The Six-Minute Brief: Canada

ranking / awardOct 28 · Torys, Stikeman Elliott, Blakes, McCarthy Tétrault, Goodmans, Fasken, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada, BLG, Cassels, Miller Thomson

Best Law Firms – Canada 2027 spreads Law Firm of the Year titles across Bay Street

Best Law Firms published its 2027 Canada rankings on Oct 28, 2026, naming 27 firms Law Firm of the Year across 34 practice areas. Winners included Torys (Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities Law), Stikeman Elliott (Corporate Law; Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law), Blakes (Environmental Law; Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law), McCarthy Tétrault (Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice; Privacy and Data Security Law), Goodmans (Intellectual Property Law), Fasken (Alternative Dispute Resolution; Mining Law), Norton Rose Fulbright Canada (Banking and Finance Law; Competition/Antitrust Law), BLG (Energy Law), Cassels (Advertising and Marketing Law) and Miller Thomson (Real Estate Law). The publisher's release says 80% of firms with 100 or more lawyers are now piloting generative AI tools in select practice areas, up from 57% in 2025.

why it matters

Expect a week of "Law Firm of the Year" banners across Bay Street; the differentiator is which firms turn a category win into a client-facing story rather than a press release, and the AI figure is a ready benchmark for your own adoption messaging.

sources The 2027 Best Law Firms™ – Canada: Recognition and Insights From the Legal Market Best Law Firms Announces 1,325 Leading Canadian Law Firms Amid Surge in AI Adoption

practice launchOct 28 · Miller Thomson

Miller Thomson launches a national Defence, Security & Aerospace group

On Oct 28, 2026, Miller Thomson launched a national Defence, Security & Aerospace Industry Group, co-led by partners Kirk Emery (Toronto) and Yves Rocheleau (Montréal). The firm ties the launch to Ottawa's defence spending, citing C$81.8 billion of defence investment committed in Budget 2025 and C$6.6 billion for the Defence Industrial Strategy.

why it matters

Defence procurement is the new mid-market land grab; an industry group with named co-leads in two cities gives Miller Thomson a ready pitch to suppliers before rivals have packaged theirs.

sources Miller Thomson launches Defence, Security & Aerospace Industry Group as Canadian businesses position for new defence economy | Miller Thomson Miller Thomson launches defence, security and aerospace group

lateral hireOct 27 · Osler

Osler adds in-house funds lawyer Shalomi Abraham as a Toronto corporate partner

On Oct 27, 2026, Osler announced that Shalomi Abraham has joined its Corporate group in Toronto as a partner. He was most recently SVP, Head of Legal, Canada and Assistant General Counsel, Americas, at a global investment management firm, and focuses on investment funds including ETFs, private equity and venture capital.

why it matters

Hiring from the client side buys Osler a partner who has bought legal services from asset managers; expect that buyer's-eye view to feature in its funds pitches.

source Shalomi Abraham joins Osler's Corporate group in Toronto as a partner

lateral hireOct 29 · Stikeman Elliott

Stikeman Elliott brings insurance partner Hartley Lefton to Toronto

On Oct 29, 2026, Stikeman Elliott announced that Hartley Lefton has joined as a partner in Toronto, working across its National Insurance & Reinsurance, Financial Products & Services and M&A groups. The firm's release describes him as a Chambers Canada Band 1 practitioner.

why it matters

Stikeman is billing its insurance group as Canada's leading sector practice; a Band 1 lateral makes that claim harder for rivals to contest in insurer pitches.

source Stikeman Elliott welcomes Hartley Lefton to the National Insurance & Reinsurance Group in Toronto, the leading insurance sector practice in Canada

ranking / awardOct 30 · Osler

Osler's tax group takes five ITR Americas Tax Awards

On Oct 30, 2026, Osler announced wins at the 2026 ITR Americas Tax Awards: Canada Tax Disputes Firm of the Year; Tax Disputes & Litigation Leader of the Year for Al Meghji; Women in Tax Leader Hall of Fame for Manon Thivierge; Indirect Tax Rising Star for Roger Smith; and Impact Deal of the Year for the Imperial Tobacco CCAA/Chapter 15 proceedings.

why it matters

The individual honours give Osler named partners to push in tax disputes pitches, not just a firm logo.

source Osler's Tax Group earns top honours at the 2026 ITR Americas Tax Awards

ranking / awardOct 28 · Torys

LSEG ranks Torys first in Canadian issuer debt for 9M 2026

On Oct 28, 2026, Torys announced that it ranked first by deal count in LSEG's Canada All Debt issuer legal advisor table for the first nine months of 2026, with 22 deals.

why it matters

Nine-month league tables give firms a mid-year PR beat; those without a #1 to claim need a sharper cut of the data.

source LSEG ranks Torys #1 in issuer debt for the first nine months of 2026

Bay Street banks awards and adds partners.

Best Law Firms – Canada 2027 spreads Law Firm of the Year titles across Bay Street

Miller Thomson launches a national Defence, Security & Aerospace group

Osler adds in-house funds lawyer Shalomi Abraham as a Toronto corporate partner

Stikeman Elliott brings insurance partner Hartley Lefton to Toronto

Osler's tax group takes five ITR Americas Tax Awards

LSEG ranks Torys first in Canadian issuer debt for 9M 2026

also this week

Bay Street banks awards and adds partners.

Best Law Firms – Canada 2027 spreads Law Firm of the Year titles across Bay Street

Miller Thomson launches a national Defence, Security & Aerospace group

Osler adds in-house funds lawyer Shalomi Abraham as a Toronto corporate partner

Stikeman Elliott brings insurance partner Hartley Lefton to Toronto

Osler's tax group takes five ITR Americas Tax Awards

LSEG ranks Torys first in Canadian issuer debt for 9M 2026

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also this week