Best Law Firms in Canada
Practice Areas
About the 2026 edition
This year's rankings highlight 1,256 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 more than 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.
Legal News from Canada
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, 6,459 regional rankings have been awarded reflecting the 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, 27 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.
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.
A Note from Research
As the Vice President of Research & Development, I am proud to present the second edition of Best Law Firms – Canada. Building on the success of our inaugural release, this year’s rankings continue to showcase the depth and strength of legal expertise across the country.
Our team has once again conducted comprehensive research, drawing on peer reviews, client feedback, leadership interviews and firm achievements to deliver a reliable, data-driven guide to Canada’s top practice groups and firms.
We are especially encouraged by the impressive participation from the Canadian legal industry, whose engagement underscores the importance of these rankings in recognizing excellence and setting a standard for the profession.
The 2026 edition not only reaffirms benchmarks for legal excellence but also highlights emerging leaders and evolving areas of practice. For clients, it serves as a trusted resource when seeking exceptional counsel. For firms, it provides meaningful insight into their competitive positioning within the Canadian market.
Upcoming Research
Research for the next edition of Best Law Firms – Canada will commence in early 2026. Global research timelines can be viewed on our website. To request a research submission packet, please reach out to us at bestlawfirms@bestlawyers.com.
