Doug Mitchell, Ad. E.
Partner
Doug founded IMK in 1997 with the late Colin K. Irving. In the course of his career, he has acted as lead counsel in many complex cases, participated in trials covered by the media, advised clients on challenging issues and played key roles in crisis management to avoid or settle disputes. His career and his way of intervening in cases have earned him the respect of all the courts before which he has pleaded. He has acted for the Chief Justice of Quebec and Inquiry Committees of the Canadian Judicial Council and has pleaded numerous cases before the Supreme Court of Canada. He has also been appointed as amicus curiae in both the Québec Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.
His clients include large and small companies, individuals, and public institutions. His areas of expertise cover the spheres of business litigation and constitutional and administrative law, among others. He also regularly acts as an arbitrator in a wide area of cases. As a “lawyer’s lawyer” his strategic insights and overall practical advice are often sought out by other law firms, whether in conflict of interest matters or other matters. He is a member of the Montreal roster of arbitrators at Arbitration Place.
Areas of practice
Additional information
- B.C.L., LL.B., McGill University, 1988
- B.A. (Honours), Queen’s University, 1984
Professional Recognition
Chambers and Partners
Nationwide-Canada
- Litigation – General Commercial in Québec Legal (Band 2) 2026
- Litigation: Administrative & Public Law (Spotlight) 2026
- Litigation: Administrative & Public Law (Band 2) General Commercial Litigation in Quebec: 2018-2026
Chambers Global
- Dispute Resolution: Litigation (Band 4) 2025
LEXPERT
- Most Frequently Recommended: Litigation – Corporate Commercial: 2019-2024
- Consistently Recommended: Litigation – Directors’ & Officers’ Liability: 2020-2024
- Repeatedly Recommended: Class Actions: 2020-2021
- Repeatedly Recommended: Litigation – Securities: 2023
- Leading Lawyers to Watch: Corporate Commercial Litigation: 2018
Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide
- Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada in Corporate Commercial Litigation: 2013-2024
Best Lawyers in Canada
- Lawyer of the Year (Montreal) Bet-the-Company Litigation: 2014, 2021, 2024
- Lawyer of the Year (Montreal) Class Action Litigation: 2020
- Lawyer of the Year (Montreal) Corporate and Commercial Litigation: 2010
- Appellate Practice: since 2025
- Alternative Dispute Resolution: since 2026
- Bet-the-Company Litigation: since 2013
- Class Action Litigation: since 2010
- Corporate and Commercial Litigation: since 2006
Benchmark Litigation
- Top 50 Trial Lawyers in Canada: 2017-2025
- Litigation Star: arbitration, class actions, commercial litigation, product liability, and securities: 2017-2025
- Quebec Litigator of the Year: 2021
Awards
- Distinction of Advocatus Emeritus of the Quebec Bar: 2023
- Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers: 2009
- Canadian Bar Association
- American College of Trial Lawyers
- The Advocates’ Society
- Canadian Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
American College of Trial Lawyers
- Vice-president, Canadian Foundation of the ACTL (current)
- Member of the Province of Québec Committee (current)
- Former member of the Canada—United States Committee
The Advocates’ Society
- Member of the Board of Directors 2018-2022
- Member of the Modern Advocacy Task Force 2020-2021
- Member of the Quebec Advisory Committee since 2016
Canadian Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
- Member since 2022
Montreal Bar Association
- Treasurer 2003-2004
Canadian Bar Association
- Member
Faculty of Law of McGill University
- Sessional Lecturer - ‟Evidence: Civil Matters”: 2010-2016
- Co-author of ‟LegisPratique – Code de procédure Civile annoté”, LexisNexis, 2008-2019 (annual editions)
- ‟Procédure en appel”, with Éric Cadi in JurisClasseur Québec, coll. “Droit civil”, Procédure civile 1, fasc. 27, Montréal, LexisNexis Canada
- Canadian chapter in ‟Trans-National Litigation”, avec Colin K. Irving, Kreindler & Holdsworth eds., 1997
- “Doing Well by Doing Good: Enhancing Your Career as a Trial Attorney with Pro Bono Service”, presented by The American College of Trial Lawyers and The Association of Pro Bono Counsel, panel moderator “Corporate and Outside Counsel Partnering Together to Close the Access to Justice Gap”, November 10, 2022
- “The Advocate Making a Difference”, Spring Symposium 2021, presented by The American College of Trial Lawyers and The Advocates’ Society: Co-president of the Symposium and panel moderator “The Importance of Pro Bono Work: A View from Corporate In-House Counsel”, April 18, 2021
- “Le Forum des Avocats et Avocates Séniors”, The Advocates’ Society, Co-president of the program and panel on “Le procès médiatisé : meilleures pratiques pour la gestion des médias”, May 13, 2019
- “Courtesy and Civility”, presented by The American College of Trial Lawyers at the Law Faculty of McGill University, panel organizer and speaker with the Honourable Peter Kalichman, j.s.c., and Me Suzanne H. Pringle, March 14, 2019
- “Protection des régimes de retraite en contexte d’insolvabilité : à la recherche de l’intention du législateur”, Canadian Bar Association, Quebec Division, speaker, April 18, 2018
- “Application of section 133 in Quebec: Effect on the evolution of Canadian and Quebec law” – 150 years of Legislative and Judicial Bilingualism: History, Current Reality and Outlook for the Future, conference presented by the Commissioner of Official Languages, Ottawa, speaker, March 5, 2017
- “Trial Practice Do’s & Don’ts: Hot Tips from the Experts” – 7th edition, Barreau de Montréal, speaker, November 5, 2015
- “Successfully Meeting Corporate Governance Obligations”, Quebec-Ontario Business Law Summit: Multi-Jurisdictional Transaction, Ontario Bar Association, speaker, May 21, 2015