These are Ontario’s best mergers and acquisitions law firms based on the results of Lexpert’s extensive yearly peer survey. The complete list of the province’s most recommended M&A lawyers and law firms can be accessed via our practice area rankings.
Mergers and acquisitions is the branch of corporate law dealing with the purchase of one company by another or the blending of two companies into a new entity.
Most frequently recommended mergers & acquisitions law firms
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Year established: 1856
Number of lawyers: 90
Number of ranked lawyers: 14
Partners: Arash Amouzgar, Tim Andinson, Paul Belanger, Geoffrey S. Belsher, Milly Chow, Justin Drake, Shlomi Feiner, David Feldman, Rory Ffrench, Will Fung, Michael I. Gans, Brock W. Gibson, Jake Gilbert, Jacob Gofman, Frank D. Guarascio, Kim Harle, Chris Hewat, Michael Hickey, Christopher Jones, Norbert Knutel, David C. Kruse, Vivian Kung, Andrew Lahey, Jeff Lloyd, Kate McGilvray, Eric Moncik, Alex Moore, Tamara Nachmani, Aaron Palmer, Robert Percival, Brendan D. Reay, Kevin Rusli, Kurt Sarno, Cheryl Satin, Paul Singh, Graham Smith, Michael Stevenson, Bryson A. Stokes, Andrew Thompson, Craig C. Thorburn, David J. Toswell, Linda Tu, Richard Turner, Markus Viirland, John Wilkin
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes) is one of Canada’s largest full-service business law firms, providing legal advice to leading domestic and international businesses. 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 has one of the largest and most active M&A practices in Canada, boasting extensive experience in public, private, cross-border and private equity transactions. The firm’s clients include major domestic and international companies, financial institutions, private equity funds and leading international law firms. In the past decade, it has been involved in more than 1,400 global public and private M&A transactions, with an aggregate dollar value of US$1.5 trillion. Blakes’ lawyers are experts in securities regulatory matters, tax structuring, litigation, real estate, environmental, intellectual property and information technology issues.
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Year established: 1961
Number of lawyers: 40+
Number of ranked lawyers: 17
Partners: Christopher Anderson, Aaron J. Atkinson, Patrick G. Barry, Sarbjit S. Basra, Jessica Bullock, Gilles R. Comeau, Devon W. Comstock, R. Ian Crosbie, Steven J. Cutler, Michael Disney, Richard Fridman, A. Gerold Goldlist, Kevin Greenspoon, Jennifer Grossklaus, Brooke Jamison, Joshua Kuretzky, Jennifer F. Longhurst, Peter Martorelli, D. Shawn McReynolds, Vincent A. Mercier, Robert S. Murphy, Patricia L. Olasker, Dale J. Osadchuk, Daniel Pearlman, Carol D. Pennycook, Jennifer Prieto, Geoffrey L. Rawle, Zain Rizvi, Elie Roth, Cameron M. Rusaw, Joel M. Scoler, Brett Seifred, Melanie A. Shishler, Jared Solinger, Anthony Spadaro, Robin Upshall, Derek R.G. Vesey, David Wilson
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (Davies) is among Canada’s leading full-service business law firms. 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. Whether public or private, or buy or sell, Davies’ mergers and acquisitions team excel at the most business-critical transactions with a precise combination of creativity and practicality. It handles multijurisdictional complex transactions and has a firm grasp of a wide range of sophisticated issues. Among the team’s biggest transactions were Burger King’s US$12.5 billion acquisition of Tim Hortons, Fortis’ US$11.3 billion transformative acquisition of ITC and Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.’s US$4.4 billion acquisition of CST Brands Inc.
Goodmans LLP
Year established: 1917
Number of lawyers: 66
Number of ranked lawyers: 21
Partners: John Alton, Chris Armstrong, Robert Chadwick, David Coll-Black, John Connon, Richard Corley, Dan Dedic, Mario Di Fiore, Jonathan Feldman, Jamie Firsten, Sheldon Freeman, Susan Garvie, Allan Goodman, William Gorman, Daniel Gormley, Brenda Gosselin, Francesca Guolo, Tim Heeney, Brandon Hoffman, Jonathan Lampe, Dale H. Lastman, Joe Latham, Victor Liu, Kari MacKay, David Matlow, Neill May, David Nadler, Michael Partridge, Stephen Pincus, Kirk Rauliuk, Celia Rhea, Brad Ross, Michelle Roth, Jaclyn Seidman, Neil Sheehy, Mark Spiro, Chris Sunstrum, Mark Surchin, Emily Ting, Jamie van Diepen, Robert Vaux, Michelle Vigod
Toronto-based Goodmans LLP is recognized as one of Canada’s most innovative law firms, providing expert legal service in all aspects of business law. The firm’s business-related specialties include capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, technology, real estate investment trust, tax and litigation. Goodmans caters to a wide range of Canadian and international businesses, from startups to multinational corporations. The firm’s M&A group represents clients involved in every aspect of a deal, including acquirors, targets, borrowers and issuers, underwriters and investors. The team has developed a number of niche markets, including targets of hostile takeover bids and private equity clients.
Read more about Goodmans LLP in restructuring in a challenging economy
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year established: 1855
Number of lawyers: 69
Number of ranked lawyers: 10
Partners: Andrew Armstrong, Ana Badour, Gordon D. Baird, Eva Bellissimo, Cameron Belsher, Scott Bergen, Cristian O. Blidariu, Oliver J. Borgers, Nancy J. Carroll, Rami Chalabi, Rhanjeev Dhillon, Simon R. Fitzpatrick, Jonathan R. Grant, Heidi Gordon, Robert O. Hansen, Jake Irwin, Kabir Jamal, Jim Janetos, Raj Juneja, Daye Kaba, Matthew S. Kelleher, Hartley Lefton, David A.N. Lever, Wendi A. Locke, Kerri Lui, D.J. Lynde, Shevaun McGrath, Sanjaya Mendis, Suzanne V. Murphy, Lara Nathans, Brad Nicpon, Jeff Oldewening, Seán C. O’Neill, Andrew Parker, Lynn Parsons, Matthew D. Peters, Jeremy Pleasant, Robert J. Richardson, Dirk Rueter, Deandra L. Schubert, Jonathan D. See, Shea T. Small, George S. Takach, Adam Taylor, David E. Woollcoombe
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 Toronto, Montréal, Québec City, Calgary, Vancouver, New York in the US and in London, UK. The firm’s mergers and acquisitions group specializes in advising clients on the largest and most innovative domestic and international deals. Its lawyers boast expertise in every type of M&A transaction and have a principal role acting for every type of transaction, including divestitures, joint ventures and partnerships. The team’s clients span a range of industries, including agriculture, cannabis, distressed assets, infrastructure, life sciences, mining, oil and gas, power, real estate, retail and consumer products, technology and transportation.
Read more about McCarthy Tétrault LLP in changes in Canada’s sales and income taxes
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year established: 1862
Number of lawyers: 70
Number of ranked lawyers: 13
Partners: Brett Anderson, Chad Bayne, Dov Begun, John Black, James R. Brown, Douglas Bryce, Terrence Burgoyne, Mark DesLauriers, Jeremy Fraiberg, Donald Gilchrist, Alex Gorka, Victoria Graham, Brian Gray, John Greonewegen, Vanessa Hansford, Rosalind Hunter, Michael Innes, David Jamieson, Lynne Lacoursière, Michelle Lally, Eric M. Levy, Ted Liu, Andrew MacDougall, John Macfarlane, Douglas Marshall, Amelia Miao, Christopher Murray, André Perey, Emmanuel Pressman, Shuli Rodal, John M. Valley
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 that provide expert legal services to both domestic and international clients. The firm is recognized for its extensive expertise in business. The firm’s mergers and acquisition team advises on all types and sizes of transactions, be it for domestic, cross-border or multi-national companies. We have designed and implemented innovative legal structures that have revolutionized the M&A landscape and continue to provide valuable solutions to our clients. 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 M&A practitioners are complemented by the firm’s experts in tax, competition and antitrust, securities and regulatory, banking and financial services, litigation, pensions, employment and executive compensation and all other specialized areas that are key to effecting a successful M&A transaction.
Read more about Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP in managing ESG issues in corporate Canada
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year established: 1952
Number of lawyers: 121
Number of ranked lawyers: 32
Partners: Donald G. Belovich, Steven D. Bennett, Joel E. Binder, Daniel Borlack, Elizabeth Breen, Eric H. Bremermann, Michael Burkett, Colin Burn, Stuart S. Carruthers, Timothy S. Chubb, John Ciardullo, Rocco M. Delfino, Mike Devereux, Ron Ferguson, Aaron Fransen, Marie Garneau, Ivan T. Grbesic, Ramandeep K. Grewal, Philip J. Henderson, Jeff Hershenfield, Samantha Horn, Susan M. Hutton, Vince F. Imerti, Jay C. Kellerman, Michael Kilby, John Laffin, Martin Langlois, Kim Le, Jennifer G. Legge, Amanda Linett, Jonah Mann, Evan Marcus, Guy P. Martel, David R. McCarthy, Timothy McCormick, Wesley R. Ng, Mario Nigro, D'Arcy Nordick, C. Mario Paura, Brian M. Pukier, Dee Rajpal, Darin R. Renton, Simon A. Romano, Melissa Schyven, Kevin Smyth, Stewart Sutcliffe, Mihkel E. Voore, David Weinberger, Lanette Wilkinson, Courtney Wilson
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. The firm’s mergers and acquisitions group advises on Canada’s largest contested public company transactions or friendly acquisitions of privately owned family businesses. The team’s expertise consists of acquisition financing, auctions, contested shareholder meetings, cross-border transactions, distressed assets, government relations, joint ventures and strategic alliances, leveraged and management buyouts, plans of arrangement, regulatory review, special committee obligations and take-over bids and defence.
Torys LLP
Year established: 1941
Number of lawyers: 85
Number of ranked lawyers: 12
Partners: Michael F.E. Akkawi, Michael D. Amm, Adam S. Armstrong, Jamie Becker, Don Bell, Scott Bell, Guy Berman, Ricco A.S. Bhasin, David A. Dell, Adrienne DiPaolo, Laurie N. Duke, John Emanoilidis, Aaron S. Emes, Huw Evans, Michael K. Feldman, Christopher J. Fowles, Leah Frank, Sabrina A. Gherbaz, Andy Gibbons, Krista F. Hill, Simon C. Knowling, Cameron D. Koziskie, Konata T. Lake, Josh Lavine, Robbie Leibel, Kevin M. Morris, Michael Pickersgill, Karrin Powys-Lybbe, Rima Ramchandani, H. Graham Rawlinson, Cheryl V. Reicen, Charlene Schafer, David A. Seville, Philip A.D. Symmonds, Richard D. Willoughby
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 mergers and acquisition practice has a strong and active presence in public and private markets across Canada, in the US and around the world. The M&A team specializes in sophisticated, complex and innovative transactions for public and private businesses of all sizes. A substantial amount of the team’s work is international and involves more than one jurisdiction. The group’s services include corporate, securities, leveraged buyouts, litigation and dispute resolution competition and, foreign investment review, tax and regulatory matters.