Presenting the 2026 Canadian Law Awards winners

Each spring, Canadian Lawyer and Lexpert brings Canada's legal industry together to recognize and celebrate its most exceptional individuals, achievements, and organizations. This year was no different.

At the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Tuesday night, we revealed the winners of the 2026 Canadian Law Awards – a hand-picked selection of Canada's top law firms, in-house legal teams, and individual lawyers, along with their most exceptional deals and cases.

Canadian Lawyer and Lexpert would like to extend a warm thanks to all the sponsors that made this year's event possible: Silver Awards Sponsors Lawson Lundell LLP and Singleton Reynolds; Social Media Sponsor Norton Rose Fulbright; Official Jewelry Partner Dean Davidson; Official Ballot Accountants PwC; Experience Sponsor Rent the Couture; and Accommodation Partner InterContinental Toronto Centre.

Here are this year’s Canadian Law Awards winners:

Regional Law Firm of the Year - Atlantic Canada 

• McInnes Cooper

Regional Law Firm of the Year - Ontario

• Lerners LLP

Regional Law Firm of the Year - Quebec

• Langlois Lawyers LLP

Regional Law Firm of the Year - Western Canada

• Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP

The Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP Award for Construction, Infrastructure and Transportation Law Department of the Year

• Ontario Power Generation Inc.

Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year

• Canadian Tobacco's restructuring under the CCAA

Infrastructure & Projects Deal of the Year

• Trillium Health Partners C$13.9 billion hospital redevelopment project

Pro Bono Initiative of the Year

• PooranLaw Professional Corporation - I Decide Law Program

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

• Lisa Damiani - Canadian Tire Corporation

Best Use of Technology in a Law Firm

• Torys LLP

Law Department Innovation

• CPP Investments

Litigator of the Year

• Michael Rosenberg - McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Banking & Financial Services Law Department of the Year

• CPP Investments

Litigation & Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year

• Lenczner Slaght

Lifetime Achievement in the Legal Profession – In-House

• Melissa Kennedy - Sun Life

Lifetime Achievement in the Legal Profession – Private Practice

• Brian Gover - Stockwoods LLP

Commercial Litigation Team of the Year

• McCarthy Tétrault LLP; Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP - Shamattawa First Nation v. Canada (Attorney General), 2025 FC 1927

Boutique Law Firm of the Year

• Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP

Mid-Market Deal of the Year

• Blue Ant's go-public reverse takeover transaction of Boat Rocker

Diversity Initiative of the Year

• PooranLaw Professional Corporation - PooranLaw's Pathways to Inclusion: Reducing Barriers for People with Disabilities & their Families

M&A Deal of the Year

• Strathcona Resources' hostile takeover bid and Cenovus Energy's acquisition of MEG Energy

Managing Partner of the Year

• Cliff Proudfoot, KC - Lawson Lundell LLP

Female Trailblazer of the Year (Private Practice)

• Martha Harrison  - McCarthy Tétrault LLP

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

• Shara Roy  - EY Canada

Capital Markets Deal of the Year

• Stonlasec8 Alliance's C$736 million investment in Enbridge's Westcoast pipeline

Canadian Law Department of the Year

• MDA Space Legal Team

See a full list of winners and advisors on the Canadian Law Awards website.