2021 Winners & Excellence Awardees

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  • Hundreds of nominations were received from firms and legal departments across the nation.
  • The Awards research team reviewed all nominations, applying its own knowledge and some third-party information, to identify the outstanding firms, teams, individuals, deals or cases in each category that receive an ‘’Excellence Award’’.
  • The second phase of the research process involves the ‘’Excellence Awards’’ nominations material being forwarded to the extensive independent judging panel for scoring against strict criteria.
  • Judges’ scores are aggregated to produce a single ‘Winner’ in each category, a process that is fully verified by independent auditors, PwC.
  • The Winners of each category were announced during the online Canadian Law Awards event May 20, 2021.

If you or your firm contributed to any of the deals and cases below and deserve credit for your participation, or if you have been incorrectly noted, please contact [email protected].


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DEAL AWARDS


Capital Markets Deal of the Year

Creation of Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation and Brookfield Renewable Corporation

Firms
Appleby, McMillan LLP, Torys LLP

Accountants
Deloitte, EY, PWC, KPMG

Banks
RBC Capital Markets

Excellence Awardees
Cornerstone financing of Intact Acquisition of RSA
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Clifford Chance, Latham & Watkins, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Stikeman Elliott, Torys LLP

Creation of a new form of Tier 1 Regulatory capital
Firms
McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Torys LLP

Banks
BMO, CIBC, CWB, NBC, RBC

GFL IPO
Firms
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP

Accountants
Deloitte LLP

Banks
BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC; RBC Dominion Securities Inc.; Scotia Capital Inc.

Nuvei IPO and private placement
Firms
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Ropes & Gray LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP

Organizations
AST Trust Company, Novacap Management Inc.,

Accountants
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Banks
BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., CIBC World Markets, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Canada Inc., Cowen and Company, LLC, Credit Suisse Securities (Canada), Inc., Goldman Sachs Canada, Inc., Merrill Lynch Canada, Inc., National Bank Financial, Inc., Raymond James Ltd., RBC Dominion Securities Inc., Scotia Capital Inc., Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc., TD Securities Inc., William Blair & Company, L.L.C.

Infrastructure & Projects Deal of the Year

Financing of Coastal Gaslink Pipeline

Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stikeman Elliot LLP, Torys LLP

Organizations
AIMCo, KKR

Banks
RBC Capital Markets

Excellence Awardees
Financing of Cascade Power project
Firms
Bennett Jones LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, DLA Piper (Canada) LLP, Duncan Craig LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Miller Thomson LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stewart McKelvey, Stikeman Elliot LLP, Torys LLP, Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP

Banks
ATB Financial, Canadian Western Bank, Fiera Private Debt Fund VI LP, ING Capital LLC, Macquarie Capital Funding LLC, MUFG Bank, Ltd., Canada Branch, National Bank Of Canada, Natixis, New York Branch, Nomura Corporate Funding Americas, LLC, Siemens Financial Ltd.

Financing of Edmonton Valley Line West LRT Extension
Firms
Aird & Berlis LLP, Farris LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Organizations
Marigold Infrastructure Partners Limited Partnership

Accountants
Ernst & Young

Banks
Scotia Capital

Financing of Louis-Hippolyte-La-Fontaine Tunnel
Firms:
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, Stikeman Elliot LLP

Organizations
Desjardins Securities

Banks
Bank of Nova Scotia, Business Development Bank of Canada, Fédération Des Caisses Desjardins Du Québec, Royal Bank of Canada, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Toronto-Dominion Bank

Financing of Nova Scotia Highway 104 Twinning Project
Firms
Aird & Berlis LLP, Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, BOYNECLARKE LLP, Farris LLP, Stewart McKelvey

Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year

CCAA Restructuring of Cirque du Soleil

Firms
Bennett Jones LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Goodmans LLP, Lavery Lawyers, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, McMillan LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP, Torys LLP, Woods LLP

Accountants
Ernst & Young

Excellence Awardees
CBCA restructuring of Just Energy Group Inc.
Firms
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Goodmans LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Torys LLP

Organizations:
Alvarez & Marsal Canada Inc.

CCAA restructuring of James E. Wagner Cultivation Corporation
Firms
Bennett Jones LLP, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, DLA Piper, Torys LLP

CCAA Restructuring of Nemaska Lithium
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Clyde & Co Canada LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Dentons Canada LLP, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Goodmans LLP, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, Langlois lawyers, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Miller Thomson LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP, Torys LLP, Woods LLP

Accountants
PwC

Banks
National Bank Financial

Recapitalization of Calfrac Well Services Ltd. and its affiliates
Firms
Bennett Jones LLP, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Dentons Canada LLP, Goodmans LLP, Lenczner Slaght, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright

Mid-Market Deal of the Year

GMP Capital acquisition of Richardson GMP

Firms
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Goodmans LLP, Lenczner Slaght, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stikeman Elliot LLP, Voorheis & Co. LLP

Organizations
Cormark Securities Inc., Gryphon Advisors Inc., Kingsdale Shareholder Services Inc.,Longview Communications & Public Affairs

Banks
RBC Capital Markets

Excellence Awardees
Evolution Mining acquisition of the Red Lake gold mine from Newmont
Firms
Allens, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Goodmans LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP

NordStar Capital acquisition of Torstar
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Bennett Jones LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Torys LLP

Northleaf Capital Partners sale of non-controlling stake to Mackenzie Financial Corporation and Great-West Lifeco
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Novacap acquisition of Logibec Inc.
Firms
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Lavery Lawyers, Paul Hastings LLP, Stikeman Elliot LLP

Accountants
Ernst & Young LLP

M&A Deal of the Year

KingSett Capital and Starlight Investments acquisition of Northview Apartment REIT

Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Bloom Lanys PC, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Goodmans LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP

Excellence Awardees
M&A Deal of the YearWINNER KingSett Capital and Starlight Investments acquisition of Northview Apartment REIT Firms: Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Bloom Lanys PC, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Goodmans LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP EXCELLENCE AWARDEES Berkshire Partners Investment in VetStrategy
Firms
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Goodmans LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Torkin Manes LLP, Torys LLP

Equinix acquisition of Bell data Centres
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP

Banks
Citi, JPMorgan, RBC Capital Markets, TD Securities



HBC Going Private transaction
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, McMillan LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP, Torys LLP

Kirkland Lake acquisition of Detour Gold
Firms
Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP

Laurel Hill, FTI Consulting
Laurel Hill, FTI Consulting

Power Financial reorganization transaction with Power Corporation
Firms
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Goodmans LLP, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

CASE AWARDS


Class Action Team of the Year

Bennett Jones LLP - Winder v. Marriott International Inc.

Excellence Awardees
Auger Garnier Frédérick, BGA Avocats, McCarthy Tétrault LLP - Brousseau v. Abbott Laboratories (Biaxin)

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) - Fortin v. Mazda Canada inc.

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Eric K. Gillespie, Murray Klippenstein and Kathleen Coulter - Good v. Toronto Police Services Board

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP, Siskinds LLP - Boston Scientific Pelvic Mesh Class Action

Commercial Litigation Team of the Year

Arvay Finlay LLP, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Caza Saikaley S.R.L./LLP, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Gall Legge Grant Zwack LLP, Grant Kovacs Norell, JFK Law Corporation, Lawson Lundell LLP, MacKenzie Fujisawa LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, NG Ariss Fong, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Ratcliff and Company LLP, White Raven Law Corporation - Attorney General of British Columbia v. Attorney General of Canada (B.C.)

Excellence Awardees
Attorney General of Quebec, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Torys LLP, Vincent Karim and Ricardo Hrtschan - Hydro-Québec v. Matta

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP, Woods LLP - 9354-9186 Québec inc. v. Callidus Capital Corp.

Dentons Canada LLP, Fillmore Riley LLP - Canadian National Railway Company v. John Doe

FIRM AWARDS


The Western Union Business Solutions Award for IP Boutique Law Firm of the Year

Smart & Biggar

Excellence Awardees
Oyen Wiggs Green & Mutala LLP

Robic, LLP

Atlantic Canada Law Firm of the Year

Stewart McKelvey LLP

Excellence Awardees
Wagners

Ontario Law Firm of the Year

Lerners LLP

Excellence Awardees
Barriston LLP

Beard Winter LLP

Torkin Manes LLP

WeirFoulds LLP

Prairies Law Firm of the Year

Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP

Excellence Awardees
McDougall Gauley LLP

McKercher LLP

Pitblado LLP

Quebec Law Firm of the Year

Lavery Lawyers

Excellence Awardees
Langlois lawyers, LLP

Spiegel Sohmer

Western Canada Law Firm of the Year

Farris LLP

Excellence Awardees
Clark Wilson LLP

Lawson Lundell LLP

Litigation & Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year

Lenczner Slaght

Excellence Awardees
Adair Goldblatt Bieber LLP

Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP

Jensen Shawa Solomon Duguid Hawkes LLP

Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP

Thomson Rogers

Best Use of Technology in a Law Firm

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)

Excellence Awardees
Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Davidson Houle Allen LLP

Gluckstein Lawyers

McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Litigator of the Year

Excellence Awardees
Sylvie Rodrigue - Torys LLP

Andrew I. Nathanson - Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

Melissa Miller - Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP

Crawford Smith - Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP

Brandon Kain - McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Managing Partner of the Year

Dave Leonard - McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Excellence Awardees
Suzana Popovic-Montag - Hull & Hull LLP

Anik Trudel - Lavery Lawyers

Tom Curry - Lenczner Slaght

Mia Hempey - Nelligan O'Brien Payne LLP

IN-HOUSE AWARDS


Banking & Financial Institutions Law Department of the Year

TD Bank

Excellence Awardees
CIBC

Coast Capital Savings

National Bank of Canada

Royal Bank of Canada

Construction, Infrastructure & Transportation Law Department of the Year

IBI Group

Excellence Awardees
Aecon Group Inc.

Canada Lands Company Limited

Infrastructure Ontario (IO)

VIA Rail Canada Inc.

Energy & Resources Law Department of the Year

Ontario Power Generation

Excellence Awardees
Plains Midstream Canada ULC (PMC)

Canadian Law Department of the Year

TD Bank

Excellence Awardees
Alberta Health Services

Ivanhoe Cambridge inc.

Mastercard Foundation

TELUS Communications

Teranet Inc., Legal Services Group

IBI Group

Ontario Power Generation

Law Department Leader of the Year

Graeme McPhail - Rogers Communications Inc.

Excellence Awardees
Pierre Marc Bellavance, LL.M., ASC - Beneva (La Capitale Insurance and Financial Services and SSQ Insurance)

Julie Morel - Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. ("BRP")

Carl DeLuca - Detour Gold Corporation

Erica Zarkovich - LifeLabs

David Hanick - Starlight Investments

Law Department Innovation Award

Teck Resources Ltd.'s business transformation program - RACE21TM

Excellence Awardees
CPP Investments' deal risk rating frameworks and app

IBI Group's process automation tools

Royal Bank of Canada's contest rules compliance and global brand portfolio management

Siemens’ Healthineers in Canada app

LEGAL PROFESSION AWARDS


The Bereskin & Parr Award for Diversity Initiative of the Year

McCarthy Tétrault LLP - McCarthy Tétrault’s Anti-Racism Strategy

Excellence Awardees
Aird & Berlis LLP - ABDI

Dentons Canada LLP - Standing up against anti-Black racism

Harper Grey LLP - Life in Law

Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP - Race equity strategy

Ontario Regional Office of the Department of Justice (Canada) - The Department of Justice Ontario Regional Office's Commitment to Action on Diversity and Inclusion

Female Trailblazer (Academia / General Counsel)

Donna E. Young - Ryerson University Faculty of Law

Jasmine Singh - BMO Financial Group

Bindu Cudjoe - CWB Financial Group

Shannon Rogers - Global Relay

Jennifer Suess - RioCan REIT

Lisa Ford - Royal Bank of Canada

Terrie-Lynne Devonish - Staples Canada

Kathleen A. Howie - The Co-operators Group Limited

Female Trailblazer (Private Practice)

Krista Hill - Torys LLP

Excellence Awardees
Maria Scarfo - Blaney McMurtry LLP

Éloïse Gratton - Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)

Robin Aitken, TEP - Cox & Palmer

Elizabeth S. Dipchand - Dipchand LLP

Sangeetha Punniyamoorthy - DLA Piper (Canada) LLP

Karen Hennessey - Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP

Lisa D. Ridgedale - Hakemi & Ridgedale LLP

Cheryl D'Sa - Narwal Litigation

Allison Kuntz - Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Sharon Vogel - Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP

Sumeet (Sonu) Dhanju-Dhillon - Torkin Manes LLP

Pro Bono Initiative of the Year

Dentons Canada LLP - Dentons helps employers put domestic abuse on the agenda

Excellence Awardees
IMK s.e.n.c.r.l./LLP - Contestation of Bill 21

Nelligan O'Brien Payne - Free Employment Helpline

Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP - Norton Rose Fulbright and Zú partner to support growing businesses in Quebec’s entertainment industry

2021