2024 WINNERS & EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

Award Categories

Capital Markets Deal of the Year


2024 CAPITAL MARKETS DEAL OF THE YEAR

Winner: 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.

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

Hammerhead Resources’ business combination with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation IV, forming Hammerhead Energy

Canadian Law Firms

  • Bennett Jones LLP (for Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation IV)
  • Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (for the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Hammerhead Resources Inc.)
  • Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP (for Hammerhead Resources)

Non-Canadian Law Firms

  • Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
  • LLP (for Hammerhead Resources)

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


2024 INFRASTRUCTURE & PROJECTS DEAL OF THE YEAR

Winner: Umicore’s investment in Ontario, building an EV battery components factory

Canadian Law Firms
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (lead; for Umicore)

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

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

Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year


2024 Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year

Winner: Tacora Resources Inc.’s restructuring under CCAA

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)
Dentons LLP (counsel to American Express)
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.)
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)

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

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 (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)
  • McCarthy Tétrault LLP (for Deloitte Restructuring Inc.)
  • Goodmans LLP (for Sullair, LLC, the purchaser of Xebec’s California Compression business)
  • Norton Rose Fulbright Canada (for Export Development Canada)
  • Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (for Xebec)

Organizations

  • Deloitte Restructuring
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers
  • Richter

M&A Deal of the Year


Winner: Rogers Communications’ $26 billion acquisition of Shaw Communications

Canadian Law Firms
Bennett Jones LLP (competition counsel to Videotron)
Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (lead counsel; for Shaw Communications Inc.)
Dentons Canada LLP (for Shaw Family 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.)
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (lead counsel for Quebecor)
Torys LLP (for Rogers Control Trust)

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

Cameco/Brookfield acquisition of Westinghouse Electric Company

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’ $6.9 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 (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)

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

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


2024 Mid-Market Deal of the Year

Winner: 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.)

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

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

Canadian Law Firms

  • Aird & Berlis LLP (for Linamar Corporation)

Non-Canadian Law Firms

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

Organizations

  • Linamar Corporation

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)

Commercial Ligitation Team of the Year


2024 Commercial Ligitation Team of the Year

Winner: McCarthy Tétrault LLP – Canada (Privacy Commissioner) v. Facebook, Inc., 2023 FC 533

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • 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 Elliott 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

Banking & Financial Services Law Department of the Year


2024 BANKING & FINANCIAL SERVICES LAW DEPARTMENT OF THE YEAR

Winner: BMO Financial Group

The winner of this category automatically progressed to become an excellence awardee in Canadian Law Department of the Year

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • Fengate Asset Management
  • iA Financial Group
  • OPTrust

Canadian Law Department of the Year


2024 CANADIAN LAW DEPARTMENT OF THE YEAR

Winner: Teck Resources Limited

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • BMO Financial Group
  • Dow Chemical Canada
  • EY Canada (Ernst & Young LLP)
  • Linamar Corporation Legal Department
  • Northland Power
  • Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation / (“Infrastructure Ontario” or “IO”)
  • The Descartes Systems Group Inc.

Law Department Innovation


2024 LAW DEPARTMENT INNOVATION

Winner: City of Vaughan

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • Laurentian Bank of Canada

The Lawson Lundell LLP Award for Law Department Leader of the Year


2024 THE LAWSON LUNDELL LLP AWARD FOR LAW DEPARTMENT LEADER OF THE YEAR

Winner: Bindu Cudjoe – Laurentian Bank of Canada

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • 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 Vogell LLP Award for Construction, Infrastructure and Transportation Law Department of the Year


2024 THE SINGLETON URQUHART REYNOLDS VOGEL LLP AWARD FOR CONSTRUCTION, INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION LAW DEPARTMENT OF THE YEAR

Winner: Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation / (“Infrastructure Ontario” or “IO”)

The winner of this category automatically progressed to become an excellence awardee in Canadian Law Department of the Year

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • Aecon Group Inc.
  • BC Ministry of the Attorney General, Legal Services Branch Transportation Major Projects Team (LSB)
  • CDPQ Infra Inc.
  • Manitoba Hydro Legal Services
  • Pomerleau
  • Transdev Canada

The Dye & Durham Award for Lifetime Achievement in The Legal Profession – In-House


2024 THE DYE & DURHAM AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION – IN-HOUSE

Winner: Andrea Wood – TELUS

Boutique Law Firm of the Year


2024 BOUTIQUE LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

Winner: Smart & Biggar LLP

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

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

Litigation & Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year


2024 LITIGATION & DISPUTE RESOLUTION BOUTIQUE LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

Winner: Lenczner Slaght

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

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

Litigator of the Year


2024 LITIGATOR OF THE YEAR

Winner: Crawford Smith – Lax O’Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • Craig Ferris – Lawson Lundell 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


2024 MANAGING PARTNER OF THE YEAR

Winner: Allan Ritchie – Loopstra Nixon LLP & Kevin Kiley – McInnes Cooper

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • Anik Trudel – Lavery
  • Charles Hurdon – Norton Rose Fulbright Canada
  • Jean-François Gagnon – Langlois Lawyers LLP
  • Jeffrey Cohen – Torkin Manes LLP

Regional Law Firm of the Year - Atlantic Canada & Praries


2024 REGIONAL LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR – ATLANTIC CANADA & PRAIRIES

Winner: Cox & Palmer

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • McKercher LLP

Regional Law Firm of the Year - Central Canada


2024 REGIONAL LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR – CENTRAL CANADA

Winner: Torkin Manes LLP

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • Delegatus
  • Langlois Lawyers LLP
  • Lavery
  • WeirFoulds LLP

Regional Law Firm of the Year - Western Canada


2024 REGIONAL LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR – WESTERN CANADA

Winner: Lawson Lundell LLP

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

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

The Leap Legal Software Award for Best Use of Technology in a Law Firm


2024 THE LEAP LEGAL SOFTWARE AWARD FOR BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN A LAW FIRM

Winner: Torys LLP

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

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

The Leap Legal Software Award for Family Law Firm of the Year


2024 THE LEAP LEGAL SOFTWARE AWARD FOR FAMILY LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

Winner: MacLean Law

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • Crossroads 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


2024 THE DYE & DURHAM AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION – PRIVATE PRACTICE

Winner: Sheila Block – Torys LLP

Diversity Initiative of the Year


2024 DIVERSITY INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

Winner: McCarthy Tétrault LLP – Action Groups

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • Aird & Berlis LLP – Black Voices (In)Justice: Supporting Black Youth Representation in the Legal Profession
  • WeirFoulds LLP – Racial Equity Audit

Female Trailblazer of the Year (Academia & In-House)


2024 FEMALE TRAILBLAZER OF THE YEAR (ACADEMIA & IN-HOUSE)

Winner: Christine Chen – University Pension Plan Ontario

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

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

Female Trailblazer of the Year (Private Practice)


2024 FEMALE TRAILBLAZER OF THE YEAR (PRIVATE PRACTICE)

Winner: Jacqueline Dinsmore – Caravel Law LLP

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • Anne Merminod – Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (“BLG”)
  • 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

Pro Bono Initiative of the Year


2024 PRO BONO INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

Winner: McCarthy Tétrault LLP – McCarthy Tétrault’s work with Egale Canada and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

  • Cochrane Saxberg LLP – Cochrane Saxberg Indigenous Empowerment Legal Initiatives
  • Fasken – Dickson v Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, SCC docket number 39856
  • McInnes Cooper – Immigration Project
  • Norton Rose Fulbright Canada – Housing Empowerment Legal Program (HELP)

The Lincoln Alexander School of Law Award for Shaping the Future


2024 THE LINCOLN ALEXANDER SCHOOL OF LAW AWARD FOR SHAPING THE FUTURE

Winner: Legal Aid Alberta

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

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