These were Ontario’s best mergers and acquisitions law firms based on Lexpert’s 2020 survery. for our most recent recommendations, visit the the best mergers and acquisition lawyers in Ontario page.
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: 10
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, Amanda Heale, Chris Hewat, Michael Hickey, Christopher Jones, Norbert Knutel, David C. Kruse, Vivian Kung, Jeffrey R. Lloyd, Kate McGilvray, Eric Moncik, Alex Moore, 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, 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.
Read more about Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP on infrastructure investments during pandemic
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Year established: 1961
Number of lawyers: 40+
Number of ranked lawyers: 16
Partners: Christopher Anderson, Aaron J. Atkinson, Patrick G. Barry, Sarbjit S. Basra, Jessica Bullock, Gilles R. Comeau, R. Ian Crosbie, Steven J. Cutler, Michael Disney, Richard Fridman, 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: 70+
Number of ranked lawyers: 19
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, 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.
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year established: 1855
Number of lawyers: 60+
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, 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, Suzanne V. Murphy, Lara Nathans, Seán C. O’Neill, Andrew Parker, Lynn Parsons, Matthew D. Peters, 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.
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year established: 1862
Number of lawyers: 60+
Number of ranked lawyers: 12
Partners: Mary Abbott, Chad Bayne, Dov Begun, John Black, James R. Brown, Douglas Bryce, Terrence Burgoyne, Mark DesLauriers, Jean Fraser, Donald Gilchrist, Peter Glossop, Alex Gorka, Victoria Graham, Brian Gray, John Greonewegen, Vanessa Hansford, Rosalind Hunter, Michael Innes, David Jamieson, Kaeleigh Kuzma, Lynne Lacoursière, Michelle Lally, Robert Lehodey, Eric M. Levy, Ted Liu, Andrew MacDougall, John Macfarlane, Douglas Marshall, Christopher Murray, André Perey, Dale R. Ponder, Randall Pratt, 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.
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year established: 1952
Number of lawyers: 100+
Number of ranked lawyers: 25
Partners: Donald G. Belovich, Steven D. Bennett, Joel E. Binder, Elizabeth Breen, Eric H. Bremermann, Michael Burkett, 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, Vince F. Imerti, Jay C. Kellerman, Michael Kilby, John Laffin, Martin Langlois, Kim Le, Jennifer G. Legge, Amanda Linett, Jonah Mann, Evan Marcus, 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, Jeffrey M. Singer, Kevin Smyth, Stewart Sutcliffe, Sean Vanderpol, Mihkel E. Voore, Edward J. Waitzer, 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: 80+
Number of ranked lawyers: 11
Partners: Michael F.E. Akkawi, Michael D. Amm, Adam S. Armstrong, Don Bell, Scott Bell, Guy Berman, Ricco A.S. Bhasin, David A. Chaikof, 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, 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, Cornell Wright
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.
Consistently recommended mergers & acquisitions law firms
Bennett Jones LLP
Year established: 1989 (Toronto)
Number of lawyers: 40+
Number of ranked lawyers: 10
Partners: Abbas Ali Khan, Bruce C. Barker, Thomas A. Bauer, Allen Bell, Angela Blake, Paul D. Blundy, James Clare, Curtis A. Cusinato, Andrew N. Disipio, Christopher J. Doucet, Norman F. Findlay, Matthew Flynn, Ian M. Goldberg, Sander A.J.R. Grieve, Leonard J. Griffiths, Kristopher R. Hanc, Matthew J. Hunt, Jeffrey Kerbel, Jesslyn G. Maurier, Gordon McKenna, Michael N. Melanson, Ian C. Michael, Linda Misetich Dann, Mark Rasile, Barry J. Reiter, David S. Rotchtin, Raj S. Sahni, Ted M. Shoub, Gary S.A. Solway, Aaron E. Sonshine
Bennett Jones LLP has a roster of more than 400 lawyers and business advisors in its offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. It is among Canada’s largest full-service business law firms. The firm 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. The firm’s public and private mergers and acquisitions practice spans all industries, including oil and gas and renewables, mining, consumer products, technology, utilities, agribusiness, financial services and cannabis. The team caters to many Canadian and global Fortune 500 companies operating in local, national or international markets, private equity funds, institutional investors and other capital pools investing and operating in Canada.
Read more about Bennett Jones LLP on infrastructure developments amid pandemic
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Year established: 2000
Number of lawyers: 90+
Number of ranked lawyers: 11
Partners: Gesta A. Abols, Peter S. Ascherl, Andrew C. Alleyne, Anil Aggarwal, Anthony F. Baldanza, A. Wojtek Baraniak, Jesse Bertollo, M. Craig G. Brown, Kathleen E. Butterfield, Jessica Catton Rinaldi, Koker Christensen, Myroslav Chwaluk, Justin Connors, Scott Conover, Reid Crombie, Nancy Eastman, John M. Elias, Paul Fornazzari, Garth J. Foster, Bradley Freelan, Daniel Fuke, Brian Graves, Tracy L. Hooey, Janet Howard, David A. Hausman, Tanneke Heersche, Richard E. Johnston, Janice J. Javier, Stephen B. Kerr, Byron W. Leoppky, Jon Levin, Jay A. Lefton, Grant E. McGlaughlin, Barbara Miller, Andrew S. Nunes, Ronald Nobrega, Alex Nikolic, Nicole Park, Rubin Rapuch, Gordon G. Raman, John M. Sabetti, Doug H. Scott, Will Shaw, Timothy M. Squire, Richard J. Steinberg, Sean S. Stevens, Mark Stinson, Krisztián Tóth, John S.M. Turner
With a manpower pool of more than 700 lawyers worldwide, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP is one of Canada’s largest full-service business law firms. It has domestic offices in Montréal, Québec City, Vancouver, Surrey, Toronto, Ottawa and Calgary. The firm also has international headquarters in London, Johannesburg and Beijing. Fasken specializes in complex business and litigation matters. It takes pride in having a diverse and inclusive workplace, and its community involvement, pro bono work and membership in respected legal organizations globally. Its mergers and acquisitions team’s clients range from start-ups to industry leaders, including private equity funds, strategic buyers, boards of directors and independent committees, professional service firms, family businesses and their shareholders and public companies listed on stock exchanges throughout the world. It has extensive experience in advising shareholders, boards, special committees and management in public and private financings, acquisitions and divestitures, proxy contests, take-over defence planning, capital reorganizations and management buyouts. The team caters to clients in a variety of industries, including mining, energy, transportation, agribusiness, financial institutions, investment funds, telecommunications and technology.
Gowling WLG
Year established: 1887
Number of lawyers: 40+
Number of ranked lawyers: 13
Partners: Josh Almario, Nurhan Aycan, Jonathan Behar, Todd Bissett, David A. Campbell, Irene Choe, Guy David, Peter Doelman, Viona M. Duncan, F. John Durdan, Myron B. Dzulynsky, Filomena Frisina, Sean Gomes, Henry A. Harris, Michael Herman, Carl Hinzmann, Robert G.S. Hull, Alan James, Edward Johnston, Derek S. Keay, Bryce Kraeker, Mark Ledwell, Adam Lewinberg, Ian Macdonald, Lorraine Mastersmith, Stephen D. McKersie, R. Ian Mitchell, W. Ian Palm, W. David Petras, Stephen A. Pike, Kathleen M. Ritchie, Ahsan Sadiq, Jason A. Saltzman, Tina M. Woodside-Shaw
Gowling WLG is an international full-service business law firm that boasts a network of more than 1,400 legal professionals in 19 cities worldwide. The firm serves clients in key sectors, including energy, financial services, life sciences, natural resources, infrastructure, real estate and technology. It has logged more than 9,400 pro bono hours and has been repeatedly recognized as a top employer committed to diversity, inclusion and innovation. Gowling is one of Canada’s busiest law firms in mid-market mergers and acquisitions. Its M&A team works closely with targets, financial advisers, special committees and other related parties, and acquirers, including private equity funds and strategic buyers. The group provides a full suite of public and private M&A services, including share and asset purchase, amalgamations, plans of arrangement and takeovers, auction bid processes, private equity downstream investments, corporate governance and directors’ duties, escrow agreements, issuer bids and bids, launching and defending hostile takeovers, reverse takeovers and shareholder subscription.
Read more about Gowling WLG on new infrastructure delivery models
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Year established: 2012 (Canada)
Number of lawyers: 50+ (Corporate, M&A and securities)
Number of ranked lawyers: 4
Partners: Paul Amirault, Andrea Brewer, Mark A. Convery, Terence S. Dobbin, Paul Fitzgerald, Geoffrey G. Gilbert, Vanessa Grant, Andrew Grossman, Elana M. Hahn, Michael J. Lang, Evelyn Li, Robert Mason, Kristopher Miks, Heidi Reinhart, Eric Reither, Bruce Sheiner, Cathy Singer, Walied Soliman, Troy Ungerman, Tommy Wong, Ava G. Yaskiel, Trevor Zeyl
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP is an international full-service business law firm with more than 3,700 lawyers and legal staff based in North and Latin America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Middle East and Africa. It has offices in more than 50 cities worldwide, including Toronto, London, Houston, New York, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Sydney and Johannesburg. The firm serves the world’s largest corporations and financial institutions. The lawyers who comprise its global corporate, mergers and acquisitions, and securities practice advise corporations and financial institutions across the full spectrum of industry matters, including public takeovers, private M&A, joint ventures, disposals, debt and equity capital markets, governance, general commercial and corporate advisory matters. The group’s areas of expertise include asset and wealth management, commercial contracts, corporate governance and compliance, data protection, privacy and cybersecurity, debt and equity capital markets, derivatives, financial services and regulation, investment funds, M&A, outsourcing and technology, private equity and venture capital, proxy battles, securities regulation and enforcement, statutory arrangements, and take-over bids and tender offers.
Read more about Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP on cannabis sector litigation