Securities class-action lawsuits are nothing new in the United States. Now that trend is slowly creeping across the Canadian border.

That’s according to a first-of-its kind report by NERA Economic Consulting to analyze securities lawsuits in Canada. The report found that in 2008, a record nine securities class actions were filed, up from the four total cases filed in 2007. Only 42 cases have been filed in Canada since they were first allowed in 1997.

Jaclyn Jaeger is a freelance contributor to Compliance Week after working for the company for 15 years. She writes on a wide variety of topics, including ethics and compliance, risk management, legal,...