Lexpert reveals the leading commercial litigation law firms in Ontario based on the extensive peer review we conduct every year. The full lineup of this year’s top lawyers and law firms can be viewed in our practice area rankings list.
Commercial insurance litigation comprises the provision of advice and representation – whether by way of negotiation, judicial proceedings, alternative dispute resolution, mediation or arbitration – in all matters relating to liability and coverage disputes. It also involves risks, property and other such cover between insurers, insureds, reinsurers, excess insurers, intermediaries, special risks underwriters and insurance mutuals.
Blaney McMurtry LLP
Year established: 1954
Number of lawyers: 40+ (Insurance litigation)
Number of ranked lawyers: 6
Partners: Brenda Gross, L. Russell Hatch, Kerry Nash, Jay Skukowski
Toronto-based Blaney McMurtry LLP specializes in litigation and advocacy, real estate and business law. The firm is a member of TAGLaw, one of the world’s largest legal networks in the world, and the Risk Management Counsel of Canada (RMC), a national association of law firms that provides services to the risk management industry, including insurers, risk retention groups and self-insureds. It is also a founding member of Insurance Law Global (ILG), a network of like-minded, independent insurance defence firms committed to providing global service to insurance clients from independent law firms across North America and Europe.
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Year established: 1823
Number of lawyers: 40+ (Insurance claim defence)
Number of ranked lawyers: 8
Partners: Keith Batten, T. Kirk Boyd, Keegan Boyd, Rebecca Bush, Kim Dullet, Erin Durant, Larry Elliot, David Elman, Allison Foord, Mary Lynn Gleason, Natalie Kolos, Robert L. Love, Catherine Lussier, Anna Marrison, Kevin McGivney, Dalton McGuinty Jr., John Melia, Kevin P. Nearing, Thomas Ozere, Stéphane Pitre, Douglas O. Smith, Tamara Tomomitsu, Robert W. Traves, Wendy Whelan
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) is one of Canada’s largest full-service law firms with a roster of more than 700 lawyers in its offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Calgary and Vancouver. The firm advises businesses and other institutions on all aspects of business law, including mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, major disputes, financing, and trademark and patent registration. BLG is Canada’s oldest law firm and the biggest of the country’s few AmLaw Global 100 firms. It is also one of the first in North America to implement client service standards. BLG is a bilingual English-French law firm that excels under both the common and civil law systems in Canada.
Clyde & Co Canada LLP
Year established: 1992 (Canada)
Number of lawyers: 21 (Insurance & reinsurance)
Partners: Karen Earl, Keith Geurts, Heather Gray, George Karayannides, Roderic McLauchlan, John Nicholl
Clyde & Co Canada LLP specializes in every facet of insurance and commercial litigation. Its Toronto office is a key part of the firm’s global practice, providing a strong regional focus for both local and international clients across a range of complex and contentious matters. The firm advises clients on all aspects of insurance defence and coverage, commercial and construction litigation, class action defence, arbitration and mediation. Clyde & Co regularly represents directors and officers and their insurers at the negotiating table and before the courts and tribunals. The firm’s lawyers boast a deep understanding of the insurance industry and work closely with its network of over 50 international headquarters.
Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP
Year established: 1992
Number of lawyers: 7 (Insurance)
Number of ranked lawyers: 1
Partners: Nina Bombier, Jonathan Chen, Matthew Sammon, Glenn Smith, Dena N. Varah, Mark Veneziano
Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP is recognized as one of Canada’s leading litigation practice. For more than 25 years since its establishment, the firm has acted for clients in over 17,000 cases, conducting more than 500 trials, arbitrations and tribunal hearings. In total, the firm’s current team has spent more than 6,500 days in hearings. Lenczner Slaght represents a diverse roster of clients, including leading multinational technology and pharmaceutical companies, financial institutions, professionals, executives, business owners and public figures.
Miller Thomson LLP
Year established: 1957
Number of lawyers: 15+ (Insurance defence)
Number of ranked lawyers: 5
Partners: Chris T.J. Blom, James D. Bromiley, John K. Downing, Patricia J. Forte, Mark R. Frederik, Helen D.K. Friedman, David LeDrew, Theodore J. Madison, Timothy J. McGurrin, David Rabinowitz, Ana Simões, Brian Whitwham
Miller Thomson LLP is recognized as among Canada’s leading national business law and litigation firms. It has offices in Vaughan, Toronto, Guelph, Markham, Waterloo, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon and Vancouver. The firm boasts a roster of more than 550 lawyers in over 60 specialty practices. It offers a complete range of business law, advocacy, and personal legal services to corporations, financial institutions, entrepreneurs, governments, not-for-profit organizations and individuals. The firm’s clients include leaders in a broad range of sectors, including banking, insurance, manufacturing, energy, agribusiness, transportation, marketing and advertising, retail, commercial real estate, construction, projects, social impact, technology, environmental, life sciences and healthcare services.
Read more about Miller Thomson LLP on cannabis sector regulation
Oatley Vigmond Personal Injury Lawyers LLP
Year established: 1974
Number of lawyers: 20
Partners: Roger G. Oatley, James L. Vigmond, Brian M. Cameron, Robert M. Durante, Troy Lehman, Adam R. Little, Kevin Henderson
Oatley Vigmond Personal Injury Lawyers LLP represents seriously injured people and their families. The firm’s goal is to provide the best possible health care solutions for every person it represents. Oatley Vigmond has successfully represented individuals with spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, catastrophic injuries and serious orthopaedic injuries. “Respect, integrity, professionalism, family and health, the finest people working as a team with the finest resources and a never-ending search for a better way” are among the firm’s core values.