Memo to law firms: Start the new year right by nominating your firm for the Canadian Law Awards

As Canadian law firms start the new year, what better way to kick it off than submitting to the Canadian Law Awards?

Building on the success of the three previous events (virtual and in-person) since it was launched in 2020, the annual Canadian Law Awards celebrates the nation’s outstanding law firms, in-house legal teams, individuals, deals and cases in 2022. It’s the perfect chance to acknowledge great work and look to the future.

And for firms interested in entering the regional categories, there is a change that full-service firms from the west to the east coast of Canada note.

This year, the awards for best firms in Western Canada, the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will be replaced by one category, the Regional Law Firm of the Year. We also specify that law firms in this category must be full-service, not a boutique law firm that happens to be based in a particular region.

That decision was “based on feedback that some of the nominated firms in the past were not truly full service,” says Tim Wilbur, Global Managing Editor at Key Media.

Wilbur says he wants to make clear that boutique firms with a regional base are welcome to nominate themselves in the practice-based categories. These include IP Boutique Law Firm, Litigation & Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year, The LEAP Legal Software Award for Family Law Firm of the Year and the all-inclusive Boutique Law Firm of the Year.

Hosted by Lexpert and supported by Canadian Lawyer and InHouse, the Canadian Law Awards acknowledge the legal profession’s achievements over the past year and recognize those who went above and beyond in their commitment and contributions to the sector.

Nominations can be submitted for all categories on the Canadian Law Awards website, with the call for submissions ending just before midnight on Feb. 3, 2023. Our external advisory panel of esteemed legal practitioners will invest many hours reading the large volume of detailed submissions and casting votes for those nominated. PwC – The official ballot accountants – will also verify the score tallies.

The 23 categories this year focus on the achievements of law firms over the past calendar year, including:

• Capital Markets Deal of the Year
• Infrastructure & Projects Deal of the Year
• Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year
• M&A Deal of the Year
• Mid-Market Deal of the Year
• Commercial Litigation Team of the Year
• Banking & Financial Services Law Department of the Year
• Construction, Infrastructure & Transportation Law Department of the Year
• Canadian Law Department of the Year
• Law Department Leader of the Year
• Law Department Innovation Award
• IP Boutique Law Firm
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year
• The LEAP Legal Software Award for Family Law Firm of the Year
• Boutique Law Firm of the Year
• Best Use of Technology in a Law Firm
• Regional Law Firm of the Year
• Litigator of the Year
• Managing Partner of the Year
• Pro Bono Initiative of the Year
• Diversity Initiative of the Year
• Female Trailblazer of the Year (In House Counsel/Private Practice)
• The Lincoln Alexander School of Law Award for Shaping the Future

Finalists will be announced as Excellence Awardees in Lexpert and Canadian Lawyer in March (non-deal categories) and April (deal-related categories). Winners will be announced at the gala event in Toronto on May 11. The finalists and award winners will also receive extensive profile-raising media coverage across Lexpert, Canadian Lawyer and InHouse.

Confirmed sponsors for the awards include event partner LEAP Legal Software (Canada); award sponsors Lexis Nexis, Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University and Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP;  and media partners the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto and Women General Counsel of Canada. 

For sponsorship opportunities, contact [email protected].