Litigation boutique Tyr LLP is equipped to handle class action defence, domestic and international arbitration, and real estate, energy, natural resources and shareholder disputes. The ‘highly effective’ team is routinely instructed by clients in the tech, healthcare, energy and financial services sectors. ‘Exceptional advocate’ James Bunting heads up the practice group and has particular expertise in class actions, securities litigation and construction disputes. Also noted is Carlos Sayao, who is well-versed in sports disputes.

The Ontario disputes group at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP is routinely instructed by clients in the financial services, mining, automotive, insurance and pharmaceutical sectors for its commercial litigation expertise. Catherine Beagan Flood and Iris Fischer share leadership of the practice. Beagan Flood specializes in the defence of privacy, antitrust, insurance, product liability, misleading advertising, telecommunications and consumer-protection class actions. Fischer handles commercial litigation, internal and government investigations and white-collar matters, and has noted media and defamation expertise. Also noted are Michael Barrack (corporate and commercial, taxation, securities, constitutional and insolvency litigation, as well as arbitration); Jeff Galway (corporate/commercial, securities, constitutional, competition and pension law matters); Gordon McKee (class action defence and product liability claims); and Bradley Berg (commercial litigation, shareholder disputes and administrative law matters).

The practice group at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, which is highlighted by one client as a ‘well-oiled litigation machine’, is well-placed to handle commercial litigation mandates across the telecoms, financial services, mining and life sciences segments. The department is directed by Kent Thomson, who is experienced in commercial disputes, securities cases, competition law and class action defence. Additional names to note include Sandra Forbes (corporate, class action, securities and competition litigation); Matthew Milne-Smith (commercial disputes, class actions, securities disputes); ‘standout litigator’ Chantelle Cseh (competition litigation, white-collar, fraud and securities matters); Steven Frankel (class action, securities, competition litigation and arbitration); Derek Ricci (mining, telecoms, fraud and securities litigaton); and Luis Sarabia, who has particular experience in litigation and arbitration for mining disputes. Chenyang Li was promoted to the partnership in January 2024. Associate Anisha Visvanatha joined the firm from Norton Rose Fulbright in July 2024.

The ‘first-rate, committed litigators’ at Toronto-based litigation boutique Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP regularly represent domestic and international clients in class actions, securities litigation, insolvency cases, competition litigation, insurance litigation and administrative and constitutional law cases. The group is jointly directed by Jonathan Lisus (defamation litigation, product liability, oppression remedies and securities litigation), who is lauded by one client as ‘undoubtedly one of the finest commercial litigators in the Toronto market’; and Matthew Gottlieb, who specializes in corporate and commercial disputes, as well as insolvency and restructuring and fraud and securities litigation. Also noted are Crawford Smith (corporate and commercial matters, competition and insurance litigation, administrative law); Paul Fruitman (contract disputes, infrastructure and construction disputes); the ‘always well-prepared and thorough’ Michael Currie; and Nadia Campion, Rahool Agarwal, Andrew Winton and Shaun Laubman.

The team at Toronto-based boutique Lenczner Slaght regularly represents financial services, retail, insurance and mining-sector clients in litigation. Leadership of the group is shared between Monique Jilesen and Eli Lederman. Jilesen focuses her practice on class action defence, contract and shareholder disputes, civil fraud cases, injunctions, professional liability matters and bankruptcy and insolvency litigation. Lederman specializes in commercial litigation, commercial contracts work and shareholder litigation. Also noted are Peter Griffin KC (corporate-commercial litigation, class actions, securities matters, director liability); Tom Curry, Matthew Lerner and Brian Kolenda.

The Ontario disputes team at McCarthy Tétrault regularly handles a range of commercial disputes mandates, including class actions, product and professional liability, securities litigation, white collar defence, competition issues and construction disputes. Leadership of the group is shared between Thomas Sutton, who has focused his practice on commercial, contractual, regulatory and professional liability cases; and Sunil Kapur, who draws on significant experience representing financial services, manufacturing, transportation, education and healthcare-sector clients in labour board proceedings, arbitration and employment litigation. Also noted are Paul Steep, who specializes in contractual disputes, securities litigation, oppression remedies and directors’ liability cases; arbitration group co-chair Junior Sirivar; Sarit Batner (breach of contract, patents, shareholder disputes); and commercial litigators Adam Goldenberg, Moya Graham and Christine Lonsdale. Eric Block left the firm in July 2023; however, Marina Sampson joined in February 2024.

Bennett Jones LLP's Ontario disputes practice routinely handles restructuring litigation, fraud and white-collar matters and class action litigation involving the automotive, retail and pharma sectors. Richard Swan heads up the group and specializes in commercial litigation, arbitration and insolvency litigation. Additional names to note include Robert Staley, who majors on commercial and securities litigation, securities regulation and class actions; Jeffrey Leon (securities, commercial, corporate, product liability and professional negligence litigation); class action practice co-head Cheryl Woodin; and Michael Eizenga (product liability and class actions).

Stikeman Elliott LLP's Ontario disputes team is equipped to handle a range of contentious mandates, among them contested takeover bids, proxy contests and other litigation matters related to corporate control; commercial litigation; and director and officer liability litigation, including the prosecution and defence of shareholder claims. The practice is directed by Toronto-based Eliot Kolers, who specializes in corporate and commercial litigation, class actions, securities litigation and competition litigation matters. Additional key contacts include Sinziana Hennig, who majors on competition, securities, consumer protection, product liability and franchise law claims; Aaron Kreaden, who handles corporate-commercial litigation, negligence claims and directors’ liability matters; and Alexander Rose, who takes care of securities litigation.

The team at Torys' Ontario disputes department is well-versed in shareholder litigation and corporate-commercial litigation. The group’s client roster frequently features domestic and multinational companies in the financial services, insurance, tech, retail and manufacturing sectors. Practice co-head Linda Plumpton specializes in competition litigation, securities litigation, class action defence and corporate and commercial disputes. Also co-leading, Sarah Whitmore handles class actions, commercial litigation, employment law and media law. Also noted are Sheila Block (commercial and securities litigation, IP, defamation and administrative law cases); Gillian Dingle (corporate and securities litigation); and Andrew Bernstein (public law and appellate work).

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP's Ontario disputes practice specializes in diverse contentious mandates that include class actions and white collar defence, commercial fraud investigations, competition litigation and banking and securities litigation. Companies from the retail, mining, financial services and automotive sectors routinely feature on the group’s client roster. Three partners share leadership: David Di Paolo and Nadia Effendi are based at the Toronto office, while Kathleen McDormand is based in Ottawa. Di Paolo specializes in securities litigation, class actions and shareholder disputes; Effendi majors on class actions, and administrative, regulatory and constitutional law; McDormand covers breach of contract cases, professional negligence matters and banking litigation matters.

Dentons' Ontario disputes offering takes in commercial litigation, insurance litigation, shareholder dispute litigation, product liability litigation and class actions. The practice is directed by Douglas Stewart, who also co-leads the firm’s insurance group, and who specializes in commercial and civil litigation, with an emphasis on professional liability matters. Also noted are Matthew Fleming (class actions, securities litigation, product liability, regulatory and professional liability matters); Michael Schafler (arbitration and litigation); and Mark Evans (business disputes, securities-related frauds and the recovery of misappropriated assets). Marina Sampson left the firm in February 2024.

Fasken's Ontario disputes practice specializes in class action defence, product liability litigation and securities litigation, as it counts companies in the automotive, energy, financial services and tech sectors among its clients. Toronto-based department lead Sarah Armstrong has focused her practice on commercial litigation, arbitration and class action defence, as well as administrative law matters. Additional names to note include Peter Pliszka (product liability, class action, commercial and insurance litigation matters); Ottawa-based Peter Mantas, who co-leads the firm’s white collar defence and investigations group; and Ontario litigation vice chair Vera Toppings (class actions and complex business and contractual disputes).

Goodmans LLP‘s Ontario disputes group handles a range of contentious matters that includes corporate, commercial and civil litigation, shareholder activism mandates, trust and estate administration disputes, securities litigation and class action defence. Key contacts include Alan Mark (business disputes with a focus on corporate governance, securities, and restructuring and insolvency); David Conklin (disputes arising from M&A and shareholder disputes); Julie Rosenthal (commercial disputes, competition law and regulatory and administrative law proceedings); Peter Kolla (litigation and arbitration proceedings involving complex commercial and financial transactions); and Melanie Ouanounou (general commercial litigation and estate litigation). Andrew Brodkin and Francy Kussner share leadership of the department. All lawyers mentioned are based at the firm’s Toronto office.

The Ontario disputes group at Gowling WLG group is known for its activity in aviation, insolvency and restructuring, banking, procurement, white-collar crime and competition-related disputes. The firm boasts four Ontario offices, located in Hamilton, Ottawa, Toronto and Kitchener. Key contacts include Sandra Barton (commercial litigation matters, class action defence, professional liability defence); Scott Kugler (commercial disputes, including class actions, and shareholder disputes); and Sahil Shoor (construction, infrastructure and real estate disputes).

Norton Rose Fulbright‘s Ontario disputes group, which is based across offices in Toronto and Ottawa, is routinely instructed by financial institutions and telecoms, retail, transportation and manufacturing companies seeking representation in commercial and securities litigation, as well as shareholder disputes. Leadership of the practice is shared between Toronto-based James Renihan (contractual, employment and real estate disputes) and Ottawa-based Tate McLeod (commercial, insurance, employment and disability benefit disputes). Also noted are Orestes Pasparakis (commercial litigation, corporate restructuring, patent disputes); and Jennifer Teskey (class actions, securities, regulatory and energy-related matters). Practice co-head Linda Fuerst departed in January 2024, as did associate Anisha Visvanatha in July the same year.

The Ontario disputes capabilities of Baker McKenzie take in commercial litigation and arbitration, corporate disputes, competition litigation, fraud litigation and a range of white-collar and financial recovery mandates. Practice head John Pirie specializes in representing corporations, banks and investors in commercial disputes. Also noted are Matthew Latella (white collar and asset recovery matters); and David Gadsden (competition and antitrust litigation, tech disputes, commercial arbitration).

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP's disputes capabilities in Ontario take in representing clients at all levels of federal and provincial courts in commercial litigation, officers’ liability claims, insolvency litigation and securities litigation. John M. Picone, who also acts as the firm’s securities litigation group co-head, steers the department and specializes in securities, corporate and commercial litigation. Restructuring and insolvency litigator John Birch is an additional key contact.

Areas of expertise for DLA Piper (Canada) LLP's Ontario disputes practice group include shareholder litigation, class action defence and commercial fraud and other commercial litigation. Toronto-based practice head David Foulds specializes in commercial dispute mandates, including breach of contract cases, shareholder disputes and product recall cases. Derek Bell, who handles securities litigation, insolvency litigation and competition litigation, is an additional key contact.