Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP‘s team handles both contentious and non-contentious competition matters. Navin Joneja and Julie Soloway are often involved in competition law and policy issues. Joneja’s position as immediate past-Chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s National Competition Law Section, the leading advocacy organisation for Canadian competition lawyers, enables him to give clients seamless advice and insight. Soloway also acquires extensive expertise having served over 11 years on the American Bar Association Section of Antritrust Law; the pair co-lead the practice from Toronto. The team is also acclaimed for its litigation expertise and often oversees abuse of dominance cases, as well advertising cases and contentious mergers. Mention is also given to Brian Facey, Randall Hofley, Robert Kwinter and Cassandra Brown for their collective expertise in mergers, litigation and foreign investment. The team welcomed Elder Marques from the Government of Canada while David Dueck and Julia Potter were promoted to partner in January 2022.

McCarthy Tétrault‘s team is acclaimed for its merger and joint venture transaction expertise and also advises clients on foreign investment matters as well as national security issues. The practice is led by Jason Gudofsky who possesses a breath of competition knowledge and is often sought by clients to oversee risk assessments, strategic alliances, board management and cartel investigations. The team’s expertise also extends into litigation, having represented clients in cases concerning misleading advertisements, deceptive practices and class actions before the Competition Bureau, the Competition Tribunal and courts. Donald Houston is particularly noted for his expertise in this area and comes particularly recommended for his antitrust litigation skills due to his experience overseeing civil cases, private actions and criminal advocacy matters. Oliver Borgers‘ practice focus lies within mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, alliances and market conduct. Michael Caldecott was promoted to partner in January 2022 while Corinne Xu joined the team from Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP.

Bennett Jones LLP‘s practice enjoys a broad breadth of merger review and competition litigation experience. The practice is also renowned for having competition law capabilities in a Washington, DC; this cross-border coverage enables the team to advise US and international clients on the challenges they face in Canada. The team is led by both Melanie Aitken and Randal Hughes. Aitken’s expertise includes foreign investment, while Hughes’ expertise includes international mergers and acquisitions. John Rook is noted for his commercial litigation skills, which he utilizes to support the practice. Adam Kalbfleisch oversees regulatory matters, and Emrys Davis is equipped to handle criminal and civil investigations. Zirjan Derwa joined the team from Torys.

Fasken‘s team is reputed for its diversified range of industry knowledge, a forte which it utilizes to advise clients on the full spectrum of competition matters. The team has extensive experience in merger control, in addition to contentious competition work such as criminal proceedings, abuse of dominance cases and cases concerning marketing and advertising. Antonio Di Domenico possesses expertise consists of merger review, enforcement proceedings and class action litigation; he co-leads the team alongside Huy Do who is best known for his foreign investment expertise. Anthony Baldanza is noted for his cartel and restrictive trade capabilities.

In addition to advising clients on behavioural antitrust matters, the practice at Torys is also well-regarded for its non-contentious expertise and routinely handles complex transactions. Dany Assaf recently acted for George Weston Limited alongside Adrienne DiPaolo whereby they oversaw all competition aspects of its $1.1bn sale of its Weston Foods fresh and frozen bakery business. Assaf also co-leads the practice with Omar Wakil and Linda Plumpton, all are based in Toronto. Plumpton’s practice focus lies within litigation, and she boasts a track record in the handling of class action cases, foreign investment reviews and investigations. 

The practice at Norton Rose Fulbright utilizes its global office network to provide clients with seamless cross-border advice, and is often sought by clients to oversee both domestic and cross-border merger control matters. Aside from non-contentious expertise, the team is knowledgeable of contentious issues, having represented clients before the Competition Tribunal, Competition Bureau and courts. The practice is led by Chris Hersh, who joined the team from Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP in October 2021, and possesses expertise in abuse of dominance cases, pricing and distribution issues and criminal matters.

The team at Dentons takes advantage of the firm’s global network to advise a range of clients on cross-border matters. The team is reputed for its merger control and litigation expertise with clients also seeking its advice on navigating challenges that arise from the Investment Canada Act. The practice is co-led by Sandy Walker and Barry Zalmanowitz KC from Toronto and Edmonton respectively. Walker’s practice focus lies within obtaining government approvals for M&A from the Competition Bureau and other regulatory agencies, meanwhile Zalmanowitz is a thoroughly experienced litigator.

DLA Piper (Canada) LLP‘s team offers both domestic and foreign businesses a wide range of competition law services and utilizes its significant Western Canadian presence to do so. The practice is jointly led by Kevin Wright and David Neave, both of whom are based in Vancouver. Wright is often sought for his litigation expertise and handles all contentious competition law matters including international and nation cartel investigations, abuse of dominance cases and compliance programs. Neave’s expertise also includes litigation, though he has a particular focus on class actions. Catherine Pawluch, based in Toronto, is the go-to contact for international M&A expertise.