Robins Appleby LLP

National

Regional

Toronto

Practice Areas

• Business

  Guiding Business Owners Through Legal Complexities

  Business owners face constant challenges. As business advisors, we assist business owners in developing and achieving their objectives in an often complex environment by providing creative and practical solutions. Our entrepreneurial approach assists our clients to evaluate their risks and capitalize on their opportunities.

  What Makes Our Business and Transactions Team Different

  Our team of lawyers stands out from the competition because:

  • We keep current.
    We understand the law and stay on top of market trends. This insight allows us to deliver strategic, effective solutions tailored to our clients’ goals.

  • We’re nimble.
    We know that priorities shift and opportunities evolve. When they do, our agile team is ready to adapt, adjust course, and move in a new direction, always with our clients’ best interests in mind.

  • We’re client-focused.
    Our clients and their goals are always top of mind. We communicate clearly, keep clients informed at every stage, and apply the right resources at the right time. Whether the relationship is new or goes back decades, we are committed to our clients’ success.

  • We draw on deep expertise.
    Our Business & Transactions team doesn’t work in isolation. We partner closely with experts across the firm to deliver end-to-end solutions for every phase of your deal:
    
    
    • Commercial Real Estate and Development
    • Corporate Commercial Litigation
    • Employment law
    • Secured Lending and Transactions
    • Tax
  • We deliver great value.
    We take a cost-effective and practical approach. We do not over-lawyer our clients’ files and focus on providing efficient, meaningful solutions that our clients appreciate.
• Corporate and Commercial Litigation

  Our litigation lawyers are forceful, highly skilled advocates with extensive experience in complex litigation and dispute resolution. Our approach is very strategic. We select the most appropriate proceeding and forum to effectively advance our clients' interests, which may be any of the Commercial List, Estates List, Superior Court, Arbitration or Mediation. We also recognize when to compromise or settle in order to get the best result.

  We always start by listening to our clients' objectives. Understanding their goals from the outset means that we can

  • assess the strength of all cases to reduce the risk of unforeseen problems down the road
  • develop the most suitable strategy to guide all clients' cases towards their goals
  • build a solid team, drawing on expertise from our Tax, Commercial Real Estate and Development and Business and Transactions groups as needed
• Labour and Employment Law

  Experienced Employment Lawyers in Toronto

  Our team of experienced employment lawyers is here to assist you with employment law issues in Ontario, whether you are an employer or an employee. We aim to achieve excellent results for you while helping you navigate the complexities of employment law.

  Employment Law Services

   

  Employment law cases encompass a wide range of issues related to the employer-employee relationship. Some common types of employment law cases Robins Appleby can assist with in Toronto and anywhere in Ontario include:

   

  Legal Support for Employers

  • Employment Litigation - We act as your advocates and assist you in navigating the procedures and substantive issues during a lawsuit.
  • Drafting Employment Contracts and Policies - Employment contracts can give employers important protections such as termination clauses and restrictive covenants. There are also policies that employers must have for Ontario workplaces. 
  • Workplace Investigations - We can assist if you are required to carry out a workplace investigation.
  • Mergers and Acquisitions - Our mergers and acquisitions lawyers provide cost-effective transactional services that meet our client’s goals and objectives.
  • Restrictive Covenant Advising - To help manage intellectual property (IP) and other risks, employment lawyers at Robins Appleby can assist in developing and negotiating non-compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements to protect employers in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario.

  Legal Support for Employees

  • Employment Contracts - In the event of contract disputes arising from the terms and conditions outlined in employment contracts, we can provide sound legal advice and take appropriate action on your behalf.
  • Severance Packages - Our team can assist in reviewing your severance package to ensure it protects your interests.
  • Wrongful Termination - If you are looking to bring a wrongful dismissal or constructive dismissal claim in Toronto or elsewhere in Ontario, our employment lawyers are here to help.

  We assist employers and employees in navigating challenging workplace situations, such as negotiations, investigations, and more. Our focus is on preserving relationships and resolving issues through mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods, if appropriate. Robins Appleby’s team of Toronto employment lawyers is always ready to advocate for your interests in court.

• Real Estate Law

  Robins Appleby has been in the commercial real estate business ever since it was founded over 70 years ago. Robins Appleby was involved in registering the first condominiums in the Province of Ontario after the condominium legislation was passed in the late ‘60s. The firm has been representing private and institutional commercial owners and developers of residential, industrial and retail properties since its inception. 

  Today, Robins Appleby continues to represent new builders and owners, as well as experienced developers and asset managers. These days, commercial owners are becoming developers by repurposing their properties and accessing excess lands. Developers are becoming commercial owners when developing mixed-use projects and retaining ownership of the commercial or retail components to create diversity in their portfolio. 

  Robins Appleby is also a major player in the non-profit/affordable housing fields. We provide much sought after advice to both developers and non-profit housing providers in this high demand area.

  The Real Estate Group,  in addition to our commercial and development practice, has a significant lending expertise, representing major lending institutions such as Bank of Montreal, Laurentian Bank, Royal Bank, Atrium Mortgage Investment Corporation, Meridian Credit Union, and many other institutions. These lenders seek our assistance because of the depth of both our legal and practical experience in commercial real estate. We help them fund transactions securely, and we are there to help them cross the finish line where other law firms may put up roadblocks to closings. Simply put, the members of our Commercial Real Estate and Development Group are deal makers, not deal breakers. 

  Our connections throughout the lending, development, and property ownership sectors allow us to both bring people together and also establish credibility when we are representing clients.  Credibility and trust are the values we live by as lawyers. Our firm prides ourselves on both of those qualities.

  Our clients also benefit from:

  • Cross-practice support - Together with our Tax Group and Business and Transactions Group, we ensure that clients achieve effective ownership arrangements with tax-friendly structures. Our Litigation and Dispute Resolutions Group’s expertise in real estate litigation is available if disputes arise.
  • Law Clerk expertise – Our highly trained real estate law clerks effectively process all types of commercial acquisitions and sales, loan transactions, and condominium and new home sales and closings. This expert support provides clients with excellent and cost-effective services.
  • BRIDGE Network – We are part of a national real estate referral association providing real estate legal services in Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary.

  Our unique blend of experience and expertise allows us to provide the fast, efficient, and sophisticated service expected by all our clients, whether with multi-million dollar portfolios or small projects. Most importantly, we never forget the bottom line – our clients want to get the deal done, and it is up to us to find the best way to do it.

• Tax Law

  Taxes impact every aspect of business, investment, and personal decisions. Practical and creative solutions to tax questions depend on an in-depth knowledge of tax law as well as a strong understanding of how businesses operate.

  Our tax lawyers offer an unbeatable combination of tax knowledge and business expertise. We understand our clients' businesses and can provide tax strategies and structures that work for them. Our lawyers practice in a sophisticated environment where they draw on their many years’ of experience in order to best respond to our clients' needs.

  We work with corporations to help them navigate the most complex of tax matters. In addition, our tax lawyers regularly assist individuals, small businesses, charities, and other organizations in a wide range of tax matters.

  We seek out the very best solutions to every matter, providing you with the key information and outlining a clear recommendation for the best course forward. We make it our job to ensure that you receive the advice you need when you need it, with regular communications from our team. It’s this personal touch that sets us apart.

• Trusts and Estates

  Estate Planning requires not only a firm grasp of the complex laws of taxation, trusts, and estates, but also a deep understanding of a family's needs and desires.

  Having over 70 years of experience in providing guidance to High-Net-Worth and Ultra-High-Net Worth families, we are confident that we can structure an estate plan that works for you. We will guide you in developing your legacy and ensure that it is properly documented so that it can be carried out according to your wishes. We make it our job to ensure that you receive the advice you need when you need it, with regular communications from our team. It’s this personal touch that sets us apart.

Offices & Contacts