2026 EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Note: The list below includes the Excellence Awardees for the non-deals categories only.
The Excellence Awardees for the deals categories will be announced on April 15, 2026.
Award Categories
- Commercial Litigation Team of the Year
- Banking & Financial Services Law Department of the Year
- Canadian Law Department of the Year
- Law Department Innovation
- The Lawson Lundell LLP Award for Law Department Leader of the Year
- The Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP Award for Construction, Infrastructure and Transportation Law Department of the Year
- Regional Law Firm of the Year - Atlantic Canada
- Regional Law Firm of the Year - Ontario
- Regional Law Firm of the Year - Quebec
- Regional Law Firm of the Year - Western Canada
- Diversity Initiative of the Year
- Female Trailblazer of the Year (Academia & In-House)
- Female Trailblazer of the Year (Private Practice)
- Pro Bono Initiative of the Year
Capital Markets Deal of the Year
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Alimentation Couche-Tard’s concurrent US$1.5 billion and €1.35 billion notes offerings Canadian Law Firms
- Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP (for the placing agents)
- Stikeman Elliott LLP (for Alimentation Couche-Tard)
Non-Canadian Law Firms
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (for Alimentation Couche-Tard)
- Simpson Thacher & Barlett LLP (for the placing agents)
Organizations
- Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
- J.P. Morgan
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Wells Fargo
Browning West’s victory in Gildan Activewear proxy campaign
Canadian Law Firms
- Goodmans LLP (lead counsel to Browning West, LP)
Non-Canadian Law Firms
- Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP (US counsel to Browning West)
Canada’s C$4 billion 10-year Green Bond and additional C$2 billion reopening
Canadian Law Firms
- BCF LLP (Government of Canada’s Translation Counsel)
- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (acted for the syndicate of underwriters)
- Field Law (Government of Canada’s Local Counsel (Initial Issuance and Re-Opening) – NWT and Nunavut)
- Macdonald and Company (Government of Canada’s Local Counsel (Initial Issuance and Re-Opening) – Yukon)
- McMillan LLP (lead law firm – acted as sole outside legal advisor to the Government of Canada)
- MLT Aikins (Government of Canada’s Local Counsel (Initial Issuance and Re-Opening) – Saskatchewan and Manitoba)
- Stewart McKelvey (Government of Canada’s Local Counsel (Initial Issuance and Re-Opening) – Atlantic Provinces)
Organizations
- BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. (underwriter)
- Casgrain & Company Limited (underwriter)
- CIBC World Markets Inc. (underwriter)
- Desjardins Securities Inc. (underwriter)
- Laurentian Bank Securities Inc.
- Merrill Lynch Canada Inc. (underwriter)
- National Bank Financial Inc. (underwriter)
- RBC Dominion Securities Inc. (underwriter)
- Scotia Capital Inc. (underwriter)
- The Toronto-Dominion Bank (underwriter)
Infrastructure & Projects Deal of the Year
Winner: Coastal GasLink Pipeline Limited Partnership's C$7.15 billion refinancing
Canadian Law Firms
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (counsel to Coastal GasLink Pipeline)
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP (counsel to Joint Lead Agents)
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (counsel to KKR and AIMCo)
Non-Canadian Law Firms
Mayer Brown LLP (US counsel to Coastal GasLink Pipeline)
Organizations
BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc.
CIBC World Markets Inc.
Merrill Lynch Canada Inc.
RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Fengate's C$1.8 billion recapitalization transaction of eStruxture
Canadian Law Firms
- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (eStruxture counsel)
- Gowling WLG
- Miller Thomson LLP (counsel to CDPQ)
- Stikeman Elliott (counsel to Fengate)
Non-Canadian Law Firms
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP (for Fengate)
Organizations
- Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
- Campbell Lutyens
- DH Capital
- eStruxture Data Centers
- Fengate Asset Management
- KPMG
- Leo Berwick
Surrey Langley Skytrain's C$5.996 billion project
Canadian Law Firms
- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (acted for SkyLink Guideway Partners)
- McCarthy Tetrault LLP (for the lenders to SkyLink Guideway Partners)
- Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP (acted for the Province of British Columbia)
- Weeneebayko Area Health Authority's C$1.8 billion redevelopment
Canadian Law Firms
- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (Legal Advisors to Pomerleau Inc.)
- Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP (legal counsel to Infrastructure Ontario and the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (Hospital))
- Stikeman Elliott (legal advisor to the Lenders)
Organizations
- Caixabank, S.A. (Lender)
- Federation des Caisses Desjardins du Quebec (Lender)
- Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Canada) (Lender)
- Pomerleau Inc. and its affiliates (Preferred Proponent, Dev Co, Project Co)
- PwC (Financial Advisor to Pomerleau Inc.)
- Royal Bank of Canada (Lender)
Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year
Winner: Tacora Resources Inc.’s restructuring under CCAA
Canadian Law Firms
Bennett Jones LLP (acted for the primary creditor group)
Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP (FTI Consulting Canada Inc.)
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (CrossingBridge Advisors, LLC)
Goodmans LLP (counsel to Cargill, Incorporated and Cargill International Trading Pte Ltd.)
McCarthy Tétrault LLP (for the controlling shareholder on the Tacora CCAA process)
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (lead counsel for Millstreet and OSP)
Stikeman Elliott LLP (counsel to the debtor, Tacora)
Organizations
Cargill, Incorporated
FTI Consulting Canada Inc.
GLC Advisors and Co. LLC
Greenhill Co & Canada Ltd
Jefferies LLC
Tacora
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Ayr Wellness cross-border cannabis restructuring
Canadian Law Firms
- Goodmans LLP (Canadian counsel to the Plan Sponsors and Ad Hoc Committee)
- Stikeman Elliott LLP (lead counsel to Ayr Wellness)
Non-Canadian Law Firms
- Paul Hastings LLP (US counsel to the Ad Hoc committee of senior noteholders)
- Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (US counsel to Ayr Wellness)
Organizations
- Ducera (financial advisor to the Ad Hoc committee)
- Moelis (financial advisor to Ayr Wellness)
Taiga Motors Corp Inc.’s insolvency process
Canadian Law Firms
- Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP (counsel for Deloitte Restructuring)
- Lavery de Billy LLP (counsel for the acquirer – Stewart Wilkinson)
- Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP (acted for Taiga Motors)
- Stikeman Elliott LLP (counsel for Export Development Canada)
Organizations
- Ernst & Young Inc.
- Deloitte Restructuring
Xplore’s C$1.8 billion recapitalization
Canadian Law Firms
- Bennett Jones LLP (for primary creditor group)
- Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (counsel to Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners)
- Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
- Chaitons LLP (lead counsel to Amynta Surety Solutions)
- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (for Xplore)
- Goodmans LLP (lead counsel to Xplore Inc.)
- McCarthy Tetrault LLP
Non-Canadian Law Firms
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (ad hoc committee counsel to the term lenders)
- Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP LLP (lead US counsel to Xplore)
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (for Stonepeak)
Organizations
- Perella Weinberg Partners (as lead financial advisor to Xplore)
- FTI (as financial advisor to Xplore)
- Greenhill (as financial advisor to the committee of ad hoc term lenders)
M&A Deal of the Year
Winner: Royal Bank of Canada’s C$13.5 billion acquisition of HSBC Bank Canada
Canadian Law Firms
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (counsel to Royal Bank of Canada)
RBC Law Group (lead counsel to Royal Bank of Canada)
Miller Thomson LLP (counsel to HSBC Bank Canada board of directors)
Stikeman Elliott LLP (counsel to HSBC Global)
Non-Canadian Law Firms
A&O Sherman
Allen & Overy LLP (UK counsel to RBC)
Linklaters LLP (UK counsel to HSBC Global)
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz (US counsel to RBC
Organizations
HSBC Global
Royal Bank of Canada
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Advent International, Philip Fayer, Novacap, and CDPQ’s US$6.3 billion joint acquisition of Nuvei Corporation
Canadian Law Firms
- Bennett Jones (for BMO Capital Markets)
- Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (for Advent International)
- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (for Novacap)
- Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP (for Novacap)
- Goodmans LLP (for TD Securities)
- McCarthy Tétrault LLP (for CDPQ)
- Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP (for Special Committee of Nuvei Corporation)
- Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (for Philip Fayer)
- Stikeman Elliott LLP (for Nuvei)
Non-Canadian Law Firms
- Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP
- Mayer Brown LLP
- Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
- Ropes & Gray LLP
- Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
- Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Organizations
- Advent International
- Nuvei Corporation
Blackstone Real Estate’s C$5 billion acquisition of Tricon Residential
Canadian Law Firms
- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (counsel to Blackstone)
- Goodmans LLP (lead counsel to Tricon Residential Inc.)
- Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (Canadian counsel to the Special Committee of Tricon Residential (“Tricon”))
Non-Canadian Law Firms
- Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (US counsel to Tricon)
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (counsel to Blackstone)
Canadian Natural Resources Limited’s US$6.5 billion acquisition of Chevron’s Alberta assets
Canadian Law Firms
- Bennett Jones LLP (lead counsel to Canadian Natural Resources)
- Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (counsel to Chevron)
Chord Energy and Enerplus C$11 billion merger
Canadian Law Firms
- Goodmans LLP (counsel to Chord Energy Corporation)
- Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (counsel to Enerplus)
Non-Canadian Law Firms
- Latham & Watkins LLP
- Vinson & Elkins LLP (co-lead counsel to Chord Energy)
- Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz (co-lead counsel to Chord Energy)
Glencore’s C$9.93 billion acquisition of Teck Resources Limited
Canadian Law Firms
- Bennett Jones LLP (for Nippon Steel)
- Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (counsel to the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Teck Resources Limited)
- Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG) LLP
- Felesky Flynn LLP (counsel to Teck Resources Limited)
- McCarthy Tétrault LLP (counsel to Glencore plc)
- Stikeman Elliott LLP (counsel to Teck Resources Limited)
Non-Canadian Law Firms
- Covington & Burling LLP
- Linklaters LLP
- Norton Rose Fulbright
- Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (for Teck)
- Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (for the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Teck)
Organizations
- Teck Resources Limited
- Ardea Partners LP (financial advisor to Teck)
- Barclays Capital Canada Inc. (financial advisor to Teck)
- CIBC World Markets Inc. (financial advisor to Teck)
- TD Securities Inc. (financial advisor to Teck)
- BMO Capital Markets (financial advisors to the special committee of the Board of Directors of Teck)
- Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (financial advisors to the special committee of the Board of Directors of Teck)
- Origin Merchant Partners (financial advisors to the special committee of the Board of Directors of Teck)
Mid-Market Deal of the Year
Winner: Trans Mountain Corporation, Lower Nicola Indian Band, and EPCOR’s C$200 million sale of Kingsvale Transmission Line
Canadian Law Firms
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Dentons Canada LLP (for EPCOR)
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (legal advisor for Trans Mountain)
Organizations
EPCOR
Lower Nicola Indian Band Development Corporation
Trans Mountain Corporation
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Canada Growth Fund’s C$200 million strategic investment in Entropy and carbon credit offtake agreement
Canadian Law Firms
- Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP (counsel for Entropy and Advantage)
- Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (legal advisor for Canada Growth Fund)
- Torys LLP (counsel for Brookfield Renewable)
Organizations
- BMO (financial advisor for CGF)
Nations Royalty Corp. and Nisga’a Nation’s C$100 million royalty agreement
Canadian Law Firms
- Aldridge and Rosling LLP (co-lead firm for Nisga’a Nation)
- DuMoulin Black LLP (co-lead firm for Nisga’a Nation)
- Farris LLP (lead firm for Nations Royalty Corp.)
Organizations
- Canaccord Genuity Corp.
- Deloitte LLP
- Fiore Management & Advisory Corp.
- Nations Royalty Corp.
- Nisga’a Nation
OpenGate Capital’s C$155 million acquisition of Cineplex Inc.’s Player One Amusement Group
Canadian Law Firms
- Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (counsel to OpenGate Capital)
- Goodmans LLP (counsel to Cineplex Inc.)
Non-Canadian Law Firms
- Baker McKenzie (US counsel to Cineplex)
- Paul Hastings LLP (US counsel to OpenGate)
Organizations
- OpenGate Capital
Commercial Ligitation Team of the Year
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Bennett Jones LLP - Dow Chemical Canada ULC v NOVA Chemicals Corporation, 2025 ABKB 217, 2025 ABKB 343, 2025 ABKB 467
- Bennett Jones LLP - Remington Development Corporation v Canadian Pacific Railway Company, 2025 ABCA 244
- Borden Ladner Gervais LLP - Republic of India, et al. v. CCDM Holdings, LLC, et al., 2025 CanLII 94240
- Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP; McCarthy Tetrault LLP; Bennett Jones LLP; Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP - Métis National Council Secretariat Inc. v. Chartier, 2025 ONSC 6150
- McCarthy Tétrault LLP - Shamattawa First Nation v. Canada (Attorney General), 2025 FC 1927
- Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP - Quadrangle v. Attorney General of Canada, 2025 ONSC 4526
- Stikeman Elliot LLP; Torys LLP- In Re Hudson’s Bay Company, 2025 ONSC 5998
Banking & Financial Services Law Department of the Year
The winner of this category will automatically progress to become a finalist in Canadian Law Department of the Year
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- ATB Financial Legal & Governance Team
- Beneva EVP Legal and Corporate services
- CPP Investments
- First Canadian Title Company Limited (FCT)
- iA Financial Group
- Legal and External Affairs Division (LEAD) at Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP)
- The Hiive Company Limited
- Vancity
Canadian Law Department of the Year
Winners of the two sector-specific law department awards will automatically progress to become finalists for this category
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Brookfield Properties
- Geotab’s In-House IP Boutique Team
- Harlequin and HarperCollins Canada
- IMAX Corporation
- MDA Space Legal Team
- Office of General Counsel - KPMG LLP
- Oxford Properties Group
- SE Health
- University of Toronto
- Volkswagen Group Canada
Law Department Innovation
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- CPP Investments
- Jobber Legal Team
- Oxford Properties Group Legal Department
- Volkswagen Group Canada
The Lawson Lundell LLP Award for Law Department Leader of the Year
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Corinne Pruzanski - Cadillac Fairview (CF)
- Gaurav Manhas- OpenRoad Group
- Jeremy Trickett - BCI (British Columbia Investment Management Corporation)
- Jessica Long - Allstate Insurance Company of Canada
- Lisa Damiani - Canadian Tire Corporation
- Lorne O’Reilly, KC - Dow Chemical Canada ULC
- Nickola Voegelin - University of Waterloo
- Rustam Juma - Volkswagen Group Canada
- Samantha Traub - Boat Rocker Studios Limited
- Sue Lynn Noel - Purolator Inc.
The Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP Award for Construction, Infrastructure and Transportation Law Department of the Year
The winner of this category will automatically progress to become a finalist in Canadian Law Department of the Year
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Arcadis
- BC Hydro Legal Services
- Black & McDonald
- Canada Infrastructure Bank
- Dow Chemical Canada ULC
- Graham Group Ltd. c/o Jamie Olsen, General Counsel, Canada
- Ontario Power Generation Inc.
- Pembina Pipeline Corporation Legal Department
- Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
Best Use of Technology in a Law Firm
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Caravel Law
- Gowling WLG
- KMSC LAW LLP
- Litco Law
- McInnes Cooper
- Torys LLP
- V-Law
Boutique Law Firm of the Year
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- AGP LLP
- Gluckstein Lawyers
- Green and Spiegel LLP
- Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP
- MacLean Law
- Neuberger & Partners LLP
- Roper Greyell LLP
- Smart and Biggar
Lifetime Achievement in the Legal Profession – In-House
The recipient of this award will be revealed at the Canadian Law Awards gala.
Lifetime Achievement in the Legal Profession – Private Practice
The recipient of this award will be revealed at the Canadian Law Awards gala.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Adair Goldblatt Bieber LLP
- Goldblatt Partners LLP
- Henein Hutchison Robitaille LLP
- Jensen Shawa Solomon Duguid Hawkes LLP
- Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP
- Lenczner Slaght
- Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP
- Stockwoods LLP
- Thomson Rogers LLP
Litigator of the Year
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Brandon Barnes Trickett - Dentons Canada LLP
- Greg Allen - Allen / McMillan Litigation Counsel
- Matthew Williams - Thorsteinssons LLP
- Michael Rosenberg - McCarthy Tétrault LLP
- Rahool Agarwal - Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP
- Stéphane Pitre - Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
- Tracey M. Cohen - Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
- Vincent Rochette - Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Managing Partner of the Year
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Carissa N. Tanzola - Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP
- Cliff Proudfoot, KC - Lawson Lundell LLP
- James Murdoch - Thorsteinssons LLP
- Kurt Schlachter - Stringam Law
- Sara Mainville - JFK Law LLP
- Shawn Wolfson - Blaney McMurtry LLP
Regional Law Firm of the Year - Atlantic Canada
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Curtis Dawe
- McInnes Cooper
Regional Law Firm of the Year - Ontario
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Gardiner Roberts LLP
- Lerners LLP
- Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP/s.r.l.
- Torkin Manes LLP
- WeirFoulds LLP
Regional Law Firm of the Year - Quebec
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- De Grandpré Chait
- Dunton Rainville LLP
- Langlois Lawyers LLP
- Lavery
- Stein Monast LLP
Regional Law Firm of the Year - Western Canada
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Boughton Law Corporation
- Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP
- Farris LLP
- Lawson Lundell LLP
- McKercher LLP
- MLT Aikins LLP
- Parlee McLaws LLP
- Witten LLP
Diversity Initiative of the Year
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Aird & Berlis LLP - Angela Swan’s Memoir Initiative: Kindness Over Everything
- Dentons Canada LLP - Belonging@Dentons Trans Inclusion Policy
- Fasken - Journey to Reconciliation
- Gale Law Professional Corporation - The NCA Network
- Gowling WLG - Avenue Program
- PooranLaw Professional Corporation - PooranLaw's Pathways to Inclusion: Reducing Barriers for People with Disabilities & their Families
Female Trailblazer of the Year (Academia & In-House)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Amy Salyzyn - University of Ottawa
- Angela Yadav - Vancity
- Ashley Butts - BDO Canada LLP
- Christy Elliott - Keyera Corp.
- Debbie Caruso - Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP)
- Heather Mullen - Kenvue Canada Inc.
- Laura Paglia - Canadian Forum for Financial Markets (CFFiM)
- Shara Roy - EY Canada
Female Trailblazer of the Year (Private Practice)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Aneka Jiwaji - Jiwaji Law
- Daniela M. Pacheco - Neinstein
- Jamie Mandell - DLA Piper
- Jennifer Wasylyk - Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
- Laurie LaPalme - Dentons Canada LLP
- Martha Harrison - McCarthy Tétrault
- Shailaz Dhalla - Lawson Lundell LLP
- Sharon Vogel - Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP
- Shira Kalfa - Kalfa Law
Pro Bono Initiative of the Year
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Baker McKenzie; Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP - Northern Super League/AFC Toronto Mandate
- Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP; Stockwoods LLP - The Neighbourhood Group et al. v. HMKRO/The Neighbourhood Group v Ontario - constitutional challenge to keep safe consumption sites in Ontario open
- Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP - Working with the Canada Infrastructure Bank (the CIB), supporting its Indigenous Community Infrastructure Initiative (ICII)
- Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP - Cycle Toronto et al. v. Attorney General of Ontario et al.
- PooranLaw Professional Corporation - I Decide Law Program
- Torys LLP - Community and Legal Aid Services Program (CLASP) Digital Hub
- Yinka Law - ALL-IN MEDIA INC. Creation & HUNT v. TREVISAN et al. DIV COURT FILE 809/24
