Best Law Firms in Canada
About the 2025 Edition
The inaugural rankings highlight 1,231 Canadian firms recognized for their professional excellence across a wide range of practice areas and geographic regions. The Best Law Firms – Canada listings serve as a trusted resource for those seeking specialized legal expertise and top-tier representation.
With nearly two decades honoring Canada’s top legal talent through The Best Lawyers in Canada™ and 15 years spotlighting distinguished law firms across the United States, we bring deep market insight and a meticulous research approach to these awards. Our aim is to offer clients a trusted resource for finding distinguished law firms across the country, whether for regional or national legal matters.
Highlights
We begin our research by evaluating each firm within its specific practice area, comparing their strengths to local competitors. For this edition, we evaluated 68 practice areas across 24 metropolitan regions, including Calgary, Charlottetown, Edmonton, Fredericton, Greater Ontario, Halifax, Hamilton, Kamloops, Kingston, London/Windsor, Moncton, Montréal, Ottawa, Québec City, Regina, Saint John, Saskatoon, St. John's, Toronto, Truro, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Winnipeg and Yellowknife. Through this process, 1,231 firms have earned distinctions that reflect their specialized expertise within those metro legal markets.
In addition to regional distinctions, we assessed firms with a national presence in 34 practice areas, highlighting firms that serve clients on a broader scale. Among these, 26 firms received the “Law Firm of the Year” honor for exceptional performance and client service in specific practice areas. These awards represent the highest level of achievement, offering clients trusted guidance in selecting premier legal representation across Canada.
Practice Areas
Research Methodology
Since its introduction in 2009, the Best Law Firms research methodology has been carefully developed and enhanced over the years to deliver precise and meaningful evaluations.
Only firms with at least one lawyer recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada awards are eligible for consideration in the Best Law Firms – Canada rankings.
Our assessment then combines perspectives from clients, peers, firm leaders and firm-provided data, all contributing to a well-rounded view of each firm’s performance. Discover further details about our research process in the Methodology section.
Legal News from Canada
A Note from the Director of Research and Development
As the Director of Research & Development, I am excited to unveil the inaugural edition of Best Law Firms - Canada. This groundbreaking project highlights our dedication to recognizing top-tier legal talent throughout the country.
Our team conducted extensive research and analysis, utilizing peer reviews, client feedback, leadership interviews and firm expertise to deliver a definitive guide to the best practice groups and firms in Canada.
These rankings deliver key insights into the highest-performing firms across diverse legal fields, establishing a benchmark for excellence. This edition offers a vital guide for clients pursuing trustworthy legal expertise and for law firms focused on strengthening their standing and thriving within a competitive environment.
Upcoming Research
Research for the second edition of Best Law Firms – Canada will commence in early 2025. Global research timelines can be viewed on our website. To request a research submission packet, please reach out to us at bestlawfirms@bestlawyers.com.
