The Ontario Court of Appeal lifted a stay barring a class of litigants from claiming damages for alleged misrepresentations made to shareholders by BP surrounding the Deep Water Horizon spill in 2010. Previously, the Court had held that while Ontario can entertain claims relating to securities purchased on non-Canadian exchanges, Ontario was not a convenient forum for this claim – arising from purchases on the NYSE. However, since this decision, BP successfully argued before the US District Court that part of the plaintiffs' claim could not be advanced in the US due to its reliance on Ontario securities law. The Court of Appeal found that procedural barriers were being used to prevent the plaintiffs from having their claim heard on the merits, and therefore lifted the stay.

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