Abbott and Haliburton Company v. WBLI Chartered Accountants

Citation: 2012 NSSC 210
Parties: Plaintiffs: Abbott and Haliburton Company Limited et al.; First Defendant: White Burgess Langille Inman (WBLI Chartered Accountants); Second Defendant: R. Brian Burgess
Court: Supreme Court of Nova Scotia
Jurisdiction: Canada
Judgment Date: 1 June 2012
Procedural Posture: Professional Negligence (auditor Negligence / Negligent Misrepresentation) / Motion to Strike Affidavits in Response to Summary Judgment Motion
Legal Topics: Auditor Negligence, Expert Evidence Admissibility, Motions to Strike Affidavits, Summary Judgment, Conflict of Interest in Expert Evidence
Source Language: English

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Abbott and Haliburton Company Limited et al.

Plaintiffs

White Burgess Langille Inman (WBLI Chartered Accountants)

First Defendant

R. Brian Burgess

Second Defendant

Professional Negligence (auditor Negligence / Negligent Misrepresentation) / Motion to Strike Affidavits in Response to Summary Judgment Motion

1 Whether parts or whole of lay witness affidavit (O'Hearn) should be struck as inadmissible hearsay, opinion or irrelevant under Rule 39
2 Whether an expert affidavit/report (MacMillan) may be struck pre-trial for lack of independence and bias and whether such a challenge falls under Rule 39 or Rule 55
3 Whether the MacMillan affidavit met threshold admissibility requirements for expert evidence given firm ties to prior Grant Thornton work