Christine Galea
Christine is a partner in the firm’s Toronto office, and is Co-Chair of the Class Action Practice Group. She primarily represents clients in the defence of class actions. She has significant experience litigating claims involving product liability, medical malpractice, complex bodily injury, abuse, sports and recreation, professional liability, construction and property damage. She has represented clients in a number of trials, arbitrations, applications, motions and tribunal hearings.
Prior to joining Dolden Wallace Folick LLP in 2017, she maintained a busy practice at an insurance defence boutique in Toronto. In the earlier years of her career, she litigated commercial, employment and personal injury claims as an associate lawyer in a full service law firm.
Christine has been peer-reviewed and recognized in the 2022-2025 editions of The Best Lawyers in Canada® as a leading lawyer in the area of Insurance Law.
Class Action Defence
- Currently acting as defence and monitoring counsel in several high profile class actions in a number of provinces throughout Canada.
- Representing Canadian and international clients in the defence of large indemnity claims arising from class action settlements.
- Co-Chair of the firm’s Class Action Practice Group.
Product Liability
- Representing clients in a number of product liability claims involving allegations of defective and unfit products, such as motor vehicles, building materials, food products and component parts of mechanical and other items.
- Defence counsel in the indemnity claim arising from the settlement of numerous Canadian and U.S. class actions involving allegations of defective Kitec products (cross-linked polyethylene piping).
- Trial counsel in a claim involving allegations of defective roofing materials installed on a commercial building.
Medical Malpractice
- Representing clients in negligence claims involving doctors, hospitals, nurses and other medical professionals, including a claim against a family physician arising from allegations of sexual assault.
- Trial counsel in a medical malpractice claim against a family physician.
Complex Bodily Injury
- Acting as counsel in bodily injury claims involving occupiers’ liability, liquor liability, product liability, motor vehicle accidents, boating accidents and assaults.
- Defending numerous contractors and subcontractors in negligence claims against them.
- Defending benefits claims arising from accident-related injuries in arbitration proceedings.
- Trial counsel in a claim arising from allegations of assault against a Peace Officer.
Professional Liability
- Acting as counsel in negligence claims involving professionals such as lawyers and financial advisors.
- Trial counsel in a negligence claim against a boarding facility for dogs.
Property Damage
- Acting as counsel in nuisance and negligence claims involving property damage due to water, dust and smoke.
Fraud Defence
- Counsel to an anti-fraud task force with the special investigations unit of a large insurer.
Bar Admissions
- Law Society of Ontario (2009)
- Law Society of Saskatchewan (2024)
Education
- LLB, Osgoode Hall Law School (2008)
- BA Honours (with Distinction), University of Toronto (2005)
Professional and Community Involvement
- Ontario Bar Association – Member-at-Large, Class Actions Law Section (2023-2025)
- Ontario Bar Association – CPD Liaison Officer, Insurance Law Section (2019-2022)
- Ontario Bar Association – Member-at-Large, Insurance Law Section (2022-2023)
- Advocates’ Society – former Committee Member, Young Advocates’ Standing Committee (2012-2014)
- Brain Injury Association of Durham (“BIAD”) – former Board Member, Board of Directors
- Ontario Brain Injury Association (“OBIA”) – former Representative of BIAD, OBIA Advisory Council
Presentations and Publications
- Co-Author, “The Future of Multijurisdictional Class Actions in Canada: CBA Protocols and Beyond”, LexisNexis, Class Action Defence Quarterly, (2024) 19 C.A.D.Q., September 2024
- Chair, “Fireside Chat with The Honourable Ranjan K. Agarwal”, Ontario Bar Association, May 16, 2024
- “Management of Multijurisdictional Class Actions in Canada: CBA Protocols invoked in Underhill v. Medtronic Canada”, Ontario Bar Association, March 25, 2024
- Chair & Moderator, “Prosecuting and Defending COVID-Related Insurance Claims”, Ontario Bar Association, May 25, 2022
- Chair & Moderator, “Recent Developments and Trends in Class Actions in Insurance Law”, Ontario Bar Association, May 11, 2022
- Chair & Moderator, “Occupiers’ Liability Act: Litigation and Coverage Insights”, Ontario Bar Association, September 21, 2021
- Chair & Moderator, “COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims: Interpreting the Policy Wordings”, Ontario Bar Association, August 20, 2020
- Editor of Dolden Wallace Folick LLP’s quarterly Class Action Newsletter, August 2020 to present
- “A Caution to Insurers on Defensible Programs”, Ontario Bar Association, March 9, 2020
- “Best Practices for Technology Contracts”, CFC Underwriting, 2019
- “Clinical Notes: Critical Evidence in Misconduct Proceedings Against Medical Health Practitioners”, Dolden Wallace Folick Insure Updates, May 9, 2019
- “Making it Count: Duty of Employers in Discrimination Claims”, Hearsay (Canadian Defence Lawyers), April 2019
- “Subrogated Claims Involving Bankrupt Insureds: the Aftermath of Douglas et al. v. Stan Fergusson Fuels Ltd.”, Dolden Wallace Folick Insure Updates, April 10, 2019
- “Mandatory Appraisals in Property Loss Claims”, Dolden Wallace Folick Insure Updates, October 11, 2018
- “Assault on the Pitch: The Role of Supervising Authorities”, Dolden Wallace Folick Insure Updates, September 2018
- “Examinations for Discovery: To Exclude or Not to Exclude, That is the Question”, Keeping Tabs, The Advocates’ Society
Decisions
- Pugliese v. Chartwell, 2024 ONSC 1135
- Gordon et al v. 837690 Ontario and Tyco et al., 2022 ONSC 1028
- W. v. Royal and Sun Alliance, 16-001517/AABS (March 28, 2017)
- Fu v. State Farm, FSCO A13-003598 (March 27, 2017)
- Khuram v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, FSCO 5177 (March 13, 2017)
- B.W v. Royal SunAlliance Insurance, 2017 CanLII 19203 (ON LAT)
- Askar v. State Farm, FSCO 4850 (March 28, 2016)
- Tran and Vu v. State Farm, FSCO 4677 (November 3, 2015)
- Askar v. State Farm, FSCO 4671 (October 30, 2015)
- Sakka et al. v. Societe Air France et al., 2011 ONSC 1995
- McClintock v. Alidina, 2011 ONSC 137
