2021 Winners & Excellence Awardees

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  • Hundreds of nominations were received from firms and legal departments across the nation.
  • The Awards research team reviewed all nominations, applying its own knowledge and some third-party information, to identify the outstanding firms, teams, individuals, deals or cases in each category that receive an ‘’Excellence Award’’.
  • The second phase of the research process involves the ‘’Excellence Awards’’ nominations material being forwarded to the extensive independent judging panel for scoring against strict criteria.
  • Judges’ scores are aggregated to produce a single ‘Winner’ in each category, a process that is fully verified by independent auditors, PwC.
  • The Winners of each category were announced during the online Canadian Law Awards event May 20, 2021.

If you or your firm contributed to any of the deals and cases below and deserve credit for your participation, or if you have been incorrectly noted, please contact [email protected].


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DEAL AWARDS


Capital Markets Deal of the Year

Creation of Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation and Brookfield Renewable Corporation

Firms
Appleby, McMillan LLP, Torys LLP
Accountants
Deloitte, EY, PWC, KPMG
Banks
RBC Capital Markets
Excellence Awardees
Cornerstone financing of Intact Acquisition of RSA
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Clifford Chance, Latham & Watkins, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Stikeman Elliott, Torys LLP
Creation of a new form of Tier 1 Regulatory capital
Firms
McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Torys LLP
Banks
BMO, CIBC, CWB, NBC, RBC
GFL IPO
Firms
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP
Accountants
Deloitte LLP
Banks
BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC; RBC Dominion Securities Inc.; Scotia Capital Inc.
Nuvei IPO and private placement
Firms
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Ropes & Gray LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP
Organizations
AST Trust Company, Novacap Management Inc.,
Accountants
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Banks
BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., CIBC World Markets, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Canada Inc., Cowen and Company, LLC, Credit Suisse Securities (Canada), Inc., Goldman Sachs Canada, Inc., Merrill Lynch Canada, Inc., National Bank Financial, Inc., Raymond James Ltd., RBC Dominion Securities Inc., Scotia Capital Inc., Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc., TD Securities Inc., William Blair & Company, L.L.C.

Infrastructure & Projects Deal of the Year

Financing of Coastal Gaslink Pipeline

Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stikeman Elliot LLP, Torys LLP
Organizations
AIMCo, KKR
Banks
RBC Capital Markets
Excellence Awardees
Financing of Cascade Power project
Firms
Bennett Jones LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, DLA Piper (Canada) LLP, Duncan Craig LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Miller Thomson LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stewart McKelvey, Stikeman Elliot LLP, Torys LLP, Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP
Banks
ATB Financial, Canadian Western Bank, Fiera Private Debt Fund VI LP, ING Capital LLC, Macquarie Capital Funding LLC, MUFG Bank, Ltd., Canada Branch, National Bank Of Canada, Natixis, New York Branch, Nomura Corporate Funding Americas, LLC, Siemens Financial Ltd.
Financing of Edmonton Valley Line West LRT Extension
Firms
Aird & Berlis LLP, Farris LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Organizations
Marigold Infrastructure Partners Limited Partnership
Accountants
Ernst & Young
Banks
Scotia Capital
Financing of Louis-Hippolyte-La-Fontaine Tunnel
Firms:
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, Stikeman Elliot LLP
Organizations
Desjardins Securities
Banks
Bank of Nova Scotia, Business Development Bank of Canada, Fédération Des Caisses Desjardins Du Québec, Royal Bank of Canada, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Toronto-Dominion Bank
Financing of Nova Scotia Highway 104 Twinning Project
Firms
Aird & Berlis LLP, Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, BOYNECLARKE LLP, Farris LLP, Stewart McKelvey

Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year

CCAA Restructuring of Cirque du Soleil

Firms
Bennett Jones LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Goodmans LLP, Lavery Lawyers, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, McMillan LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP, Torys LLP, Woods LLP
Accountants
Ernst & Young
Excellence Awardees
CBCA restructuring of Just Energy Group Inc.
Firms
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Goodmans LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Torys LLP
Organizations:
Alvarez & Marsal Canada Inc.
CCAA restructuring of James E. Wagner Cultivation Corporation
Firms
Bennett Jones LLP, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, DLA Piper, Torys LLP
CCAA Restructuring of Nemaska Lithium
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Clyde & Co Canada LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Dentons Canada LLP, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Goodmans LLP, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, Langlois lawyers, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Miller Thomson LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP, Torys LLP, Woods LLP
Accountants
PwC
Banks
National Bank Financial
Recapitalization of Calfrac Well Services Ltd. and its affiliates
Firms
Bennett Jones LLP, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Dentons Canada LLP, Goodmans LLP, Lenczner Slaght, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright

Mid-Market Deal of the Year

GMP Capital acquisition of Richardson GMP

Firms
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Goodmans LLP, Lenczner Slaght, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stikeman Elliot LLP, Voorheis & Co. LLP
Organizations
Cormark Securities Inc., Gryphon Advisors Inc., Kingsdale Shareholder Services Inc.,Longview Communications & Public Affairs
Banks
RBC Capital Markets
Excellence Awardees
Evolution Mining acquisition of the Red Lake gold mine from Newmont
Firms
Allens, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Goodmans LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
NordStar Capital acquisition of Torstar
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Bennett Jones LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Torys LLP
Northleaf Capital Partners sale of non-controlling stake to Mackenzie Financial Corporation and Great-West Lifeco
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Novacap acquisition of Logibec Inc.
Firms
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Lavery Lawyers, Paul Hastings LLP, Stikeman Elliot LLP
Accountants
Ernst & Young LLP

M&A Deal of the Year

KingSett Capital and Starlight Investments acquisition of Northview Apartment REIT

Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Bloom Lanys PC, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Goodmans LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP
Excellence Awardees
M&A Deal of the YearWINNER KingSett Capital and Starlight Investments acquisition of Northview Apartment REIT Firms: Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Bloom Lanys PC, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Goodmans LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP EXCELLENCE AWARDEES Berkshire Partners Investment in VetStrategy
Firms
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Goodmans LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Torkin Manes LLP, Torys LLP
Equinix acquisition of Bell data Centres
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP
Banks
Citi, JPMorgan, RBC Capital Markets, TD Securities

HBC Going Private transaction
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, McMillan LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP, Torys LLP
Kirkland Lake acquisition of Detour Gold
Firms
Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP
Laurel Hill, FTI Consulting
Laurel Hill, FTI Consulting
Power Financial reorganization transaction with Power Corporation
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Goodmans LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

CASE AWARDS


Class Action Team of the Year

Bennett Jones LLP - Winder v. Marriott International Inc.

Excellence Awardees
Auger Garnier Frédérick, BGA Avocats, McCarthy Tétrault LLP - Brousseau v. Abbott Laboratories (Biaxin)
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) - Fortin v. Mazda Canada inc.
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Eric K. Gillespie, Murray Klippenstein and Kathleen Coulter - Good v. Toronto Police Services Board
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP, Siskinds LLP - Boston Scientific Pelvic Mesh Class Action

Commercial Litigation Team of the Year

Arvay Finlay LLP, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Caza Saikaley S.R.L./LLP, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Gall Legge Grant Zwack LLP, Grant Kovacs Norell, JFK Law Corporation, Lawson Lundell LLP, MacKenzie Fujisawa LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, NG Ariss Fong, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Ratcliff and Company LLP, White Raven Law Corporation - Attorney General of British Columbia v. Attorney General of Canada (B.C.)

Excellence Awardees
Attorney General of Quebec, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Torys LLP, Vincent Karim and Ricardo Hrtschan - Hydro-Québec v. Matta
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP, Woods LLP - 9354-9186 Québec inc. v. Callidus Capital Corp.
Dentons Canada LLP, Fillmore Riley LLP - Canadian National Railway Company v. John Doe

FIRM AWARDS


The Western Union Business Solutions Award for IP Boutique Law Firm of the Year

Smart & Biggar

Excellence Awardees
Oyen Wiggs Green & Mutala LLP
Robic, LLP

Atlantic Canada Law Firm of the Year

Stewart McKelvey LLP

Excellence Awardees
Wagners

Ontario Law Firm of the Year

Lerners LLP

Excellence Awardees
Barriston LLP
Beard Winter LLP
Torkin Manes LLP
WeirFoulds LLP

Prairies Law Firm of the Year

Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP

Excellence Awardees
McDougall Gauley LLP
McKercher LLP
Pitblado LLP

Quebec Law Firm of the Year

Lavery Lawyers

Excellence Awardees
Langlois lawyers, LLP
Spiegel Sohmer

Western Canada Law Firm of the Year

Farris LLP

Excellence Awardees
Clark Wilson LLP
Lawson Lundell LLP

Litigation & Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year

Lenczner Slaght

Excellence Awardees
Adair Goldblatt Bieber LLP
Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP
Jensen Shawa Solomon Duguid Hawkes LLP
Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP
Thomson Rogers

Best Use of Technology in a Law Firm

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)

Excellence Awardees
Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Davidson Houle Allen LLP
Gluckstein Lawyers
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Litigator of the Year

Excellence Awardees
Sylvie Rodrigue - Torys LLP
Andrew I. Nathanson - Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Melissa Miller - Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP
Crawford Smith - Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP
Brandon Kain - McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Managing Partner of the Year

Dave Leonard - McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Excellence Awardees
Suzana Popovic-Montag - Hull & Hull LLP
Anik Trudel - Lavery Lawyers
Tom Curry - Lenczner Slaght
Mia Hempey - Nelligan O'Brien Payne LLP

IN-HOUSE AWARDS


Banking & Financial Institutions Law Department of the Year

TD Bank

Excellence Awardees
CIBC
Coast Capital Savings
National Bank of Canada
Royal Bank of Canada

Construction, Infrastructure & Transportation Law Department of the Year

IBI Group

Excellence Awardees
Aecon Group Inc.
Canada Lands Company Limited
Infrastructure Ontario (IO)
VIA Rail Canada Inc.

Energy & Resources Law Department of the Year

Ontario Power Generation

Excellence Awardees
Plains Midstream Canada ULC (PMC)

Canadian Law Department of the Year

TD Bank

Excellence Awardees
Alberta Health Services
Ivanhoe Cambridge inc.
Mastercard Foundation
TELUS Communications
Teranet Inc., Legal Services Group
IBI Group
Ontario Power Generation

Law Department Leader of the Year

Graeme McPhail - Rogers Communications Inc.

Excellence Awardees
Pierre Marc Bellavance, LL.M., ASC - Beneva (La Capitale Insurance and Financial Services and SSQ Insurance)
Julie Morel - Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. ("BRP")
Carl DeLuca - Detour Gold Corporation
Erica Zarkovich - LifeLabs
David Hanick - Starlight Investments

Law Department Innovation Award

Teck Resources Ltd.'s business transformation program - RACE21TM

Excellence Awardees
CPP Investments' deal risk rating frameworks and app
IBI Group's process automation tools
Royal Bank of Canada's contest rules compliance and global brand portfolio management
Siemens’ Healthineers in Canada app

LEGAL PROFESSION AWARDS


The Bereskin & Parr Award for Diversity Initiative of the Year

McCarthy Tétrault LLP - McCarthy Tétrault’s Anti-Racism Strategy

Excellence Awardees
Aird & Berlis LLP - ABDI
Dentons Canada LLP - Standing up against anti-Black racism
Harper Grey LLP - Life in Law
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP - Race equity strategy
Ontario Regional Office of the Department of Justice (Canada) - The Department of Justice Ontario Regional Office's Commitment to Action on Diversity and Inclusion

Female Trailblazer (Academia / General Counsel)

Donna E. Young - Ryerson University Faculty of Law

Excellence Awardees
Jasmine Singh - BMO Financial Group
Bindu Cudjoe - CWB Financial Group
Shannon Rogers - Global Relay
Jennifer Suess - RioCan REIT
Lisa Ford - Royal Bank of Canada
Terrie-Lynne Devonish - Staples Canada
Kathleen A. Howie - The Co-operators Group Limited

Female Trailblazer (Private Practice)

Krista Hill - Torys LLP

Excellence Awardees
Maria Scarfo - Blaney McMurtry LLP
Éloïse Gratton - Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Robin Aitken, TEP - Cox & Palmer
Elizabeth S. Dipchand - Dipchand LLP
Sangeetha Punniyamoorthy - DLA Piper (Canada) LLP
Karen Hennessey - Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP
Lisa D. Ridgedale - Hakemi & Ridgedale LLP
Cheryl D'Sa - Narwal Litigation
Allison Kuntz - Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Sharon Vogel - Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP
Sumeet (Sonu) Dhanju-Dhillon - Torkin Manes LLP

Pro Bono Initiative of the Year

Dentons Canada LLP - Dentons helps employers put domestic abuse on the agenda

Excellence Awardees
IMK s.e.n.c.r.l./LLP - Contestation of Bill 21
Nelligan O'Brien Payne - Free Employment Helpline
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP - Norton Rose Fulbright and Zú partner to support growing businesses in Quebec’s entertainment industry
2021