2026 Sponsored Shellchart - Stikeman Elliott Lexpert | 2026 Sponsored Shellchart

Stikeman Elliott’s lawyers are passionate about — and dedicated to — what they do. The firm delivers high-quality advice and bespoke solutions, and is committed to continually reaching new heights in excellence. That commitment is reflected in its top-tier performance across Lexpert’s annual shell charts. Stikeman Elliott leads the pack in Montreal, where the firm earns Grade AAA rankings in Commercial Litigation, Corporate, and Corporate Transactions, including Corporate Transactions (Relative to Firm Size). The firm also achieves Grade AAA rankings in Corporate and Corporate Transactions for its Toronto office, underscoring its strong national bench in deal work. In Calgary, Stikeman Elliott posts solid Grade AA results in both Corporate and Corporate Transactions, again including the relative-to-firm-size measure for the latter. Toronto further records Grade AA standings in Commercial Litigation, Corporate Transactions (Relative to Firm Size), Litigation, Natural Resources and Tax, while the Montreal office rounds out the firm’s shell chart performance with Grade AA rankings in Litigation, Natural Resources and Tax. Once again, Stikeman Elliott’s laser focus on client goals and its willingness to innovate in solving complex legal challenges continue to set the firm apart from the competition.

Performance summary

Commercial Litigation

Commercial litigation is the backbone of our Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice. Drawing on deep experience across industries and complex subject matters, we develop focused, effective strategies designed to protect our clients’ interests and advance their business objectives, whether through litigation or negotiated resolution. Our understanding of each client’s business priorities allows us to manage risk, navigate sensitive issues, and deliver practical outcomes in high stakes matters. We are trusted counsel on complex disputes and are widely recognized for our top-tier work defending class actions.

Learn more about our ranking system

1952

YEAR FOUNDED

Number of offices

575

Number of lawyers

Consecutive years as Best Employer in Canada

Commercial Litigation

Corporate

Corporate Transactions

Labor Relations, Employment & Pensions

Litigation

Tax

Natural Resources

Technology

Summary

Toronto

Montreal

Our Corporate Group is consistently among the most active in Canada. From Canada’s largest and most complex contested public company transactions to friendly acquisitions of privately owned family businesses, we apply deep expertise and practical judgment to help clients achieve their strategic objectives. Our longstanding relationships with Canadian regulators, and our thoughtful management of regulatory engagement, have enabled clients to successfully close some of the country’s most highly scrutinized transactions. We also recognize that successful deals must account for both the legal and reputational considerations facing key stakeholders. Working closely with clients, we help structure and present transactions in ways that protect and strengthen these critical relationships.

Corporate

Vancouver

We are a go-to Canadian law firm for advising on high profile securities, M&A, and corporate finance transactions. We act on both inbound and outbound deals and are widely recognized for our work representing foreign investors. Our industry experience spans mining, oil and gas, telecommunications, technology, and real estate, with additional depth in retail and hospitality transactions. The firm is distinguished by its strength in debt and equity capital markets and securities, as well as its deep private equity bench with extensive experience advising on domestic and cross border buyouts, recapitalizations, and financings across industries. A core value of our corporate practice is risk management. We focus on identifying and addressing third party issues early, which helps clients minimize risk and allows them to execute transactions with confidence.

Corporate Transactions

Calgary

Calgary — Corporate Transactions Relative to Firm Size

Montreal — Corporate Transactions Relative to Firm Size

Montreal

Toronto — Corporate Transactions Relative to Firm Size

Toronto

Montreal

Our Employment & Labour Group brings a business focused approach to advising employers on all aspects of the individual and collective employment relationship at both the provincial and federal levels. With lawyers in Montréal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver, we offer integrated advisory, litigation, and transactional support across Canada, regularly acting on large, complex business transactions, insolvencies, and restructurings. Our Pensions and Benefits team deliver strategic, practical solutions to employers, administrators, and other stakeholders, helping them navigate the complexities of Canadian pensions and benefits law with confidence.

Labour Relations, Employment & Pensions

Toronto

We are widely recognized across Canada for our formidable litigation practice, with a strong reputation in class actions, securities, and competition & antitrust matters. We support clients in Canada’s key business centres, bringing together litigators deeply rooted in local markets to handle complex cross provincial proceedings. Known for our practical approach, we bring a clear understanding of our clients’ business objectives to every mandate. Drawing on deep subject matter expertise and the strength of the broader firm, we tailor strategies that manage risk effectively and deliver creative, result-driven solutions.

Litigation

Montreal

Toronto

Montreal

Stikeman Elliott brings together leading capabilities in energy, mining, forestry and environmental law to support clients across the full lifecycle of complex resource projects and investments. Our firm advises project developers, producers, investors and lenders on strategic transactions, financings, mergers and acquisitions, and major project developments, as well as on environmental risk management, permitting, remediation and Indigenous and stakeholder engagement. Drawing on deep sector knowledge and a nationally integrated platform, Stikeman Elliott supports clients operating in highly regulated and cyclical industries—from oil and gas, power and energy transition initiatives to mining and forest products—delivering practical, commercially focused advice on both domestic and cross‑border mandates.

Natural Resources

Montreal

Calgary

Our firm was founded on tax expertise and a commitment to providing pragmatic, insightful advice tailored to protect our clients’ business interests. This legacy continues to shape our approach, enabling us to help clients achieve their objectives in the most tax efficient manner possible. Clients benefit from a full suite of domestic and international tax services, including tax advisory, planning, and controversy work, delivered on both standalone mandates and matters integrated with corporate, investment, real estate, and commercial transactions.

Tax

Toronto

We understand the business and technology drivers behind technology focused transactions and advise on a wide range of technology related issues arising in corporate commercial matters. We support some of the largest companies and technology end users in Canada and around the world. Our team also has extensive experience advising innovative and high growth startups on M&A, capital markets, outsourcing, commercial relationships, litigation, intellectual property, and technology infrastructure development transactions. We regularly negotiate with leading global technology providers, software companies, and hardware manufacturers to help clients achieve practical, commercially sound outcomes.

Technology

237

Number of female lawyers

194

Lawyers ranked in Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory

(+ 1 Lawyers to Watch)

Stikeman Elliott LLP’s Intellectual Property Group takes a multi-disciplinary approach to the practice of this area of law. This dynamic and highly creative team of professionals brings a vast range of training and experience to this and related practice areas. We provide our clients with innovative solutions to help them maximize the value of their intellectual property across multiple markets while mitigating the associated risks. Stikeman Elliott counsels Canadian and foreign clients on the acquisition, protection, and exploitation of intellectual property rights, including patents, trademarks, industrial designs, and copyright – in Canada and abroad.

Intellectual property

Grade AAA

Montreal

Calgary

Toronto

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Team

Calgary

lexpert Home

technology

tax

natural resources

litigation

labor relations, Employment & Pensions

corporate transactions

corporate

commercial litigation

summary

Grade AA

Grade AAA

Grade A

Grade AA

Grade AAA

Grade AA

Grade A

Grade AA

Grade A

Vancouver

Grade aa

Grade AA

Grade Aa

196

(+ 1 Lawyers to Watch)

Lawyers ranked in Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory

230

Number of female lawyers

562

Number of lawyers

Consecutive years as Best Employer in Canada

Number of offices

1952

YEAR FOUNDED

Learn more about our ranking system

Whether handling corporate matters, cross-border transactions, or litigation cases, Stikeman Elliott’s lawyers are passionate about — and dedicated to — what they do. Delivering high-quality advice and bespoke solutions, the firm’s steadfast excellence is evident in its evergreen top-tier rankings across Lexpert’s annual shell charts. For 2025, Stikeman Elliott once again led the pack with a Grade AAA rating in Commercial Litigation and general Litigation in Montreal, with its Toronto office coming in as a solid AA in both categories. The firm maintained its Grade AAA ratings for Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa in the Corporate Lawyers charts, as well as its Grade AA in Calgary. Once again highlighting its strong representation across the Corporate Transactions charts, the firm achieved Grade AAA rankings in Toronto and Montreal, and AA in Calgary. Adjusting for firm size, Stikeman Elliott landed a Grade AAA ranking in Montreal and AA in Toronto and Calgary. Rounding out its shell chart rankings, Stikeman Elliott boasts a Grade AA rating in Toronto for Natural Resources and in Montreal for Tax. Stikeman Elliott’s laser focus on client goals and willingness to innovate in solving complex legal challenges unite the firm – and consistently sets it apart from the competition in several areas across the board.

Performance summary

Ottawa

Stikeman Elliott’s Technology Group understands the business and technology drivers of technology-focused transactions. Our lawyers are pragmatic and offer expertise in technology-related issues arising in the context of corporate-commercial matters. The Group supports some of the largest companies and technology end-users in Canada and around the world, as well as the sector’s most innovative and ambitious startups – in M&A, capital markets, outsourcing, commercial relationships, litigation, intellectual property, and technology infrastructure development transactions. We have negotiated with virtually all major global technology providers, software companies, and hardware manufacturers.

Technology

Toronto

Montreal

Calgary

Stikeman Elliott is a firm that was founded on tax expertise and the desire to provide pragmatic advice to our clients that is insightful, creative, and tailored to protect each client’s business interests. This legacy continues to influence how our lawyers approach legal advice, helping clients accomplish their goals in the most tax-efficient manner possible. Clients benefit from a full suite of services for domestic and international tax-advice, tax-planning, and tax-controversy matters on both stand-alone tax mandates and those integrated with corporate, investment, real estate, and commercial matters.

Tax

Toronto

Montreal

Calgary

Stikeman Elliott’s team of lawyers servicing the natural resources sector leverage their local expertise and international relationships to help clients accomplish their goals in an ever-changing economic and regulatory climate. Clients benefit from our extensive experience and expertise in identifying and addressing any and all risks that may arise. As regulations multiply and public scrutiny intensifies, environmental issues are emerging as a significant consideration in almost every corporate and real estate transaction, as well as ongoing business operations in Canada. Our team of lawyers develops effective and innovative strategies for dealing with potential liabilities in a transactional context as well as risk management solutions for the day-to-day operations of our clients.

Natural Resources

Stikeman Elliott wins high praise across Canada for its formidable litigation offering, enjoying a particularly prominent reputation in class actions and antitrust litigation. The firm supports clients throughout Canada’s key business centres, with litigators well established in local markets teaming up on cross-provincial court proceedings. The team has significant experience resolving disputes that involve commercial agreements, corporate actions, securities, and professional negligence. Stikeman Elliott’s litigators are unique in their practical approach and ability to bring a clear understanding of our clients’ business objectives to each file. Drawing upon the subject matter expertise of the team, as well as other experts across the firm, we tailor our approach to minimize risk and overcome legal challenges through creative solutions.

Toronto

Montreal

Litigation

The Labour Relations, Employment & Pensions Group at Stikeman Elliott brings a business-focused approach to the advice we provide employers on all facets of the individual and collective employment relationship at both the provincial and federal levels. With a team that includes lawyers in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver, Stikeman Elliott provides integrated advisory, litigation, and transactional capability across the country. The pension and benefits team delivers strategic, innovative legal solutions to employers, administrators, and other stakeholders in navigating the complex landscape of Canadian pensions and benefits law.

Montreal

Labour Relations, Employment & Pensions

Toronto — Corporate Transactions Relative to Firm Size

Toronto

Montreal — Corporate Transactions Relative to Firm Size

Montreal

Calgary — Corporate Transactions Relative to Firm Size

Calgary

Stikeman Elliott is a go-to Canadian law firm for sophisticated securities, M&A, and corporate finance matters, advising on high-profile deals from a nationwide base. It advises on both inbound and outbound transactions, with a particularly high profile for its representation of foreign investors. Its industry expertise encompasses mining, oil and gas, telecoms, tech, and real estate, with further experience in retail and hospitality sector transactions. The firm stands out for its experience in both debt and equity capital markets and its securities expertise. It offers a strong bench in private equity, advising on domestic and cross-border buyouts, recapitalizations, and financings across industries. One of the hallmarks of our corporate practice is our understanding of risk. We see managing and minimizing risk as one of our key roles in any transaction – identifying and mitigating third-party issues before they become a problem.

Corporate Transactions

Vancouver

Toronto

Montreal

Calgary

Stikeman Elliott’s Corporate Group is perennially among the most active in Canada. Whether advising on Canada’s largest contested public company transactions or friendly acquisitions of privately owned family businesses, we use our expertise and creativity to achieve client goals pragmatically. Stikeman Elliott lawyers have well-earned, long-standing relationships with all Canadian regulators. Our strategic management of regulatory interactions has helped clients close some of the most highly scrutinized deals in Canada. We also understand that successful transactions must be designed with regard for their real and perceived implications for our clients’ key stakeholders. As such, we work with clients to help them present transactions that best preserve and leverage these often-critical relationships.

Corporate

Montreal

Toronto

Commercial litigation is the backbone of Stikeman Elliott’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice. Across a diverse range of industries and subject matter expertise, our litigators draw upon unparalleled experience to devise creative and effective litigation strategies that yield success for our clients, whether in court or through settlement. In each case, our knowledge of our clients’ businesses and priorities enables us to manage multiple issues and sensitivities effectively. Stikeman Elliott litigators are frequent counsel on complex matters that attract significant public scrutiny. Our litigators are known for their top-tier work defending class actions.

Commercial Litigation

IMK s.e.n.c.r.l./LLP

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Babin Bessner Spry LLP

Ross Nasseri LLP

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP

BCF Business Law

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

DuMoulin Black LLP

DLA Piper (Canada) LLP

Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

KRB Lawyers

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

STOPPED HERE

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

Wildeboer Dellelce LLP

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

DuMoulin Black LLP

Grade A

Calgary

Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP

McLennan Ross LLP

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Melançon Marceau Grenier Cohen

Loranger Marcoux s.e.n.c.

BCF Business Law

Kugler Kandestin, L.L.P.

Casavant Bédard

IMK s.e.n.c.r.l./LLP

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Ross Nasseri LLP

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Sheahan LLP

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

KPMG Law LLP

Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP

EY Law LLP

KPMG Law LLP

Deloitte Legal Canada LLP

EY Law LLP

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Millar Kreklewetz LLP

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

INQ Law

Grade AA

Grade A

Grade AAA

Grade AA

Grade A

Grade AA

Grade AAA

Grade AA

Montreal

Grade A

Grade AA

Grade aa

Grade A

Grade Aa

Grade AA

Grade A