Canada`s largest law firms, according to legal figures, have some things in common. They serve large companies that are often on the Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 lists, and sometimes even consult with governments. They are primarily based in Toronto, where the vast majority of business law is practiced, but their offices are spread all over the world, as most of their companies operate in more than one country. From the beginning, our mission has been to seek, accept and retain only the best companies for membership. Every Ottawa law firm is audited to ensure its commitment to excellence as embodied in the six pillars, including integrity, work excellence and reasonable fees. After more than 20 years of significant growth in Primerus` membership and expansion of services, we have never deviated from this commitment and never will. Measured by the number of local lawyers, Ottawa`s largest law firms are: as Bytown`s legal system has developed, so has the city itself. In 1855, the name changed to Ottawa and it became officially known as a city. In 1857, it was chosen as the capital by Queen Victoria.

By 1867, Canada had officially become a country, and the British North America Act of 1867 provided for the creation of a federal court. On April 8, 1875, the bill proposing the creation of this court received official royal approval, and law firms such as Henderson McVeity, founded in Ottawa in 1887, began to open their doors to business in the nation`s capital. Since the beginning of the gradual reopening of the economy, law firms have become increasingly involved in major financial transactions and mergers and acquisitions that had slowed down at the beginning of the health crisis. In the first three months of 2021, M&A activity increased significantly due to encouraging financing conditions, with transactions reaching their highest level since 2016 in the third quarter of the year, as strong equity markets and low interest rates boosted transactions suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Each year, the Ottawa Business Journal surveys more than a thousand companies operating in the National Capital Region and publishes the results in its List Book. This annual publication contains important information about companies in dozens of industries, including the city`s largest law firms. While some of the city`s historic businesses have grown since the era of Canadian Confederation, others have only recently opened in Ottawa, but they are thriving. LaBarge Weinstein LLP, founded in 1997, specializes in knowledge and technology companies, while the 20-year-old law firm Sicotte Guilbault LLP is another dynamic and growing general practice. From global to local, from old to new, Ottawa`s line of law firms suggests that the National Capital Region has become a hub for experienced and aspiring lawyers.

There are several Ottawa companies with an international presence. Cassidy Levy Kent`s main offices are located in Ottawa and Washington, Blake Cassels and Graydon have offices in Ottawa, Vancouver, New York, Chicago and London, and Osler is headquartered in Ottawa and New York, to name a few. Osler has been practicing law since 1862, when Bath Osler began practicing law in Dundas, Ontario (70 km west of Toronto). By the age of 23, Osler had opened two law firms (Dundas and Hamilton) and started his own business on one of the first commuter trains in North America. In 1882 Osler moved his practice to Toronto, the provincial capital and then The second largest business city in Canada, to Montreal. Within a decade, the firm became one of the top three law firms in Canada, eventually establishing itself in Ottawa. The company`s customers included many of the country`s largest companies almost from the beginning and others that would become leading companies in key emerging industries such as railways, banking and insurance, manufacturing, and natural resources. As the business flourished, it attracted international companies looking for opportunities in Canada.

Osler`s has taken the lead in promoting women in an industry that has been known for too long to have a glass ceiling for women. In 1968, Osler became the first major business law firm in Canada to admit a woman as a partner, Bertha Wilson, who later became the first female judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. Many of Ottawa`s most prestigious law firms — Osler`s, Gowlings, Nelligan O`Brien Payne, May & Konyer and Soloway Wright — are located near the Elgin Street Courthouse, some in historic buildings, others in modern towers. These law firms specialize in various fields, from criminal law to commercial law and inheritance law. With over 100 law firms spread across the city, if you need a lawyer, you`ll be ready. With thousands of lawyers at their jobs, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP is one of Canada`s leading law firms. This limited liability company (LLP) offers a variety of services to provide optimal results to each client. The company`s staff is almost exclusively bilingual.

For its efforts, BLG has been featured in numerous national and international legal publications. McMillan LLP is one of Canada`s best-known business law firms, with roots dating back to 1903. Through McMillan`s “One Office Philosophy” and offices in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Hong Kong, all of our clients benefit from McMillan`s network of 300 multilingual in-house lawyers, supported by paralegals, legal assistants and business people who help businesses, government agencies and start-ups solve their most complex business challenges. McMillan`s high standards of excellence are rooted in the firm`s core values of respect, teamwork, commitment, client service and professional excellence to better serve our clients, the local community and the legal profession. The International Society of Primerus Law Firms brings together the world`s best law firms working together to provide high-quality services at reasonable fees. It`s not easy to meet our strict standards, so you can count on each of our 3,000 lawyers from nearly 200 member firms. With offices in more than 40 countries and 130 cities around the world, we are a truly global legal team that provides transparent and efficient service wherever your legal requirements are located. Today, Henderson McVeity is known as Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP (Gowlings) and is the second largest law firm in Canada with offices in Beijing, Moscow and London. The Moscow office was one of the first Western law firms in post-Soviet Russia, and the firm sent a talented young lawyer named Monique Couture to lead prosecutions in what was then the Wild West of the new Russia.

Their work there continues to bear fruit for the company`s reputation to this day. Blakes is also a member of the Advisory Board of TechLaw Group, a global network of law firms operating in more than 30 countries to promote the legal interests of clients operating in technology-related business areas. This means you can choose a Primerus Ottawa lawyer with confidence. With nearly 3,000 lawyers in Ottawa, Primerus is as large as some of the largest U.S. law firms. Our lawyers in Ottawa have extensive knowledge and expertise in hundreds of areas of expertise and subspecialties. But Primerus Ottawa law firms are completely independent and self-sufficient. And these are usually small or medium-sized law firms with fewer than 50 lawyers. The result is more personal attention, excellent communication and lasting relationships. Finding these excellent law firms in Ottawa and around the world was once difficult. None.

Now you have Primerus working for you. Canada`s highly competitive legal market is home to a large number of full-service law firms. With a few exceptions, the “Seven Sisters” take the helm of the majority of complex, large-cap, business and financial transaction tracking transactions. These include Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Goodmans LLP, McCarthy Tétrault, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP and Torys. A selected international company with full-service offerings – such as Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper (Canada) LLP, Dentons, Gowling WLG and Norton Rose Fulbright – also operates in the country. Other key national players include the Bennett Jones LLP oil and gas plant; Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP and Fasken, which are characterized by mining companies; Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, which is primarily in demand for its experience in the energy sector; and Calgary`s Burnet Duckworth & Palmer LLP, a leading choice for Alberta-related issues. Other businesses in Ottawa have had similar success while staying true to their Ottawa roots. Nelligan O`Brien Payne LLP was founded in the capital in 1963 and the mid-sized general practice has retained Ottawa as its base, with an additional presence in Alexandria, Kingston and Vankleek Hill. The firm and its lawyers have exceptional and decades of experience as active participants in the community, supporting a variety of volunteer and local activities, including the Terry Fox Run, the United Way campaign, Ronald McDonald House Ski Day and various other fundraising activities throughout the year.