Best Law Firms in Ontario for Real Estate Law

Beard Winter LLP is a Top 10 Ontario Regional Law Firm as recognized by Canadian Lawyer magazine for 2021-22 and a Canadian Law Awards Excellence Awardee for Ontario Law Firm of the Year for 2021. A multi-service, mid-sized law firm located in downtown Toronto, our unwavering commitment to clients is the foundation of our history since 1964. We are preferred counsel for a wide variety of mid-market private and public corporations and sought after for our expertise in complex estate, commercial, employment, and family law litigation. Recognized for our insurance defence litigation expertise, we act for many of Canada’s largest insurance companies.

Best Lawyers and Lexpert recognize our lawyers in the areas of estates and trusts law, family law, insurance law, and insurance defence litigation.

Visit our website at beardwinter.com to learn more about the firm and meet our talented legal professionals.

We are affiliated with top mid-sized law firms across the United States and internationally through our membership in the Law Firm Alliance: www.lawfirmalliance.org

Industries served: Healthcare; Life Sciences; Manufacturing; Professional Services; Insurance; Real Estate and Construction; Technology; Transportation; Logistics; Financial Services; Educational Institutions; Energy; Food Industries.

Visit our careers page: www.beardwinter.com/careers

Visit our student program page: www.beardwinter.com/student-program

CHAITONS LLP | www.chaitons.com | T: +1 416 222 8888 | F: +1 416 222 8402 

Number of partners: 11

Number of lawyers: 22

Languages: English 

Firm Overview: 

Based in Toronto, Canada, Chaitons LLP has a substantial lending and recovery practice that has been involved in a significant number of the largest restructuring and receivership proceedings in Canada including cross-border proceedings.  Chaitons is also well-known for its litigation, finance/M&A and commercial real estate practices.  Its clients range across a broad spectrum and include Canadian and foreign banks, capital corporations, private equity firms, asset-based lenders and distressed lenders.  The firm was formed in 1983, and has become a leader in providing quality service and effective solutions for its clients in workout, restructuring and enforcement proceedings, commercial litigation, and a broad range of financing transactions, including traditional corporate lending, asset-based financing, equity, structured finance, term lending, mezzanine financing and debtor-in-possession financing. 

Main Areas of Practice: 

Insolvency/ Restructuring: 

Recent engagements include representing:        

• Indenture trustee in the Lightstream CCAA proceedings
• Senior secured lender and DIP lender in the Comstock CCAP proceedings
• Receiver in the cross-border Syncapse receivership proceedings including sale of business to a public company
• Purchaser of cross-border business and assets of iMarketing Solutions Group
• Monitor of New Solutions Financial Corporation, a distressed lender with over $220 million of secured debt
• Purchaser of assets in the Talon Systems group of companies insolvency proceedings
• Indenture trustee in the Hollinger CCAA proceeding
• Indenture trustee in the Catalyst Paper CCAA proceeding
• Indenture trustee in the NewPage CCAA proceeding
• Indenture trustee in the Sino Forest CCAA proceeding
• US Chapter 7 trustee in pension priority dispute in the Indalex CCAA proceeding, which was argued before the Supreme Court of Canada
• Purchaser of the Gorham Paper Mill from Fraser Papers in its CCAA and Ch. 11 proceedings
• Purchaser of assets in the NewPage CCAA proceeding
• CCAA Monitor of Gandi Innovation and related entities in their CCAA and Ch 15 proceedings and the sale of the business to Agfa
• Nexient, a leading Canadian provider of corporate and public training services, in its CCAA proceeding and the sale of the business to Global Knowledge
• Clothing for Modern Times, a national clothing retailer, in its restructuring under the CCAA
• Several different stakeholders in the Nortel restructuring proceedings
• Court-appointed monitors, receivers and trustees in bankruptcy in numerous Canadian insolvency proceedings 

Contact:   Harvey Chaiton | 416 218 1129  | harvey@chaitons.com 

Litigation: 

Chaitons’ broad commercial litigation practice includes expertise in matters related to insolvency, creditor enforcement of security, shareholder and partnership disputes, commercial disputes, contractual issues, real estate litigation and construction litigation.

Contact:   Stephen Schwartz | 416 218 1132 | stephen@chaitons.com    

Finance/M&A: 

Chaitons’ Corporate Law Group provides a wide range of transaction-based corporate services to its clients, with an emphasis on financings, mergers and acquisitions and business arrangements.  We represent lenders and investors across a full spectrum of financings including in respect of senior, subordinated and mezzanine financings, as well as asset-based, distress and debtor-in-possession lending.

Recent engagements include representing clients in respect of:

• Acquisition of asset management group having assets under management in excess of $500 million
• Acquisition by a TSX-listed corporation of one of Canada’s pre-eminent mid-market lenders
• Acquisition and financing by a Canadian merchant bank of a leading Canadian manufacturer of machined products 

Contact:   Philip Taylor | 416 218 1125  |  philip@chaitons.com

Commercial Real Estate:  

Chaitons has a general commercial real estate practice with specialty in condominium development (including resort and fractional ownership), seniors housing development, leasing and acquisitions and divestures of income producing properties.

Contact:   Robert A Miller | 416 218 1134 | robert@chaitons.com

Gowling WLG is an international law firm built on the belief that the best way to serve you is to be in tune with your world, aligned with your opportunity and ambitious for your success. With more than 1,500 legal professionals around the world, we provide our clients with in-depth knowledge in key global sectors and a suite of legal services at home and abroad. We see the world through our clients' eyes, and collaborate across countries, offices, service areas and sectors to help them succeed, no matter how challenging the circumstances.

Brief History

With roots tracing back to 1887, Gowling WLG grew to become one of the largest and most respected law firms in Canada, with a reputation for innovation in client-focused service delivery.

Building on its early strength in intellectual property, Gowling WLG diversified to offer a full suite of business law, litigation and intellectual property services in all of Canada’s key industries, including energy, mining, financial services, government, infrastructure, manufacturing, life sciences and technology.

Loopstra Nixon LLP is a team of client-centered lawyers who are shaping the future of business and public law in Canada. We deliver exceptional service through tailored client solutions delivered by our top-tier team of legal talent.

Our team of lawyers possess unique and diverse skillsets, so that clients can come to us for any and every issue at hand. We are quick to adapt and always on call. Whether we are delivering cutting-edge legal solutions or providing strategic business advice, we revolve around you.

Our key practice areas include banking and financial services, business law, litigation & dispute resolution, municipal, land use planning & development, real estate, labour & employment, technology & intellectual property and bankruptcy, insolvency & restructuring.

Loopstra Nixon is the Canadian affiliate of LawExchange International, an established network of international independent law firms serving middle-market and entrepreneurial businesses throughout Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Australia. With member firms in 23 countries, this affiliation enables greater international reach for our clients.

50 Years of Service and Counting

With its humble beginnings in a storefront office in Toronto, Charles Loopstra and Sandy Nixon started something special – a firm that has grown with each and every one of its clients. In 2022, Loopstra Nixon entered its 50th year. The founding partners infused ambition, hard work, and an entrepreneurial spirit into the firm. Their commitment to client service and client relationships formed the foundation and set the expectations for every member of the Loopstra Nixon team.

We are proud of where we started and proud of where we are going.

We provide experienced legal counsel to landowners and governmental authorities across the Province for a range of land use planning, expropriation and property litigation services. At Mathany & Higgs Law our mission is to work collaboratively with our clients to obtain the best results. Having started our careers with big firms, we understand what resources are necessary to maintain expertise and the highest quality legal work.

http://mhlawyers.ca

For over 70 years, Robins Appleby LLP has provided practical legal advice to entrepreneurs, businesses, financial institutions, and foreign companies conducting business in Canada.

Based in Toronto’s financial district, Robins Appleby is a mid-sized business law firm that delivers The Robins Appleby Edge: top-tier legal acumen with the efficiency, care, and personal touch of a close-knit team. We help clients solve complex, important, and often time-sensitive legal matters through deep expertise, collaborative problem-solving, and responsive client service.

Our lawyers work across practice areas to support clients as their businesses, investments, families, and legal needs evolve. The firm has specific expertise in:

• Affordable and Social Housing;
• Business and Transactions;
• Commercial Real Estate and Development;
• Employment Law;
• Litigation and Dispute Resolution;
• Secured Lending and Enforcement;
• Tax; and
• Wills and Estates.

The firm’s recognized strengths span trusts and estates, real estate law, corporate and commercial litigation, labour and employment law, and tax law.

Ross & McBride has served Hamilton and surrounding communities since 1890. As one of the city’s long-standing law firms, we are committed to providing practical legal guidance and responsive service while continuing a tradition of community involvement.

Our lawyers provide legal services across 12 practice areas and represent individuals, families, businesses, municipalities, financial institutions, non-profit organizations, and public corporations. We work with clients at every level of court and tailor our approach to each client’s unique needs and circumstances.

For generations, our firm has been proud to support a diverse client base with thoughtful advice, strong advocacy, and a client-focused approach. At Ross & McBride, we continue to build on a longstanding commitment to being the “lawyers in your corner.”

Scargall Owen-King LLP is a boutique law firm focusing only on expropriation law. We provide strategic legal advice and services to private landowners, as well as municipalities and other public entities throughout Ontario.

Expropriation is a power granted to public bodies to acquire privately owned land without the consent of the owner for the fulfillment of a public purpose, such as the construction of public infrastructure.  In Ontario, the statute governing expropriation is the Expropriations Act.  The Act prescribes the process for the compulsory acquisition of land by authorities as well as the rights and entitlements of expropriated landowners.

Our team has extensive experience regarding development and infrastructure projects of all complexities, including road widenings and highway extensions, major capital works, electricity transmission corridors, pipelines, transit and residential and commercial developments.

SOK represents all types of owners, tenants and others impacted by expropriation across Ontario, including homeowners, farmers, developers, and large- and small-scale commercial landowners, to ensure experienced representation throughout the process and in the determination of final compensation. 

Our firm also acts on behalf of expropriating authorities across the province, providing legal advice and services regarding the implementation of land acquisitions and/or expropriations to accommodate a multitude of public infrastructure projects. 

SOK is committed to providing clients with excellent service, effective representation and practical solutions in expropriation law and related areas.  Our ability to consistently assist our clients to achieve positive results in the context of a complex statutory process has placed our firm as a leader in the area of expropriation law.

Torkin Manes LLP is a full-service law firm based in downtown Toronto. Founded in 1974, we have built our firm by focusing on the core principles that we believe make a great law firm: a deep and personal understanding of clients’ business needs; a results-oriented approach to practice that provides practical, smart, and cost-effective advice; and, above all, responsiveness to our clients.

Our professionals provide legal counsel to individuals, public and private companies, and buyers and sellers of independent businesses. Our clients range from owner-operators and founders to investment funds and high net worth individuals, who value and trust our deep knowledge, experience and expertise in the Canadian mid-market. We advise our clients on day-to-day legal matters, as well as during the most transformative transactions and critical disputes of their businesses and lives.

When clients require legal services in other jurisdictions, we leverage our affiliation with Meritas, an international network of select law firms of which Torkin Manes is a member, to facilitate the procurement of excellent legal service and counsel worldwide.

Our client-driven approach has brought professional accolades. Torkin Manes has been named the 2024 Regional Law Firm of the Year (Central Canada) at the Canadian Law Awards, in addition to our long-standing recognition as Top Regional Law Firm (Ontario) by Canadian Lawyer Magazine. This firm is also consistently shortlisted as one of Canada's Regional Law Firms of the Year by Chambers and Partners. Our Construction, Corporate & Commercial, Family Law and Real Estate Groups are all recognized on the Globe & Mail’s Best Law Firms in Canada list.

Many of our lawyers are well known throughout the profession and community at large as highly respected leaders in their practice areas, as well as teachers, authors and advocates for the Law Society of Ontario and the Ontario Bar Association.

Founded in 1990, Wilson Vukelich was formed by five Bay Street lawyers who concluded that clients are best served by smaller, more responsive, full service firms. Since its inception, WV has become known for working strategically with our clients, using our knowledge and experience to provide prompt, practical and cost-effective solutions. WV's commitment to providing the highest quality legal services has led us to be York Region's leading Business and Tax Law firm.

While we have grown from five lawyers, our growth is a controlled growth. We identify quality lawyers and staff and ensure that each new member of the team embodies the culture of prompt, practical and cost-effective representation that has made the firm's reputation. Our lawyers are respected counsel in their areas of practice. WV's lawyers are often speakers at seminars and conferences.

We understand the challenges businesses face in today's complex and competitive business environment. Our business clients range in size from start-ups to some of North America's largest public companies. We also represent international business clients seeking to protect and expand their interests in Canada.