Charlie v. McKinsey & Company Canada
Consumer Protection Class Action
What this class action is about
Goldblatt Partners LLP and Sotos Class Actions have commenced a class action lawsuit against global consulting firm McKinsey & Company for its role in fuelling the opioid epidemic in Canada. The class action names McKinsey’s Canadian and US arms as defendants.
The representative of the class, Jordan Francis Charlie, a resident of Northern Ontario, was first prescribed OxyContin in 2007 due to a back injury sustained while working in forestry. Mr. Charlie soon developed a devastating addiction to opioids.
In 2021, McKinsey & Company reached a roughly $596 million-dollar settlement with attorneys-general in multiple US states. The settlement was reached after McKinsey’s extensive role in pushing the sale of OxyContin by Purdue Pharma L.P. was disclosed. Purdue has since filed for bankruptcy protection.
The class action seeks damages for the alleged negligence of McKinsey, breaches of consumer protections statutes, conspiracy, health care costs and unjust enrichment. The proposed class to be covered by the lawsuit generally consists of all persons resident in Canada who were prescribed opioids and who subsequently developed an addiction to opioids between 2002 and the date the class action is certified.
Read the full press release here. Lisez le communiqué de presse ici.
Read the statement of claim here.
Updates
September 23, 2022: Court order setting time for filing certification record
The Superior Court of Justice has ordered that the plaintiff file his motion record on certification within 120 days of the release of the settlement approval decision in Perdikaris v. Purdue Pharma, a Saskatchewan class action on behalf of persons who became addicted to OxyContin and OxyNEO prescribed by their physicians. The court’s order is here.
On September 23, 2022, the King’s Bench for Saskatchewan released its settlement approval decision in the proceeding at issue, now titled Carruthers v Purdue Pharma.
This means that the plaintiff’s certification motion record will be filed by January 20, 2023.
Lawyers
Jody Brown, Geetha Philipupillai