James A. Woods  514-982-4503
jwoods@woods.qc.ca




Nationality:


Canadian
Languages: English, French
 
 
Academic Background
 
Since 2007 MEMBER OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF ENGLAND AND WALES
 
Since 2006 MEMBER OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
 
Since 2006 MEMBER OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF ALBERTA
 
Since 1979 MEMBER OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA
 
Since 1976 MEMBER OF THE BAR OF QUEBEC
 
1974-1975 UNIVERSITÉ d'AIX-MARSEILLE
MacDonald Travelling Scholarship - McGill University (Comparative Law)
 
1970-1974 McGILL UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF LAW
B.C.L. (1973), LL.B. (1974) Benjamin Robinson Memorial Prize - 1st Place Standing, National Program
 
1966-1970 McGILL UNIVERSITY
B.A. Honours in Economics and Political Science
 
 
 
Professional Experience
 
Since 1992 WOODS LLP, attorneys: Senior Partner
 
1982-1992 CLARK WOODS ROCHEFORT FORTIER, attorneys: Senior Partner
 
1976-1982 STIKEMAN ELLIOTT, attorneys (Montreal and Toronto): named partner in 1981
 
 
 
Teaching and Professional Activities
 
2005 International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda: trial advocacy training
 
Since 2004 Chairman, Law Faculty Advisory Board, McGill University
 
2002 Mtre. Woods was appointed by the Supreme Court of Canada as “Amicus Curiae” in the case of Bank of Nova Scotia v. Thibault, [2004] 1 S.C.R. 758 (S.C.C.)
 
1993-2002 Sessional Lecturer – Faculty of Engineering, McGill University "The Law for Architects and Engineers"
 
Since 2000 Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law, McGill University
 
1999-2000 Chairman, sub-committee of the Joint Committee of the Quebec Bar and Chamber of Notaries respecting the English Version of the Civil Code of Quebec: Book 7: Evidence
 
Since 1998 Governor of the Quebec Bar Foundation
 
1990-1998 Canada Co-Chair, International Litigation, Sub-committee O, International Bar Association
 
1992-1998 Member of the Task Force on Economic Consequences of Litigation World Wide, International Bar Association
 
Since 1997 Co-Editor, Corporate Litigation, Federated Press
 
Since 1991 Member of the Law Faculty Advisory Board, McGill University
 
Since 1987 Sessional Lecturer – Faculty of Law, McGill University, "Trial Advocacy – Civil Litigation"
 
1984-1987 Sessional Lecturer – Faculty of Law, McGill University, "Civil Procedure"
 
 
 
Legal Publications - Conferences
 
Text
 
Cases and Materials on Civil Procedure James A. Woods,  (Toronto: Carswell Legal Publications), 1987
 
Articles & Conferences
 
Measuring the Results of Class Actions James A. Woods,  International Bar Association Conference on Class Actions, Rome, 2007
 
Enforcement of International Commercial Arbitral Awards in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario James A. Woods,  First Annual Energy Dispute Resolution Conference, Alberta, 2006
 
Measure of Damages with Respect to Class Actions: the Breadcrumb Trail in the Maze of Uncertain Quantum James A. Woods,  Canadian Institute Conference on Class Actions, 2006
 
Impact of financial scandals: Directors and Officers are more exposed James A. Woods,  Insight Conference on Corporate Law, 2005
 
Update on the Assessment of Damages in Class Actions James A. Woods,  Canadian Institute Conference on Class Actions, 2005
 
The Case for a Uniform Policy of Multiple Defendant Class Actions James A. Woods,  Vol. VII, Corporate Litigation, No.2, 2004
 
Does Arbitration Offer an Efficient Solution to Commercial Disputes? Legal and Practical Considerations James A. Woods,  Conference Canadian Association Bar, Quebec, 2003
 
The jurisdiction of the Courts of Quebec in National and International Class Actions: A comparative analysis with the approach adopted in Common Law Provinces James A. Woods,  Conference Insight on Class Actions, Toronto, 2003
 
National and International Class Actions: The Jurisdiction of the Courts of Quebec James A. Woods,  Conference Insight on Class Actions, 2002
 
When a class action may be brought: The balance between efficiency and fairness James A. Woods,  Vol. 5.1 Corporate Litigation 278, 2001
 
The Application of Arbitration Agreements in the Context of Multi-Party Disputes James A. Woods,  Vol. III Corporate Litigation 2, 1999
 
Contributing author "Economic Consequences of Litigation World-wide" James A. Woods,  Platto Charles Editor, I.B.A. and Kluwer Law International, 1999
 
Economic Consequences of Litigation James A. Woods,  International Bar Association Conference, Vancouver, 1998
 
Punitive and Exemplary Damages: BMW and Beyond James A. Woods,  Corporate Litigation, Federated Press, 1997
 
Shareholder Victims of Abuse : What the Courts can not do James A. Woods,  conference entitled "Le divorce corporatif: Gestion des conflits entre actionnaires. Comment limiter les dégâts ?", Canadian Bar Association, 1997
 
Exemplary and Punitive Damages: The Civil Law Hammer James A. Woods,  The Law and You, Faculty of Law, McGill University, 1996
 
Going too Far: Abuse of Rights in Employment Law James A. Woods,  The Law and You, Faculty of Law, McGill University, 1994
 
Cross Examination of an Expert Witness James A. Woods,  demonstration at the Canadian Bar Congress, Toronto, 1994
 
The Economic Dimensions of Civil Litigation and Arbitration in Canada's Market Economy James A. Woods,  Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, 1993
 
Examination and Cross Examination of the Expert Witness James A. Woods,  Presentation to the Montreal Junior Bar Association, Montréal, 1993
 
Grey Goods: The Canadian Position including Related Transnational Procedural Problems James A. Woods,  International Bar Association 24th Biennal Conference "Europe 1993 and Beyond," Cannes, 1992
 
Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments Between Provinces in Canada: The Constitutional Dimensions of the "Real and Substantial Connection" Test From a Quebec Perspective James A. Woods,  22nd Annual Workshop on Commercial and Consumer Law, McGill University, 1992
 
Legal Elements of Fraud James A. Woods,  Canadian Institute Conference on Fraudulent Insurance Claims, 1992
 
Les fausses représentations et réticences du preneur James A. Woods,  Canadian Institute Conference on the Refusal to Insure, 1992
 
Minority Shareholders Rights James A. Woods,  Canadian Bar Association, Business Law Section, 1991
 
The Leveraged Buy-Out: Commercial, Civil and Insurance Fraud Considerations James A. Woods,  Meredith Memorial Lectures - Commercial Crime and Commercial Law - Faculty of Law, McGill University, 1990
 
Recent Developments in the Civil Law in the Banker-Client Relationship James A. Woods,  The Canadian Institute on Banking Litigation, 1990
 
Le contrat entre les parties: prévenir ou guérir James A. Woods,  The Canadian Institute Conference on Construction Law, 1990
 
Leaks of Underground Storage Tanks: Insurance Guarantees and Civil Responsibility James A. Woods,  The Canadian Institute Conference on Managing Underground Storage tanks and the Environment, 1990
 
The Accountant targeted by Legal Proceedings James A. Woods,  The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, Seminar on Professional Liability of Chartered Accountants, 1989
 
The Principal Claims of the General Contractor Against the Owner James A. Woods,  Insight Conference on Construction Claims, 1987
 
Legal Implications of Agreements to Repair as a Means of Settling Claims against Architects, Engineers or Building Contractors James A. Woods,  23 Construction Law Reports 187, 1986
 
Non-Disclosure, Errors in Unaudited Statements and Other "Deviant" Behaviour: latet anguis in herba James A. Woods,  Meredith Memorial Lectures (Richard De Boo Publishers) 66, 1985
 
 
 
Professional Associations
 
Quebec Bar
Canadian Bar Association
Law Society of Upper Canada
Law Society of British Columbia
Law Society of Alberta
Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers
American Association for Justice
American Bar Association
International Bar Association
American Arbitration Association
London Court of International Arbitration
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (London)
Federation of Defence and Corporate Counsel and Canadian Commercial Arbitration Centre

Named by Lexpert Magazine in 2005 as one of the Leading 100 Canada/US Cross-Border Litigators in Canada.

Named by Lexpert Magazine in 2005 as one of the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada.

Named by Lexpert Magazine in 2006 as one of the 100 most creative lawyers.
 
 
Board and Other Memberships
 
1991-1998 Member of the Executive Committee and the Board - The Respiratory Health Network of Centres of Excellence
 
1993-1995 Member of the Board - Fondation du Théâtre populaire de Québec
 
1989-1992 Member of the Board - Montreal Amateur Athletic Association
 
1988-1989 President of the Nancy Green Ski School - Mont-Tremblant Chapter
 
1987-1989 Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Classique du Mont-Royal
 
1989 Member of the Jury- Concours Arista
 
 
 
Club Memberships
 
Montreal Amateur Athletic Association
University Club of Montreal
Faculty Club of McGill University
Mount-Royal Tennis Club
Hermitage Club
Mount Bruno Country Club