Keith Geurts

Full Profile

Keith’s expertise is advising corporate clients, board members and senior executives on criminal and regulatory offences.  A former Crown prosecutor, he also handles a wide range of commercial, product liability and insurance dispute resolution work.  Keith has considerable trial experience defending clients with serious charges in domestic and international anti-corruption matters, fraud investigations, money-laundering, antitrust and competition law, criminal defense, tax compliance, internal investigations, regulatory compliance and related civil litigation.

Having successfully represented clients at all levels of courts in Ontario, Keith brings a sense of confidence and skill to a trial. He has also advised on high profile investigations and proceedings brought under the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (CFPOA) as well as on matters involving the Competition Bureau, Ontario Securities Commission, Canadian Border Services and the Attorney General's office. He has defended clients who, in their professional capacity, have been targeted in disciplinary investigations and regularly acts as counsel in major commercial, contractual and insurance disputes, primarily in transportation, banking and finance, as well as in class action defense.

Keith also offers compliance advice and helps develop effective anti-bribery and anti-corruption compliance programs that are risk-based and tailored to the client’s needs.  He advises clients on the implications the CFPOA and the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act have for their business.

Keith’s clients span diverse industries, including the financial, transportation, manufacturing, automotive, retailing and resource sectors. He also represented the Ontario Government in the Walkerton Inquiry, and has represented government agencies in a variety of coroners’ inquests.

Keith regularly teaches trial advocacy and is a lecturer at Osgoode Hall's LLM program teaching a course on global regulatory challenges surrounding anti-money laundering and international sanctions. He also speaks at events and writes about issues related to Anti-Corruption practices including fraud investigations, anti-money laundering, bribery and competition law, as well as search warrants. 

Keith is a past president of the Toronto Lawyers Club. Since 2018, Keith is a member of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police.

He was ranked by Chambers and Partners Canada in the field of White-Collar crime law (Nationwide Canada) and was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers™ in Canada 2021 in the fields of Corporate and Commercial Litigation. 

Experience

Representative Experience

• Represented the Ontario Government at The Walkerton Inquiry
• Represented major manufacturing companies in class actions and complex commercial litigation matters
• Represented various municipal and provincial governments in Coroner’s Inquests and in general litigation matters
• Counsel to corporations and individuals in criminal, disciplinary and regulatory matters involving anti-corruption, fraud, customs violations, environmental issues and provisions under the Canadian Criminal Code.

Areas of Practice

• Commercial Litigation
• Insurance Litigation
• Professional and Personal Negligence
• Criminal, Disciplinary and Regulatory Disputes • Municipal Litigation • Coroners Inquests and Public Inquiries

LLB 1997
University of Ottawa

LLB 1995
University of Leeds, England

BA 1991
University of Western Ontario