2021 Winners & Excellence Awardees

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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LEGAL PROFESSION AWARDS

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

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