David T. Woodfield
Automatically compiled listing. Details may contain errors.Partner at Gowling WLG
- Called to the bar
- 1994
- Languages
- English
Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionAbout David T. Woodfield
Commercial disputes are the core of David T. Woodfield's work as a partner at Gowling WLG in Toronto. The files run from class actions, consumer protection claims and product liability cases to construction fights, quarrels between shareholders, liability claims against directors and officers, and professional negligence.
A University of New Brunswick graduate in both business and law, David was called to the bar in British Columbia in 1994 and in Ontario four years later. Since then David has argued at trial and on appeal at every level of court in those two provinces and in Saskatchewan, and has also appeared in the Federal Court, the Supreme Court of Canada, courts in other provinces and before a range of regulators. In April 1998, David stood beside Jack Giles, Q.C. for Cadbury Schweppes at the Supreme Court hearing of the dispute over the Clamato recipe.
Not every case ends in a courtroom. David has acted for clients in multiple arbitrations and mediations, both national and international, and has used creative forms of dispute resolution too. Plenty of the work crosses borders: David belongs to Gowling WLG's U.S. initiative and its China and East Asia initiative, and has worked closely with clients and counsel in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia on disputes that span more than one jurisdiction.
Practice areas
Class action defence
David defends class actions, many of them cross-border or spread over several jurisdictions, with product liability at the centre, especially claims about drugs and medical devices. That's included acting for a major pharmaceutical client on class actions and individual suits over a diabetes medication, and separately over an anti-inflammatory one. David was also lead counsel to an outsourcing and collection company with international operations on unpaid overtime claims.
Construction claims
David handles construction claims brought by owners and by contractors, and some clients get advice on managing those claims. One mandate saw David act for the owner and operator of a nuclear facility in arbitration over a construction project.
Shareholder, governance and commercial litigation
Contract disputes, oppression and derivative actions, fraud, breach of confidence and creditor and debtor rights all come up in David's commercial litigation. On the governance side, David handles liability claims that creditors or shareholders bring against directors and officers, and led the trial defence of several of them when a company's former chief executive sued for oppression.
Professional liability
David works on both sides of claims against professionals, defending some and prosecuting others, with lawyers, accountants and financial advisers among those involved.
Pharmaceutical pricing and approvals
Before the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, David represented an international drug maker in a hearing on what it charged for its ADHD medication. David also led a drug company's application to set aside Health Canada's rejection of a New Drug Submission.
Our guide: Litigation and Dispute Resolution in Toronto
Education & credentials
- BBA (Honours), University of New Brunswick
- LLB, University of New Brunswick
- Called to the bar of British Columbia (1994)
- Called to the bar of Ontario (1998)
Notable cases
- Cadbury Schweppes Inc. v. FBI Foods Ltd., [1999] 1 SCR 142
David Woodfield appeared with Jack Giles, Q.C. for Cadbury Schweppes Inc. at the April 30, 1998 hearing of this appeal from the Court of Appeal for British Columbia. The Court had to decide what remedies fit a breach of confidence in a commercial setting, where the confidential information was the recipe for Clamato juice.
Decisions where David T. Woodfield appeared as counsel, from public court records. Past cases don't predict future results.
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This listing was generated by AI from public sources in October 2026. It may contain errors, and we can’t guarantee it’s accurate or complete. Before you rely on anything here, verify it on their firm’s website. Confirm David T. Woodfield’s licence and standing in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗
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