This is a list of the largest Canada-based law firms by revenue in 2023. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
Canada Rank | Global Rank | Name | Revenue (US$) | Revenue per Lawyer (RPL, US$) | Total Lawyers | Profit per Equity Partner (PEP, US$) | Total Equity Partners | Leverage | Headquarters | Number of offices | Year established |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A [8] | 88 | Gowling WLG | 713,683,000 | 565,000 | 1,263 | 704,000 | 396 | N/A | Toronto, ON and London, UK | 20 | 2016 international merger |
1 | 90 | Blakes | 692,794,000 | 994,000 | 697 | 986,000 | 274 | N/A | Toronto, ON | 7 | 1856 |
2 | 99 | McCarthy | 635,000,000 | 844,000 | 752 | 1,418,000 | 170 | N/A | Toronto, ON | 7 | 1855 |
3 | 111 | Fasken | 579,938,000 | 647,000 | 897 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Toronto, ON | 10 | 2000 merger |
4 | 130 | Osler | 479,904,000 | 882,000 | 544 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Toronto, ON | 6 | 1862 |
5 | 138 | BLG | 443,658,000 | 553,000 | 803 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Toronto, ON | 5 | 2000 merger |
6 | 142 | Bennett Jones | 425,000,000 | 895,000 | 475 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Calgary, AB and Toronto, ON | 7 | 1922 |
7 | 161 | Stikeman | 368,756,000 | 713,000 | 517 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Montreal, QC and Toronto, ON | 8 | 1952 |
8 | 192 | Torys | 294,403,000 | 773,000 | 381 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Toronto, ON | 4 | 1941 |
9 | 199 | Miller Thomson | 282,274,000 | 563,000 | 501 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Toronto, ON | 11 | 1957 |
Lexpert Magazine publishes a yearly list of The 30 Largest Law Firms in Canada ranked by total number of lawyers. [9]
Rank | Name | Total Number of Lawyers | Toronto | Ottawa | Montréal | Vancouver | Calgary | Edmonton | Québec City | Other Cities |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | BLG | 795 | 288 | 83 | 155 | 135 | 134 | - | - | - |
1 | Fasken | 890 | 301 | 31 | 278 | 149 | 48 | - | 55 | 7 Surrey, BC |
3 | McCarthy | 714 | 350 | - | 167 | 87 | 80 | - | 30 | |
4 | Gowling WLG | 698 | 179 | 187 | 86 | 67 | 90 | - | - | 38 Hamilton, ON; 51 Waterloo, ON |
5 | Blakes | 652 | 346 | 7 | 84 | 106 | 109 | - | - | - |
6 | Norton Rose Fulbright | 640 | 157 | 45 | 165 | 96 | 116 | - | 61 | |
7 | Dentons | 580 | 164 | 33 | 99 | 77 | 108 | 99 | - | - |
8 | Miller Thomson | 528 | 171 | - | 73 | 63 | 42 | 54 | - | 16 Guelph, ON; 16 London, ON; 31 Vaughan, ON; 31 Waterloo, ON; 21 Regina, SK; 10 Saskatoon, SK |
9 | Osler | 485 | 288 | 33 | 64 | 32 | 68 | - | - | - |
10 | Stikeman | 472 | 218 | 9 | 149 | 41 | 55 | - | - | - |
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other matters in which legal advice and other assistance are sought.
Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP (Gowlings) was a Canadian and international law firm, with about 700 legal professionals in 10 offices in Canada, as well as in London, Moscow, and Beijing. The firm offered legal support in business law, advocacy/litigation and intellectual property law.
Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) is a British-American business law firm. It is the thirteenth-largest by headcount and 21st by revenue, with revenues of more than $2 billion. The law firm serves across a range of sectors — including consumer markets, energy, infrastructure and resources, financial institutions, life sciences and healthcare, technology and transport.
A Swiss association is a type of corporation in Swiss law. It is similar to the Anglo-American voluntary association. Unlike in Germany, a Swiss association does not need to be registered in order to obtain legal personality, but must be registered if it "conducts a commercial operation". An association can serve as a non-profit organization (NPO) or non-governmental organization (NGO) and this form is used by several Swiss sections of international NGOs such as Amnesty International, and the World Wildlife Fund, by business firms or by international organizations such as the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The form can also be used by political parties and alliances, such as trade unions.
Latham & Watkins LLP is an American multinational law firm. Founded in 1934 in Los Angeles, California, Latham is the second-largest law firm in the world by revenue. As of 2022, Latham is also one of the most profitable law firms in the world, with profits per partner exceeding US$5.7 million.
McMillan LLP is a Canadian business law firm serving public, private and not-for-profit clients across various industries in North America and around the world. McMillan LLP is the only national Canadian law firm with an office in Hong Kong, in addition to its offices across Canada in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal. The firm has industry groups in different sectors such as technology, energy, oil and gas, mining, construction and infrastructure, automotive, and transportation.
A company limited by guarantee (CLG) is a type of company where the liability of members in the event the company is wound up is limited to a amount listed in the company's articles or constitution. Most have no share capital, although rare exceptions exist.
Numerous current and former law firms are considered notable. Law firms are typically ranked by profit per partner, or at a more general level, revenue. Some private directories also assign subjective rankings to law firms, including Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500, although these are falling out of favour.
The Seven Sisters refers to a historical collection of seven law firms with offices across Canada, the majority of which have head offices in Toronto, Ontario.
Wragge & Co LLP was a UK-headquartered international law firm providing a full range of legal services to UK and international clients. Wragge & Co merged with the London law firm Lawrence Graham in May 2014, forming Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co. In 2016, Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co merged with the Canadian law firm Gowlings to become Gowling WLG.
Hogan Lovells is an American-British law firm co-headquartered in London and Washington, DC. The firm was formed in 2010 by the merger of the American law firm Hogan & Hartson and the British law firm Lovells. As of 2024, the firm employed about 2,800 lawyers, making it the sixth largest law firm in the world.
The legal services sector of the United Kingdom is a significant part of the national economy; it had a total output of £22.6 billion in 2013, up from 10.6 billion in 2001, and is equivalent to 1.6% of the country's gross domestic product for that year. The sector has a trade surplus is £3.1 billion in 2013 and directly employees 316,000 people, two-thirds of whom are located outside London. The UK is the world's most international market for legal services. It allows virtually unrestricted access for foreign firms, resulting in over 200 foreign law firms with offices in London and other cities in the UK. Around half of these are US firms, with the remainder mainly from Europe, Australia and Canada. The UK legal market has a strong global position due to the popularity of English law. Some 27% of the world's 320 legal jurisdictions use English Common law.
Gowling WLG is a multinational law firm formed by the combination of Canada-based Gowlings and UK-based Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co in February 2016.