The Categories
Whether you’re a part of a firm, in-house legal team, or a lawyer, you’ll find a category to suit your interests and experience. Click on the award names to read the criteria and find out more.
DEAL AND CASE AWARDS
Criteria:
- Open to all capital markets deals that reached completion within 2022 for which the majority of the legal work was Canada-based. Each organization may nominate a maximum of three deals.
- Judged on the legal work performed by Canadian organizations according to four criteria – size, complexity, breadth and innovation.
Criteria:
- Open to all infrastructure and projects deals that reached completion within 2022 for which the majority of the legal work was Canada-based. Each organization may nominate a maximum of three deals.
- Judged on the legal work performed by Canadian organizations according to four criteria – size, complexity, breadth and innovation.
Criteria:
- Open to all insolvency and restructuring deals that reached completion within 2022 for which the majority of the legal work was Canada-based. Each organization may nominate a maximum of three deals.
- Judged on the legal work performed by Canadian organizations according to four criteria – size, complexity, breadth and innovation.
Criteria:
- Open to all M&A deals, including those that fall within the private equity sector, that reached completion within 2022 for which the majority of the legal work was Canada-based. Each organization may nominate a maximum of three deals.
- Judged on the legal work performed by Canadian organizations according to four criteria – size, complexity, breadth and innovation.
Criteria:
- Open to all deals with a value of CAD50-500m that reached completion within 2022 for which the majority of the legal work was Canada-based. Each organization may nominate a maximum of three deals.
- Judged on the legal work performed by Canadian organizations according to four criteria – size, complexity, breadth and innovation.
Criteria:
- Open to a litigation team that worked on a single commercial case rendered or settled in Canada’s courts in 2022, including class actions.
- Judged on a single case’s size and complexity and the extent to which it set new standards of excellence in the delivery of legal services by the team.
IN-HOUSE AWARDS
Criteria:
- Open to all Canada-based law departments in construction, infrastructure or transportation organizations.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of legal work performed during calendar year 2022.
Note:
- The winner of this category will automatically progress to become a finalist in Canadian Law Department of the Year.
Criteria:
- Open to all Canada-based law departments in banking or financial services (including banks, credit unions, lenders, insurance companies, pension funds, brokerage firms and investment funds).
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of legal work performed during calendar year 2022.
Note:
- The winner of this category will automatically progress to become a finalist in Canadian Law Department of the Year.
Criteria:
- Open to all Canada-based law departments.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of legal work performed during calendar year 2022.
Note:
- Winners of the two-sector-specific law department awards will automatically progress to become finalists for this category; thus only law departments that do not fall within those two-sector-specific categories need to be nominated.
Criteria:
- Open to all Canada-based general counsels, chief legal officers, heads of legal et al in in-house positions.
- Judged on transactions and other initiatives spearheaded and leadership qualities demonstrated through 2022.
Criteria:
- Open to all projects or initiatives executed by Canada-based law departments in 2022.
- Judged on the significance, innovativeness and impact of the project or initiative.
FIRM AWARDS
Criteria:
- Judged on the extent to which firms have pushed through technological innovation and implemented fresh approaches in creating and delivering legal products, including utilizing technology and new business models, through 2022.
Criteria:
- Open to all Canada-based law firms that derived at least 50% of their 2022 revenue from IP matters.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of legal work performed during calendar year 2022.
Criteria:
- Open to all Canada-based law firms that derived at least 50% of their 2022 revenue from litigation and dispute resolution.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of legal work performed during calendar year 2022
Criteria:
- Open to all Canada-based litigators.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of litigation work performed during calendar year 2022.
Criteria:
- Open to all managing partners, CEOs or similar of Canada-based law firms.
- Judged on achievements, leadership and performance through 2022.
Criteria:
- Open to all Canada-based law firms of any size that derived at least 50% of their 2022 revenue from Family Law matters.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of legal work performed during calendar year 2022.
Criteria:
- Open to all Canada-based law firms that derived at least 50% of their 2022 revenue from a single practice area. Firms that do not qualify for the specialist firm categories (Family Law, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property) should be nominated in this category.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of legal work performed during calendar year 2022.
Criteria:
- Open to firms that have offices in only one of the regions listed below, and are a full-service law firm:• Atlantic Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick)
• Quebec
• Ontario
• Prairies (Manitoba, Saskatchewan)
• Western Canada (B.C., Alberta, Northern Territories) - Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of legal work performed during calendar year 2022.
LEGAL PROFESSION AWARDS
Criteria:
- Open to all Canada-based law firms and law departments.
- Judged on the concrete steps the law firm or law department took during 2022 to promote diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.
Criteria:
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Open to all Canada-based law firms. Small / medium sized firms are encouraged to enter.
- Judged on the concrete steps taken by the law firm during 2022 to demonstrate a commitment to any or all of the following; EDI as a core organizational value, to strengthen access to justice for underrepresented communities, to advance legal services through innovation, and to invest in legal education through mentorship and beyond.
Criteria:
- Open to all Canada-based women lawyers.
- Judged on professional accomplishments, leadership, community involvement, and the extent to which the individual has either passively or actively contributed to gender equality in the legal profession in 2022.
Criteria:
- Open to any single pro bono or not-for-profit initiative executed by a Canada-based law firm or law department in 2022.
- Judged on the impact of the initiative and its contribution to society and the community.
