Best Law Firms in Canada

Welcome to the launch of Best Law Firms - Canada’s first edition. These awards highlight leading law firms for their exceptional performance across regions, practice areas and on a national scale. Built on a trusted and carefully honed research process, we are proud to bring this standard of excellence to Canada, providing a valuable guide for those in search of top legal expertise.

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.

Best Law Firms 2025 Canada Stats
In this inaugural edition, we saw impressive engagement in the Canadian legal market, with 65% of eligible peers and 63% of clients participating in the voting process.

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.

"You are doing an outstanding job and have garnered a great deal of respect from lawyers and the business community at large."
John Galambos - Family Office Practice Leader KPMG

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.

Best Law Firms 2025 Canada Infographic

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.

Headshot of Elizabeth Petit
Elizabeth Petit
Director of Research & Development and Managing Editor
"The organizations I serve with have been using the awards as references in choosing legal counsel to deal with various issues.."
Lucy Zhang - CFO Green Light Solutions Corp.

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.

Headshot of Valerie Smith
Valerie Smith
Best Law Firms Research Manager