"Our practice is constantly evolving as we anticipate and experience change and its legal implications."
Reflecting our historical strengths, we are organized into two principal sections: litigation and business law.
Our team of litigation lawyers is one of Canada's largest and most respected groups of barristers and is retained on a wide variety of sophisticated, high profile matters. Our litigators provide services in all areas of the law, including commercial and securities litigation, class actions, product liability, insurance, banking, administrative law and appellate litigation to name just a few.
Our involvement in business law matters goes far beyond structuring and negotiating deals. We devise creative solutions to meet the business and litigation objectives of our clients with the expertise of over 35 specialized practice groups, including:
Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions – we handle a range of sophisticated transactions for a variety of clients. We advise bidders in planning acquisition strategies, developing appropriate and tax efficient structures, arranging financing and implementing all aspects of a transaction. We also assist target companies in preparing for and defending take-over bids, including implementing shareholder rights plans and other defence mechanisms in hostile situations and negotiating support agreements in friendly situations. Additionally, we advise our clients on a broad spectrum of corporate finance matters.
Global Mining– we regularly advise some of the world's largest and fastest growing resource companies, investment banks and financial institutions on mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financing in the Canadian and international financial markets, and project finance. The group also has specialized expertise in joint ventures, permitting and closure plans, litigation, resource taxation, environmental compliance and aboriginal issues.
Labour, Employment & Human Rights
– we frequently appear before federal and provincial labour relations boards, arbitration boards, various other tribunals and the courts. We advise clients on effective labour relations and personnel practices, in addition to all aspects of workplace regulation and pension matters.
Technology & Intellectual Property– we assist companies with their intellectual property and outsourcing needs and work with technology companies (IT, e-commerce, life sciences and other) for their special needs. Our technology clients range from established technology leaders to emerging entre-preneurs and IT and life sciences pioneers. The group includes both lawyers and patent and trade-mark agents and advises our clients on all aspects of technology-related issues.
Taxation– we advise on a full range of domestic and international taxation matters including structuring large commercial acquisitions, financings and other transactions.
Trusts, Wills, Estates & Charities – we specialize in all major areas of estate planning, including: wills and trusts, estates and post-mortem estate planning, estate freezing, cross-border and international, marriage contracts and charities. We are involved in succession planning, and have been involved in both contentious and non-contentious family situations. We have acted as facilitators in a number of family planning transactions. We also advise extensively on estate litigation matters.
Communications- we represent a diverse range of clients, including domestic and international wireline and wireless telecommunications companies, Internet service providers, resellers, broadcasters and cable companies, developers and operators of telecommunications facilities and users of satellite technology. We also represent a wide range of clients that invest in and make use of telecommunications and broad-casting services, including financial institutions, governments and other public institutions and property owners.
Real Estate – we have expertise in all aspects of real property transactions in Ontario and across Canada. We advise on purchases and sales, financings, joint ventures, leases, construction contracts, syndications and condominium developments. We also provide services in the municipal law and land-use planning areas.
Antitrust/Competition & Marketing– we have extensive experience in all areas of competition law, including mergers, criminal matters and reviewable practices (e.g. conspiracy, pricing and distribution issues, marketing and advertising), as well as in competition law litigation.
Privacy & Information Protection– we advise a broad range of clients on all aspects of federal and provincial privacy law and access and freedom of information legislation, and related issues. We also work closely with industry associations and co-founded the Ontario and Canadian Bar Associations' Privacy Law Sections.
Private Equity– we are committed to serving the special needs of high-growth companies with a global outlook. Our mission is to empower their decision-makers through a differentiated approach to the delivery of legal services, with advice that is strategic, focused and pragmatic. Our focus is on helping clients build shareholder value in their businesses and, just as importantly, ensuring that such value is recognized in the market place.
Government Relations & Ethics – we combine wide-ranging experience in communication, strategy and public policy in order to provide a broad range of communication, crisis management and government relations services to our private and public sector clients.