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Our lawyers are distinguished by their wealth of litigation experience – gained through regular appearances in all levels of the courts, before administrative and regulatory tribunals, as well as mediation and arbitration. Lenczner Slaght partners, ranked among the best of their peers nationally, lead a recruitment and mentoring program that attracts gifted litigators who are committed to upholding the highest professional standards.

From commercial disputes and class actions to cross-border matters and professional regulation, we bring expert strategy – backed by rigorous research, data management and administrative support – to highly demanding cases in all litigation practice areas.

Awards

In recent years, Lenczner Slaght has received several industry-leading awards to recognize the firm’s excellence in litigation, client service, innovation, and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

  • Canadian Law Awards – Litigation & Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year (2020-2024)
  • Canadian Lawyer – 5-Star Pro Bono Firm (2023)
  • Precedent Innovation Awards – Data-Driven Decisions: The SCC Leave Project (2021)
  • Chambers Canada Awards – Litigation/Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year (2021)
  • Best Lawyers in Canada – Administrative & Public Law Firm of the Year (2022)
  • Canadian Law Awards – Mid-Market Deal of the Year (2021)
  • Benchmark Canada Awards – Ontario Firm of the Year (2021)
  • Precedent Innovation Awards – Commerciallist.com (2020)
  • Canadian Law Awards – Canadian Boutique Law Firm of the Year (2020)
  • Benchmark Canada Awards – Medical Defense/Health Firm of the Year (2019 & 2020)
  • Precedent Innovation Awards – R&R Lounge (2019)
  • Legal Marketing Association’s Eastern Canada Your Honor Awards – Client Services: ReferToHer (2019)
  • Legal Marketing Association’s Your Honor Awards – Content Marketing: commerciallist.com (2019)
  • Benchmark Canada Awards – Ontario Firm of the Year (2018)
  • Life Sciences Awards – Canadian Patent Contentious Firm of the Year (2017)
  • Life Sciences Awards – Canadian Firm to Watch (2017)
  • Legal Marketing Association’s Your Honor Awards – Website, Analytics, and SEO: litigate.com (2017)
  • Chambers Canada Awards – Dispute Resolution Team of the Year (2015)

Chambers Global

Lenczner Slaght remains a leading force in dispute resolution, recognized alongside notable full-service, national, and international firms. Our litigation excellence continues to be highlighted in the following areas:

  • Disputes (International & Cross-Border)
  • Intellectual Property: Litigation 

In addition to the firm’s ranking, seven of our expert litigators have earned global recognition:

The Chambers Global rankings reflect the result of comprehensive research and interviews with firm clients and legal professionals worldwide, who have recognized Lenczner Slaght and its litigators for their unparalleled trial expertise and unwavering commitment to delivering the best results for clients.

Lenczner Slaght is also recognized in Chambers Canada 2025 for its exceptional litigation expertise in the following areas:

  • Construction (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Dispute Resolution: Class Action (Defence) (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Healthcare: Contentious (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Insurance: Dispute Resolution (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Intellectual Property: Litigation (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Litigation: General Commercial (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Litigation: Administrative & Public Law (Ontario)
  • Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario)
  • Litigation: Securities (Ontario)

To view more details, click here.

About Chambers

Chambers and Partners, headquartered in London, UK, publishes guides to the legal profession in 185 jurisdictions throughout the world. They conduct in-depth research throughout the year on legal knowledge and experience, ability, effectiveness, and client service.

Chambers Canada

After extensive research and interviews with firm clients and legal professionals across Canada, Chambers Canada 2025 highlights Lenczner Slaght’s litigation excellence in the following areas:

  • Construction (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Dispute Resolution: Class Actions (Defence) (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Healthcare: Contentious (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Insurance: Dispute Resolution (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Intellectual Property: Litigation (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Litigation: Administrative & Public Law (Ontario)
  • Litigation: General Commercial (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario)
  • Litigation: Securities (Ontario)

In addition to the firm’s rankings, 22 Lenczner Slaght lawyers are further recognized as top litigators in their respective fields.

  • Jim Lepore – Intellectual Property: Litigation (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Brendan Morrison – Healthcare: Contentious (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Brian Kolenda – Litigation: Securities (Ontario)
  • Paul-Erik Veel – Dispute Resolution: Class Action (Defence) (Nationwide – Canada); Healthcare: Contentious (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Matthew B. Lerner – Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario)
  • Andrew Parley – Construction (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Sana Halwani – Intellectual Property: Litigation (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Jaan Lilles – Healthcare: Contentious (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Dena N. Varah – Healthcare: Contentious (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Rebecca Jones – Healthcare: Contentious (Nationwide – Canada); Litigation: Administrative & Public Law (Ontario)
  • Eli Lederman – Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario)
  • Matthew Sammon – Construction (Nationwide – Canada); Employment & Labour: Non-Unionised Employees; Healthcare: Contentious (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Jordana Sanft – Intellectual Property: Litigation (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Monique Jilesen – Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario)
  • Nina Bombier – Insurance: Dispute Resolution (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Mark Veneziano – Healthcare: Contentious (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Risa Kirshblum – Healthcare: Contentious (Nationwide – Canada)
  • Lawrence E. Thacker – Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (Nationwide – Canada)
  • William C. McDowell – Litigation: Administrative & Public Law (Ontario)
  • Tom Curry – Dispute Resolution: Class Action (Defence) (Nationwide – Canada); Healthcare: Contentious (Nationwide – Canada); Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario)
  • Peter Griffin – Dispute Resolution: Class Action (Defence) (Nationwide – Canada); Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario); Litigation: Securities (Ontario)
  • Ian Binnie – Dispute Resolution: Most in Demand Arbitrators (Nationwide – Canada)

Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory

Peers and senior members of the legal profession across the country continue to recognize the depth and breadth of Canada’s leading litigation firm in the latest 2025 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. 

After a comprehensive survey, 35 of our expert litigators have been recognized with 126 rankings across 19 practice areas. Their exceptional advocacy, experience, and subject-matter expertise are why clients turn to them to solve their most complex legal problems.

The following Lenczner Slaght lawyers have been selected through peer surveys as leading practitioners in their field: Ian Binnie, Peter Griffin, Tom Curry, William C. McDowell, Lawrence E. Thacker, Risa Kirshblum, Cynthia L. Tape, Mark Veneziano, Scott Rollwagen, Nina Bombier, Monique Jilesen, Jordana Sanft, Matthew Sammon, Eli Lederman, Rebecca Jones, Colin Johnston, Dena N. Varah, Jaan Lilles, Sana Halwani, Andrew Parley, Matthew B. Lerner, Paul-Erik Veel, Andrew Moeser, Amanda Smallwood, Ian MacLeod, Brian Kolenda, Christopher Yung, Brendan F. Morrison, Aaron I. Grossman, Jonathan Chen, Andrea Wheeler, Meghan Bridges, Madison Robins, Margaret Robbins and Aoife Quinn.

Also in this directory, Lexpert has once again placed Lenczner Slaght at the centre of the Bull's Eye – its highest possible rating for a litigation practice.

 

Click here for the Lexpert® "Litigation – Toronto" Bull's-eye graphic.

Click here for the Lexpert® "Commercial Litigation – Toronto" Bull's-eye graphic.

Best Lawyers in Canada

Best Lawyers in Canada is an annual guide to the international legal profession.

Since the annual peer ratings were inaugurated in Canada in 2006, Lenczner Slaght has been recognized for the excellence of its practitioners in a wide range of areas.

The 2025 Best Lawyers in Canada guide recognizes the following Lenczner Slaght lawyers: Ian Binnie, Peter Griffin, Tom Curry, William C. McDowell, Anne E. Posno, Lawrence E. Thacker, Risa M. Kirshblum, Cynthia L. Tape, Mark A. Veneziano, Scott Rollwagen, Nina Bombier, Monique Jilesen, Jordana Sanft, Eli S. Lederman, Matthew Sammon, Rebecca Jones, Colin Johnston, Jaan Lilles, Dena N. Varah, Sana Halwani, Matthew B. Lerner, Andrew Parley, Paul-Erik Veel, Andrew Moeser, Brian Kolenda, Amanda Smallwood, Ian MacLeod, Brendan F. Morrison, Aaron I. Grossman, Jonathan Chen, and Andrea Wheeler.

Further Meghan Bridges, Madison Robins, Margaret Robbins, Aoife Quinn, Lauren Mills Taylor, Kate Costin, David Salter, Jonathan McDaniel, Corey McClary, Caroline H. Humphrey, Sean Lewis, Jim Lepore, Jonathan D. Langley and Bonnie Greenaway are recognized in the latest edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada.

Legal 500 Canada

Based on in-depth research, client feedback, and interviews with leading lawyers in the industry, Lenczner Slaght also continues to be recognized for its litigation excellence in Construction, Insurance, Intellectual Property, and Restructuring and Insolvency.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Hall of Fame

Leading Partners

Next Generation Partner

Recommended Lawyer

Legal 500 had this to say about our expert litigators:

The team at Toronto-based boutique Lenczner Slaght regularly represents financial services, retail, insurance and mining-sector clients in litigation. Leadership of the group is shared between Monique Jilesen and Eli Lederman. Jilesen focuses her practice on class action defence, contract and shareholder disputes, civil fraud cases, injunctions, professional liability matters and bankruptcy and insolvency litigation. Lederman specializes in commercial litigation, commercial contracts work and shareholder litigation. Also noted are Peter Griffin KC (corporate-commercial litigation, class actions, securities matters, director liability); Tom Curry, Matthew Lerner and Brian Kolenda.

CONSTRUCTION

Lenczner Slaght’s construction litigation practice demonstrated strong growth during 2023/24 with the addition of eight new clients, including Bird-Design Build Construction and Northbridge General Insurance Corporation.

INSURANCE

Leading Partner

Recommended Lawyer

Lenczner Slaght possesses a robust insurance litigation practice that is sought after for complex cases covering policy, coverage and defence matters. The Toronto boutique acts for a growing roster of insurance companies and insured entities and it added eight new clients during 2023/24, including XL Specialty (US) and CFT Clear Finance Technology. Practice head Nina Bombier specializes in insurance litigation, with a focus on professional negligence, product liability and environmental cases. Mark Veneziano is also a key contact for insurance disputes.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Leading Partners

Recommended Lawyer

Dispute resolution boutique Lenczner Slaght houses an increasing prominent IP litigation practice that added 14 new clients to its roster during 2023/24, including Apple and MAGNA Pharmaceuticals. A strong choice for complex trial litigation, the team is particularly experienced in patent cases but its recent matters also span trademark and copyright-related proceedings. Sana Halwani covers the full range of contentious IP work and heads a department that additionally draws on experienced IP litigators Jordana Sanft and Andrew Moeser.

INSOLVENCY AND RESTRUCTURING

Recommended Lawyers

Lenczner Slaght's insolvency and restructuring capabilities take in representing creditors, debtors, monitors and receivers in litigation, as well as creditors’ rights matters, receiverships and enforcement in secured transactions. Monique Jilesen and Matthew Lerner share leadership of the practice from Toronto. Jilesen has substantial experience acting as counsel to creditors and receivers in multi-party restructuring and insolvency proceedings. Lerner, for his part, specializes in commercial litigation, real estate disputes, employment litigation and insolvency matters.

About Legal 500

The Legal 500 rankings are based on a series of criteria that recognize the practice area teams who provide the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel. The research is based on feedback from 300,000 clients worldwide, submissions from law firms and interviews with leading private practice lawyers, and a team of researchers who have unrivalled experience in the legal market.

IAM Patent 1000

Lenczner Slaght continues to receive worldwide recognition for its intellectual property expertise and is proud to advance to the Silver Tier in the 2024 edition of  IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals.

After a comprehensive qualitative research process that included peer and client feedback, the directory identifies world-class firms and individuals who are deemed outstanding in patent litigation based on their depth of expertise, market presence and quality of work.

In addition to the firm’s ranking, five of our expert litigators are recognized for their in-depth knowledge and extensive trial experience in patent matters.

Martin Brandsma
Andrew Moeser
Sana Halwani
Jordana Sanft
Cynthia Tape

Congratulations to all!

About IAM Patent 1000

Over five months, IAM conducted in the region of 1,800 interviews with numerous lawyers, patent lawyers and in-house counsel to gather market intelligence on the leading players in the field. Individuals qualify for a listing in the IAM Patent 1000 when they receive sufficient positive feedback from peers and clients with knowledge of their practice and the market within which they operate. Only those individuals identified by market sources for their exceptional skill sets and profound insights into patent matters feature in the IAM Patent 1000.

Managing Intellectual Property IP STARS

Managing Intellectual Property’s 2024 IP STARS handbook, a leading guide to the world’s foremost IP firms and practitioners, continues to recognize Sana Halwani and Jordana Sanft.

Lenczner Slaght has also been recognized as one of Canada’s most notable patent contentious firms.

About Managing Intellectual Property’s IP STARS

IP STARS rankings are based on rigorous and extensive research carried out over a six-month period, starting from September each year. This includes a comprehensive and authoritative survey of the IP legal market. Research analysts from all over the world gather information from firms and their clients through interviews, emails and online surveys, as well as from existing public data. Rankings are determined by assessing the strength of the firm’s IP team, workload, outcomes achieved for clients and track record. Judgments about which firms to include in the rankings, and which tier and practice area they should be in, take account of all this information.

Canadian Lawyer's Top 10 Civil Litigation Boutiques

After an extensive survey of in-house counsel and clients from across Canada, Canadian Lawyer Magazine has once again named Lenczner Slaght one of Canada's Top 10 Civil Litigation Boutiques in 2020.

Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Lawyers

The Lenczner Slaght lawyers that are Most Frequently Recommended for their cross-border expertise in Dispute Resolution include:

Lexpert Special Edition: Canada's Leading Litigation Lawyers

Following an in-depth peer review process across the legal profession, 21 Lenczner Slaght lawyers have been recognized in the 2024 Lexpert Special Edition: Canada’s Leading Litigation Lawyers guide for their extensive courtroom experience and subject-matter expertise.

The following expert litigators are recognized:

Congratulations to all!

About Lexpert Special Edition: Canada’s Leading Litigation Lawyers

This special year-end edition is published as a supplement to the December Report on Business magazine distributed with The Globe and Mail. The rankings are compiled from Lexpert’s annual peer review survey that determines Canada’s leading lawyers in over 60 practice areas, plus personal interviews with senior members of the legal profession.

 

Lexpert's Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers: A Guide to Doing Business in Canada

The 2025 edition of Lexpert's Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers: A Guide to Doing Business in Canada continues to recognize Lenczner Slaght as the #1 firm in Toronto for Litigation and Commercial Litigation.

Click here for the Lexpert® "Litigation – Toronto" Bull's-eye graphic.

Click here for the Lexpert® "Commercial Litigation – Toronto" Bull's-eye graphic.

Based on extensive peer surveys, the bull's-eye charts are created using a complex point system that identifies lawyers who have been consistently cited as leaders in their areas of practice. Lenczner Slaght has held the centre position since the bull's-eye’s introduction in 2001.

"We are honoured to be consistently recognized by our peers as Canada’s leading litigation firm,” says Monique Jilesen, Managing Partner of Lenczner Slaght. “For 24 years, we have proudly remained at the centre of the Lexpert Bull’s Eye. This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence in advocacy through the training and development of top litigators dedicated to achieving the best results for our clients.”

The following 10 expert litigators are further recognized for their litigation excellence in the 2025 Lexpert 500 Guide.

Congratulations, all!

About Lexpert's Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers: A Guide to Doing Business in Canada

The rankings in this guide are derived from the results of a comprehensive annual Lexpert peer review surveys with law firm leaders and peers of the legal profession. Published since 1997, Lexpert's Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers: A Guide to Doing Business in Canada (formerly the Lexpert/ALM 500) identifies the most frequently recommended lawyers across Canada in 30+ practice areas. It is used as a resource for American and Canadian in-house counsel and law firms in need of Canadian legal expertise.

Benchmark Canada

Endowed with what peers agree is “the deepest litigation talent roster in Toronto,” Lenczner Slaght commands brand-name respect among its Bay Street peers. Recognized in the 2023 Benchmark Canada rankings are the following leading litigators:

Top 50 Trial Lawyers in Canada, Litigation Star: Peter Griffin

Top 100 Women in Litigation, Litigation Star: Monique Jilesen, Sana Halwani

Litigation Star: Tom Curry, William C. McDowell, Lawrence E. Thacker, Mark Veneziano, Eli S. Lederman, Matthew Sammon, Rebecca Jones, Jaan Lilles, Dena N. Varah, Matthew B. Lerner, Andrew Parley, Paul-Erik Veel

Future Star: Delna Contactor

Lexology Index

In the latest edition of Lexology Index, Lenczner Slaght is proud to be recognized in the Litigation chapter.

The following Lenczner Slaght lawyers are recognized:

About Lexology Index: Canada

Lexology Index: Canada is an annually published directory of leading Canadian lawyers across 35 areas of business law, based on comprehensive peer review surveys and interviews with general counsel and lawyers in private practice.