit defending the rights and liberties of all Canadians, which ended with a settlement that included a public police acknowledgement, police policy reform, and a substantial compensation to 1100 arrestees.

Ipperwash Litigation & Inquiry
Ipperwash Litigation & Inquiry

In 1995, First Nation activist Dudley George was shot and killed by police in Ipperwash Provincial Park at a protest seeking to protect native burial grounds and Treaty lands.

Helping a new women’s shelter
Helping a new women’s shelter

When a non-profit womens’ organization secured funding for a much needed and well-designed shelter for abused and threatened women and their children, the contractor built a lovely facility — and then sued for millions of additional construction fees.

Fighting for the Rights of Cooperative Members: Matthew Co-op
Fighting for the Rights of Cooperative Members: Matthew Co-op

Matthew Co-op is a housing co-operative in the County of Simcoe, Ontario, which is home to over 100 predominantly low-income Ontarians.

The Mushkegowuk Cree fight Workfare
The Mushkegowuk Cree fight Workfare

When the provincial government dramatically cut back provincial social assistance,First Nations people across the province were especially hard-hit. TheMushkegowuk Council of First Nations on the James Bay coast asked us to challengethe province’s imposition of the changes on First Nations.