Best Lawyers In Canada

Justice David Stratas

Judge, Federal Court of Appeal, Ottawa, Ont. Stratas penned perhaps the very talked-about choice in the region of employment legislation this year. It will affect federally regulated companies and employees for a long time to come. His February Federal Court of Appeal decision in Wilson v. Atomic Energy of Canada flies in the face of 40 years of law allowing federally regulated employers to dismiss employees without cause. Before the decision, the consensus was that employees who are governed by the Canada Labour Code could only be terminated for just cause. Many federally regulated organizations including banks, telecommunications firms, and transport companies view the decision that a success, due to its long-term consequences. The court needs to be a tie-breaker with this problem, wrote Stratas. As a result of its effect, Joseph Wilson filed for leave to appeal with the Supreme Court of Canada in late March. A decision on leave is impending. What voters had to say: He's the greatest administrative law jurist of our age. The single one going deep into philosophy, making sense of it all. Thoughtful, scholarly, practical, and so hard working. With respect to the last, it seems the cases with a true effect from the Federal Court of Appeal are composed by him. Plain speaking decisions actually hammer the essential points home, personal injury lawyers toronto.

Justice Beverley McLachlin

Chief justice, Supreme Court of Canada, Ottawa, Ont. A common member of the Top 25 list and also the top vote-getter in years ago, McLachlin proceeds to make waves, handing down two very significant decisions on aboriginal law. The 2014 Tsilhqot'at Nation v. British Columbia decision led by McLachlin is the first of its kind in the history of British Columbia. This past year that the Supreme Court of Canada granted announcement of aboriginal title to over 1,700 square kilometres of land. She is responsible for upholding the decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal in Keewatin v. Ontario (Natural Resources) published in July 2014, she has what the Lamer court started and has left her mark in this area for decades ahead. The chief justice is still a powerful proponent of greater justice for all Canadians. As her unbelievable amount of votes once more this year reveal, McLachlin is greatly admired not only for her rulings but her public support in favour of free speech, diversity, and inclusive leadership. What voters had to say: A brilliant judge that, time and time again, marries the legislation with common sense. Justifiably most respected legal mind in the nation; outstanding integrity; reliable public servant; obviously guided by the law and also a strong ideology.

Mark Tamminga

Partner, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, Hamilton, Ont. Tamminga has committed his career to automating lawful practices. His information technologies focus began in 1986 while he was still a law student and was given the job of systemizing the manufacturing environment for files. Ever since then, Tamminga's capability for legal technology has only grown with Gowlings LLP. Three decades ago, he was named Gowlings' Innovation Initiatives leader. He's responsible for automating the Gowlings recovery solutions practice. He has designed and built lots of additional training systems in the fields of debt collection, loan placement, and civil litigation. His role has demanded re-thinking the thornier aspects of big business operations: managing cultural change, causing client-side thinking, and building the compensation mechanics, which induce new behavior. Exactly what the panel had to say: Tamminga has shown real vision in handling tough issues that many law firms aren't quite ready to take on.

Wayne Myles

Counsel, Cox & Palmer, St. John's, N.L. Myles' recent claim to fame is the $3-billion international merger of Barbados-based Columbus International Inc. with England-based Cable & Wireless Communications PLC.. His M&A experience, together with his dedicated client relationships, haven't only led to the greatest deal in the telecommunications firm 's history, but demonstrated that major foreign deals are being deftly managed by an Atlantic Canadian law firm. He's also acted as lead counsel and strategic adviser on several acquisitions, licensing, and financing of many subsea and terrestrial telecommunications businesses in the international seafood processing and marketing industry. Myles also counseled on aviation matters, on many domestic and international business bankruptcy and restructuring jobs and on energy and transportation matters. What Republicans needed to state:[An] excellent attorney with global vision. Huge asset to any transaction.

Allison Dellandrea

Crown counsel, Ministry of the Attorney General,Toronto, Ont. Dellandrea was a key player in advancing the understanding of crimes against children by law enforcement officers, fellow lawyers, and the judiciary. She was involved in a child sexual abuse case in March in which Ontario's former deputy education minister Ben Levin pleaded guilty to child pornography related charges. The fees included making composed child pornography, counseling a individual to commit a sexual assault, and possession of child pornography. Dellandrea's function as a Crown includes being the education lead for Ontario's provincial plan on Internet crimes against children. She's an instrumental leader in this region within the justice section. What voters had to say: Allison is a tireless resource and is the penultimate legal head for a prosecutorial place on all things associated with child exploitation and sexual assault offences. For this difficult subject that inherently entails quite reckless emotional and legal issues, Allison always has the time to offer sound advice to additional Crowns prosecuting these very tough and sensitive offences. Her efforts have made a concrete difference in making our society safer.