Here are the leading securities litigation law firms in Ontario based on the results of Lexpert’s expansive peer survey. The full list of the province’s most recommended lawyers and law firms in the practice can be viewed in our practice area rankings.
In the survey, securities litigation covers dispute resolution and settlement on issues, including insider trading, oppression remedies, shareholder disputes, contested mergers and acquisitions bid and defence work, proxy contests, amalgamations, reorganizations and restructurings, corporate governance disputes, and director, officer, issuer and investment dealer disclosure and liability claims.
Most frequently recommended securities litigation law firms
Bennett Jones LLP
Year established: 1989 (Toronto)
Number of lawyers: 20+
Number of ranked lawyers: 4
Partners: Ranjan K. Agarwal, Jonathan G. Bell, Preet K. Bell, Joseph N. Blinick, Scott H.D. Bower, Curtis A. Cusinato, Andrew N. Disipio, Michael A. Eizenga, Anthony L. Friend, Alan P. Gardner, James J. Heelan, Matthew J. Hunt, Ilan Ishai, Justin Lambert, Kenneth Lenz, Jeffrey S. Leon, Amanda C. McLachlan, Michael D. Mysak, Christine Plante, Chris D. Simard, Robert W. Staley, Grant N. Stapon, Robert B. Swan, Michael P. Theroux, Blair C. Yorke-Slader
Boasting a roster of more than 400 lawyers and business advisors in its offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, Bennett Jones LLP is among Canada’s largest full-service business law firms. It also has international headquarters in New York and Beijing. The firm specializes in complex cross-border and international transactions and litigation. It advises foreign businesses and investors on Canadian ventures and investments and connects Canadian businesses and investors with opportunities across the globe. Bennett Jones has one of the best securities litigation team in the country. Its lawyers have extensive experience in securities litigation, enforcement and regulatory proceedings, class actions and corporate disputes for public companies. The team boasts national experience advocating for clients at all levels of courts and before securities regulatory tribunals in all significant Canadian capital markets. The group also assists clients across a broad variety of issues such as stock option dating, insider trading, antitrust matters and allegations of corporate wrongdoing.
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Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Year established: 1856
Number of lawyers: 16
Number of ranked lawyers: 5
Partners: Bradley E. Berg, Jeff W. Galway, Anne Glover, Rahat Godil, Erin Hoult, Andrea Laing, Doug McLeod, Ryan Morris, Kiran Patel, R. Seumas M. Woods
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes) provides legal advice to leading domestic and international businesses. The firm is one of Canada’s largest full-service business law firms. It has offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary and Montréal, and international headquarters in New York, London and Beijing. The firm handles transactions of all sizes and levels of complexity, whether an issue is local or multi-jurisdictional, or practice-area specific or interdisciplinary. Blakes’ securities litigation team is at the forefront of Canada’s most significant securities disputes, including primary- and secondary-market securities class actions, contested transactions, financial products litigation, regulatory enforcement matters and investigations. Its lawyers focus almost exclusively on securities litigation. Blakes’ securities litigation counsel boasts extensive experience in securities litigation, enforcement and regulatory proceedings, class actions and corporate disputes for public companies and their boards of directors and special committees. The team provides a broad range of litigation and risk-management services, including advising and representing clients with respect to litigation avoidance and preparedness, internal and regulatory investigations, compliance and all stages of civil and regulatory proceedings.
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Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Year established: 1961
Number of lawyers: 12
Number of ranked lawyers: 7
Partners: Anthony M.C. Alexander, Andrea L. Burke, Andrew Carlson, Chantelle Cseh, Sandra A. Forbes, Steven G. Frankel, Maureen Littlejohn, Michael H. Lubetsky, Matthew Milne-Smith, Derek D. Ricci, Luis Sarabia, Kent E. Thomson
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (Davies) is among the leading full-service business law firms in Canada. It specializes in high-stakes and complex matters. The firm’s clients include businesses and financial institutions in North America and abroad. Davies has offices in Toronto, Montréal and New York. The firm advises clients in a range of practice areas, including capital markets and securities, commercial real estate, competition and foreign investment, corporate governance, dispute resolution, finance, white-collar defence, mergers and acquisitions, pensions and executive compensation, private equity and tax. Davies’ securities litigation team consists of experienced litigators representing clients in a variety of transactions, ranging from insider trading cases to class actions and takeover disputes. The team is reinforced by the expertise of the firm’s market-leading securities group. Both teams work together on strategy, preparation for litigation and resolution of enforcement proceedings.
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McCarthy Tétrault LL
Year established: 1855
Number of lawyers: 17
Number of ranked lawyers: 4
Partners: William D. Black, Eric S. Block, Darryl A. Cruz, Shane C. D’Souza, Brandon Kain, Andrew Matheson, Frank McLaughlin, Eli Mogil, Dana M. Peebles, , Byron Shaw, Thomas N.T. Sutton, Deborah Templer
McCarthy Tétrault LLP is one of Canada’s largest full-service law firms, offering expert legal services to clients in Canada and around the world. The firm delivers integrated business, litigation, tax, real property and labour and employment offerings through its offices in Canada’s major commercial centres, New York in the US and in London, UK. The firm is among the country’s leaders in securities litigation, boasting expertise in class actions, take-over disputes, shareholder litigation, regulatory proceedings and internal investigations. Its lawyers act for a broad range of clients, including major Canadian and foreign banks, securities firms, public issuers, hedge funds, shareholders and officers and directors in all manner of complex securities litigation, both in the courts and in the regulatory arena. The firm’s litigators also represent clients before provincial securities commissions and other regulators, such as the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. The practice ranges from defending clients in high-stakes enforcement proceedings to representing clients’ interests in contested take-overs. McCarthy Tétrault’s securities litigators frequently work closely with the firm’s securities regulation and transactional specialists to achieve the best results for their clients.
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Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LL
Year established: 1862
Number of lawyers: 18
Number of ranked lawyers: 5
Partners: Robert Carson, Alexander Cobb, Allan Coleman, Stéphane Eljarrat, Laura Fric, Mark Gelowitz, Deborah Glendinning, Adam Hirsh, Shawn Irving, Craig Lockwood, Larry Lowenstein, Christopher Naudie, Kevin O’Brien, Lawrence E. Ritchie, Lauren Tomasich
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP one of Canada’s largest full-service firms with offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Calgary, Vancouver and New York in the US. It boasts a roster of more than 400 lawyers who provide expert legal services to both domestic and international clients. The firm is recognized for its extensive expertise in business. It specializes in a wide range of industries, including agribusiness, clean tech, energy, fintech, food products, gaming, health, hospitality and leisure, infrastructure, life sciences, mining, real estate investment trusts, retail and venture capital. Osler’s corporate and securities litigation group consists of lawyers with extensive experience representing public and private clients in corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions and securities matters before the courts and provincial securities commissions. The lawyers work closely with our colleagues in related groups to provide comprehensive representation of their clients in Canada and cross-border. They advise and represent clients in corporate governance and securities litigation matters related to corporate finance proceedings, securities class actions, take-over bids, defending corporations in US-style “strike” suits, directors’ personal liability, shareholders’ rights, oppression remedy, dissent remedy and appraisal, derivative actions by shareholders, disputes in mergers and acquisitions and “poison pill” disputes.
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Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year established: 1952
Number of lawyers: 15
Number of ranked lawyers: 4
Partners: David R. Byers, John Ciardullo, Alan L. W. D’Silva, Samaneh Hosseini, Peter F.C. Howard, Katherine L. Kay, Eliot N. Kolers, Aaron Kreaden, Daniel S. Murdoch, Patrick J. O’Kelly, Simon A. Romano, Alexander D. Rose
Stikeman Elliott LLP specializes in business law and represents clients within Canada and across the globe. The firm provides counsel and advise through its offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Calgary and Vancouver, and international headquarters in New York, London and Sydney. Its primary practice areas include mergers and acquisitions, securities, litigation and dispute resolution, banking and finance, competition and foreign investment, tax, restructuring, energy, real estate, project development, pensions, and labour and employment. Stikeman Elliott’s securities litigation team consists of award-winning litigators whose expertise span across various areas, including product liability, securities regulation, competition and antitrust and directors’ and officers’ liability. The group’s lawyers are also known for devising effective tactics in defending class actions and utilizing alternative dispute resolution strategies to advance client objectives.
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Torys LLP
Year established: 1941
Number of lawyers: 9
Number of ranked lawyers: 7
Partners: Sheila R. Block, Gillian B. Dingle, John A. Fabello, Sylvie Rodrigue, Andrew M. Shaughnessy, Arlen K. Sternberg, James C. Tory
Torys LLP is one of Canada’s largest full-service business law firms with offices in Toronto, Montréal, Halifax, Calgary and New York. It advises clients on a wide range of transactions, including banking and debt finance, board advisory and governance, capital markets, competition and foreign investment, consumer protection, corporate restructuring, intellectual property, litigation and dispute resolution, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and tax. The firm’s securities defence litigation team is comprised of highly experienced, accomplished and business-minded lawyers who work on all aspects of civil litigation, securities regulatory, registration and compliance matters. The group provides counsel to securities market participants, including registrant firms and individuals, on registration matters and internal investigations. Its clients include investment dealers, market participants, investment funds, public companies and their directors and officers and marketplaces. Torys’ lawyers have been seconded to the Ontario Securities Commission, Quebec’s Autorité des marchés financiers and numerous investment dealers. Their practice routinely involves cross-border and international matters.