2024 Canadian Law Awards Excellence Awardees revealed

The winners will be announced at the Canadian Law Awards Gala, which will be held on May 9 at the Liberty Grand in Toronto.

The following are the Excellence Awardees, listed by award category.

COMMERCIAL LITIGATION TEAM OF THE YEAR

• Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (“BLG”): Ouellet c. Compagnie de chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique, 2022 QCCS 4643
• Bennett Jones LLP; Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP; Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (“BLG”); Branch MacMaster LLP; Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP; Dutton Brock LLP; Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP; Koskie Minsky LLP; Lerners LLP; Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP; Stikeman Elliot LLP; Thomas Gold Pettingill LLP: Workman Optometry Corporation et al. v. Certas Home and Auto Insurance et al.
• Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP; Dentons Canada LLP, Petty v. Niantic Inc., 2023 BCCA 315
• Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP; Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP; Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Sandoz Canada Inc. v. British Columbia, 2023 BCCA 306
• McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Canada (Privacy Commissioner) v. Facebook, Inc., 2023 FC 533

THE DYE & DURHAM AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION – IN-HOUSE

• The recipient will be announced at the Canadian Law Awards Gala

THE LAWSON LUNDELL LLP AWARD FOR LAW DEPARTMENT LEADER OF THE YEAR

• Carisa Gordon, Calian Group Ltd.
• David Taylor, Corporation of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent
• Gassim Bangoura, Birks Group
• Laurie Sargent, Indigenous Rights and Relations Portfolio at the Department of Justice Canada
• Sarah Qadeer, Deloitte LLP
• Sharon Haward-Laird, BMO Financial Group

THE SINGLETON URQUHART REYNOLDS VOGEL LLP AWARD FOR CONSTRUCTION, INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION LAW DEPARTMENT OF THE YEAR

• Aecon Group Inc.
• BC Ministry of the Attorney General, Legal Services Branch Transportation Major Projects Team (LSB)
• CDPQ Infra Inc.
• Manitoba Hydro Legal Services
• Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation / (“Infrastructure Ontario” or “IO”)
• Pomerleau
• Transdev Canada

LAW DEPARTMENT INNOVATION

• Laurentian Bank of Canada
• City of Vaughan

BANKING & FINANCIAL SERVICES LAW DEPARTMENT OF THE YEAR

• BMO Financial Group
• Fengate Asset Management
• iA Financial Group
• OPTrust

CANADIAN LAW DEPARTMENT OF THE YEAR

• Dow Chemical Canada
• EY Canada (Ernst & Young LLP)
• Linamar Corporation Legal Department
• Northland Power
• Teck Resources Limited
• The Descartes Systems Group Inc.

BOUTIQUE LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

• Deeth Williams Wall LLP
• Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP
• Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP
• Landings LLP
• Roper Greyell LLP
• Smart & Biggar

LITIGATION & DISPUTE RESOLUTION BOUTIQUE LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

• Adair Goldblatt Bieber LLP
• Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP
• Lax O’Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP
• Lenczner Slaght
• Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP
• Thomson Rogers

LITIGATOR OF THE YEAR

• Craig Ferris, Lawson Lundell LLP
• Crawford Smith, Lax O’Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP
• Kimberly Gale, Gale Law Professional Corporation
• Morgan Camley, Dentons Canada LLP
• Rob Martz, Burnet, Duckworth and Palmer LLP
• Sophie Melchers, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada

MANAGING PARTNER OF THE YEAR

• Allan Ritchie, Loopstra Nixon LLP
• Anik Trudel, Lavery
• Charles Hurdon, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada
• Jean-François Gagnon, Langlois Lawyers LLP
• Jeffrey Cohen, Torkin Manes LLP
• Kevin Kiley, McInnes Cooper

REGIONAL LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC CANADA & PRAIRIES

• Cox & Palmer
• McKercher LLP

CENTRAL CANADA

• Delegatus
• Langlois Lawyers LLP
• Lavery
• Torkin Manes LLP
• WeirFoulds LLP

WESTERN CANADA

• Burnet, Duckworth and Palmer LLP
• Clark Wilson LLP
• Farris LLP
• Lawson Lundell LLP
• Witten LLP

THE LEAP LEGAL SOFTWARE AWARD FOR BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN A LAW FIRM

• Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (“BLG”)
• Dentons Canada LLP
• Lavery
• Legate Injury Lawyers
• McInnes Cooper
• MT>3, a division of
• McCarthy Tétrault LLP
• Torys LLP

THE LEAP LEGAL SOFTWARE AWARD FOR FAMILY LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

• Crossroads Law
• MacLean Law
• McCarthy Hansen & Company LLP
• Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers
• Wood Gold LLP

THE DYE & DURHAM AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION – PRIVATE PRACTICE

• The recipient will be announced at the Canadian Law Awards gala

THE LINCOLN ALEXANDER SCHOOL OF LAW AWARD FOR SHAPING THE FUTURE

• Caravel Law LLP
• Dentons Canada LLP
• Gale Law Professional
• Corporation for NCA Network
• Legal Aid Alberta
• Norton Rose Fulbright Canada
• PooranLaw

DIVERSITY INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

• Aird & Berlis LLP, Black Voices (In)Justice: Supporting Black Youth
• Representation in the Legal Profession
• McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Action Groups
• WeirFoulds LLP, Racial Equity Audit

PRO BONO INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

• Cochrane Saxberg LLP, Cochrane Saxberg Indigenous Empowerment
• Legal Initiatives
• Fasken, Dickson v Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, SCC docket number 39856
• McCarthy Tétrault LLP, McCarthy Tétrault’s work with Egale Canada
• and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick
• McInnes Cooper, Immigration Project
• Norton Rose Fulbright Canada, Housing Empowerment Legal Program
• (HELP)

FEMALE TRAILBLAZER OF THE YEAR

ACADEMIA & IN-HOUSE

• Angela Yadav, HSBC Bank Canada
• Ashley Butts, BASF Canada
• Caroline Healey, Transportation Industry
• Christine Chen, University Pension Plan Ontario
• Jana Prete, Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo)
• Sara Ross, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University
• Soma Choudhury, Onex Canada Asset Management Inc.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

• Anne Merminod, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (“BLG”)
• Jacqueline Dinsmore, Caravel Law LLP
• Karen Sargeant, Fasken
• Karima Kanani, Miller Thomson LLP
• Katherine Hensel, Fogler, Rubinoff LLP
• Olga Farman, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada
• Rima Ramchandani, Torys LLP
• Tara Vasdani, Remote Law Canada  

DEAL AWARDS

Pembina Pipeline Corporation’s $1.28 Billion Offering of Subscription Receipts

Canadian Law Firms

• Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (for Pembina Pipeline Corporation)
• Stikeman Elliott LLP (for underwriters)

Non-Canadian Law Firms

• Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Accountants

• KPMG LLP
• RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
• Scotia Capital Inc.
• TD Securities Inc.

Thoma Bravo's acquisition of Magnet Forensics Inc.

Canadian Law Firms

• Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (for Magnet Forensics)
• Dentons Canada LLP (for Special Committee of Magnet)
• Goodmans LLP (for Nellore)
• McMillan LLP (Canadian Counsel for Thoma Bravo)

Non-Canadian Law Firms

• Allen & Overy LLP (for the Lenders)
• Kirkland & Ellis LLP (US Counsel for Thoma Bravo)

Organizations

• CIBC Capital Markets (independent valuator to the Special Committee)
• Morgan Stanley (exclusive financial advisor to the Special Committee of Magnet)

Thomson Reuters’ US$2.2 billion return of capital and reverse-stock-split transaction

Canadian Law Firms

• Torys LLP (for Thomson Reuters)

Infrastructure & Projects Deal of the Year

Canada Infrastructure Bank’s $52 million investment in the Thompson Regional Airport redevelopment project

Canadian Law Firms

• McCarthy Tétrault LLP (for Canada Infrastructure Bank)
• MLT Aikins LLP (for Thompson Regional Airport Authority)

Organizations

• Canada Infrastructure Bank
• Thompson Regional Airport Authority

Chiniki and Goodstoney First Nations' energy infrastructure equity partnership with ATCO

Canadian Law Firms

- Bennett Jones LLP (for ATCO)

Organizations

- ATCO EnPower

Oneida Energy Storage Project

Canadian Law Firms

- Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (for Northland Power)

- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (for Aecon Construction Group)

- Fogler Rubinoff LLP (for Six Nations)

- McCarthy Tétrault LLP (for Canada Infrastructure Bank)

- Torys LLP (for Oneida)

Organizations

- Aecon Concessions

- Canada Infrastructure Bank

- Northland Power

- NRStor Inc.

- Oneida Energy Storage LP

- Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation

Umicore's investment in Ontario, building an EV battery components factory

Canadian Law Firms

- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (lead; for Umicore)

Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year

Bank of Montreal's acquisition of Loyalty One's AIR MILES reward business

Canadian Law Firms

- Bennett Jones (for Ad Hoc Group of Loyalty Ventures Inc. Lenders)

- Borden Ladner Gervais (Canadian counsel to Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent)

- Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP (for Loyalty One)

- Goodmans LLP (counsel to the monitor)

- McCarthy Tetrault (counsel to RBC Investor Services Trust)

- Stikeman Elliott LLP (Canadian counsel to Bread Financial Holdings Inc.)

- Torys LLP (for BMO)

Non-Canadian Law Firms

- Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (U.S. bankruptcy counsel to Loyalty Ventures)

- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (U.S. counsel to Bread Financial Holdings Inc.)

- Dentons LLP (counsel to American Express)

- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (U.S. counsel to Ad hoc term loan B lenders)

- Haynes And Boone LLP (U.S. counsel to Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent)

- Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (U.S. bankruptcy counsel to BMO)

Organizations

- Alvarez & Marsal Holdings, LLC (Financial Advisor to LoyaltyOne and Loyalty Ventures)

- BMO Financial Group

- KSV Restructuring, Inc., CCAA Monitor

- Morgan Stanley (Financial Advisor to BMO)

- Piper Sandler & Co. (Financial Advisor to Ad hoc term loan B lenders)

- PJT Partners Inc. (Financial Advisor to LoyaltyOne and Loyalty Ventures)

Groupe Selection’s financial restructuring under CCAA

Canadian Law Firms

- Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (for Investissement Québec, Otéra Capital Inc., and Timbercreek Mortgage Servicing, Inc.)

- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (for Revera Inc., Desjardins, Fonds de Solidarité FTQ, Blackstone and SmartCentres)

- Dentons Canada LLP (for Laurentian Bank of Canada)

- Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP (for Scotiabank, CIBC Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP)

- Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP (for National Bank of Canada)

- Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (for Groupe Montoni, Royal Bank of Canada)

- Stikeman Elliott LLP (for Groupe Sélection Inc. et. al.)

- Woods LLP

Repsol's restructuring

Canadian Law Firms

- Bennett Jones LLP (for Repsol Oil & Gas Inc.))

- Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (for Landlords to Repsol Oil & Gas Inc.)

Xebec and its affiliates’ restructuring under CCAA

Canadian Law Firms

- Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (for National Bank of Canada)

- Goodmans LLP (for Sullair, LLC, the purchaser of Xebec’s California Compression business)

- McCarthy Tétrault LLP (for Deloitte Restructuring Inc.)

- Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP (for Export Development Canada)

- Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (for Xebec)

Organizations

- Deloitte Restructuring

- PricewaterhouseCoopers

- Richter

M & A Deal of the Year

Cameco Corporation's partnership with Brookfield Renewable for Westinghouse Electric Company $10.861 billion acquisition

Canadian Law Firms

- Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

- Goodmans LLP (for the independent directors of Brookfield Renewable Partners)

- McCarthy Tétrault LLP (for Cameco Corporation)

- Stikeman Elliott LLP (for Westinghouse Electric Company)

- Torys LLP

Non-Canadian Law Firms

- Covington & Burling LLP

- Conyers Dill & Pearman

- Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP

- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

- Weil, Gotshal and Manges LLP

Pan American Silver Corp. and Agnico Eagle Mines’ $6.59 Billion joint acquisition of Yamana Gold Inc.

Canadian Law Firms

- Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (lead counsel; for Pan American Silver Corp.)

- Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP (for Yamana Gold Inc.)

- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (lead counsel; for Agnico Eagle Mines Limited)

- Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP (counsel to the special committee of the Board of Yamana Gold Inc.)

Non-Canadian Law Firms

- Ashurst (UK counsel to Pan American)

- Carey y Cia Ltda (Chilian counsel to Pan American)

- Mattos Filho Advogados (Brazilian counsel to Pan American)

- Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP (US counsel to Yamana)

- Pinheiro Neto Advogados (Brazilian counsel to Yamana)

- Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP (US counsel to Pan American)

Organizations

- BMO Capital Markets (financial advisor to Pan American)

- Canaccord Genuity Ltd (financial advisor to Yamana)

- GenCap Mining Advisory Ltd (financial advisor to Pan American)

- Scotia Capital Inc. (financial advisor to the special committee of the Board of Yamana)

- Stifel Financial Corp (financial advisor to Yamana)

Rogers Communications' $26 billion acquisition of Shaw Communications

Canadian Law Firms

- Bennett Jones LLP

- Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP

- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (lead counsel; for Shaw Communications Inc.)

- Dentons Canada LLP

- Torys LLP (for Rogers Control Trust)

- Goodmans LLP (lead counsel; for Rogers Communications Inc.)

- Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP

- McCarthy Tetrault (for Bank of America N.A. and Bank of America Securities Inc.)

Smith Financial Corporation's US$1.7 billion acquisition of Home Capital

Canadian Law Firms

- Stikeman Elliott LLP (for Smith Financial Corporation)

- Torys LLP (for Home Capital)

Organizations

- BMO Capital Markets

- Deloitte

- Home Capital Group Inc.

- RBC Capital Markets

- TD Securities

Strathcona Resources' $8.6 billion acquisition of Pipestone Energy

Canadian Law Firms

- Bennett Jones LLP (for Riverstone Pipestone – largest shareholders of Pipestone)

- Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (lead counsel; for Strathcona Resources Ltd.)

- McCarthy Tétrault LLP (for Pipestone Energy Corp.)

- Stikeman Elliott LLP (for Waterous Energy Fund)

Non-Canadian Law Firms

- Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (US legal advisors to Strathcona)

Organizations

- BMO Capital Markets

- CIBC Capital Markets

- Mizuho Securities USA

- Raymond James Ltd.

- Scotiabank

- Strathcona Resources Ltd.

- TD Securities

- The Bank of Nova Scotia

TotalEnergies' $5.5 billion sale of its Canadian oil and gas assets

Canadian Law Firms

- Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (lead for Suncor Energy)

- Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (lead for Conoco)

- Torys LLP (lead for TotalEnergies)

Organizations

- KPMG France (accountant for TotalEnergies)

TotalEnergies

Mid-Market Deal of the Year

Linamar’s acquisition of Mobex Global's Propulsion-Agnostic Business

Law Firms

- Aird & Berlis LLP (for Linamar Corporation

Non-Canadian Law Firms

- Warner Norcross + Judd LLP (US Counsel to Linamar)

Organizations

- Linamar Corporation

Sagicor Financial Company Ltd.'s acquisition of ivari

Canadian Law Firms

- Stikeman Elliott LLP (for Sagicor)

- Torys LLP (for ivari)

Non-Canadian Law Firms

- Appleby (for Wilton Re Ltd.)

- Paul Hastings LLP (US Counsel to Sagicor)

Organizations

- National Bank Financial (lead financial advisor)

- J.P. Morgan (financial advisor)

- RBC Capital Markets (financial advisor)

- ET (financial and due diligence advisor)

- RSM (assisted with actuarial diligence)

- Goldman Sachs (financial advisor to Wilton Re Ltd.)

- Wells Fargo (financial advisor to Wilton Re Ltd.)

Skyservice’s investment in Fontainebleau Aviation’s fixed-based operator at Miami Opa-Locka Executive Airport

Canadian Law Firms

McCarthy Tétrault LLP (for Skyservice™)

Non-Canadian Law Firms

- Cooley LLP

- DLA Piper LLP

Organizations

- William Blair & Company

Wonderfi, Coinsquare, and CoinSmart business combination

Canadian Law Firms

- Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP (for WonderFi)

- Goodmans LLP (legal counsel to Coinsquare)

- Wildeboer Dellelce LLP (counsel to CoinSmart)

Non-Canadian Law Firms

- Dorsey & Whitney LLP (US legal counsel to WonderFi)

Organizations

- Eight Capital Corp. (financial advisor to CoinSmart)

- Haywood Securities Inc. (financial advisor to WonderFi)

- Origin Merchant Partners (financial advisor to Coinsquare)

Excellence Awardees are also listed on the Canadian Law Awards website.