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Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP

Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite

Canada Guide 2026 : Ontario

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Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP

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About

Provided by Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP

Lax O’Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb (LOLG) is Canada’s premier counsel firm. The firm’s lawyers handle the most complex commercial disputes and public law cases. They carry a robust trial, arbitration and appellate practice across the country and in the Supreme Court of Canada.

LOLG is regularly engaged as trial and appellate co-counsel by peer law firms, and as court officers in large and sensitive litigation mandates. The firm also acts as counsel in class actions, securities litigation and administrative law matters, as well as infrastructure, franchise, employment and health law disputes.

LOLG also has one of Canada’s leading restructuring & insolvency practices. The firm’s insolvency counsel are ranked among the top nationally and have material roles in Canada’s largest and most complex insolvency proceedings and restructurings.

LOLG’s practitioners are leaders at the bar, holding positions on the Chief Justice of Ontario’s Advisory Committee on Professionalism and the Supreme Court Advocacy Institute, and fellowships in elite trial organizations. Its associates are of the highest caliber, recruited primarily from judicial clerkships at the Supreme Court of Canada, provincial Courts of Appeal and the Commercial List of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. LOLG's partners are among the most consistently recommended counsel in Canada and represent clients in Canada, the United States, and from overseas.

Chambers Review

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Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite - Ontario

Band 1

What the Team is Known For
Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb is a Toronto litigation boutique that is sought out for its handling of high-end corporate and commercial litigation. The firm's areas of expertise include contractual and shareholder disputes, professional liability and insolvency, as well as matters involving franchising and construction law. The team is highly experienced at both trial and appellate levels, and regularly handles class action work, acting for both plaintiffs and defendants. It acts for an impressive range of clients, including domestic and international companies and financial institutions, as well as corporate directors and officers, and is often sought out as counsel by other law firms.
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Work Highlights

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  • Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb represented Selena Stronach in an action against Belinda Stronach and other Stronach family members over control of and rights to the family wealth.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Lax O'Sullivan has demonstrated a strong ability to understand the balance of litigation strategy against business interests.

    Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada

  • The lawyers are creative and unafraid to make tough arguments.

    Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada

  • The team garners instant respect and the breadth of their expertise is in just about any kind of litigation.

    Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada

  • The Lax team shows total client commitment.

    Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada

  • The firm stands out through its ability to provide realistic assessments of case outcomes and clear evaluation of available options.

    Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Jonathan C Lisus
    Jonathan C Lisus

    Jonathan C Lisus

    Jonathan Lisus is an eminent commercial litigator in Toronto who features on some of the country's largest mandates, touching on issues such as negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract and unfair conduct, as well as shareholder disputes.

    • He is a leader in this space.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada

    • His presence on a file brings instant respect and results.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada
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  • Crawford G Smith
    Crawford G Smith

    Crawford G Smith

    Crawford Smith is a highly regarded lawyer with a diverse commercial litigation practice. He earns plaudits for his counsel on single-plaintiff and class action disputes, with notable experience in the insurance and energy sectors. He is based in Toronto.

    • He doesn't just think of the one case, he puts it in context, thinks bigger picture and gives fundamentally good advice.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada

    • He has a fully integrated view of all the issues and frames them well for the team and for the client.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada

    • He cuts through complexity and knows what to focus on in order to advance the client's interests.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada
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  • Matthew P Gottlieb
    Matthew P Gottlieb

    Matthew P Gottlieb

    Matthew Gottlieb is a prominent figure in Toronto's commercial litigation market. He is particularly respected for his insolvency disputes practice.

    • Matthew stands out with his remarkable ability to distil intricate legal concepts into accessible insights.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada

    • His energy and work ethic are off the chart.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada
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  • Nadia Campion
    Nadia Campion

    Nadia Campion

    Nadia Campion has wide-ranging commercial experience, including advising on insolvency-related cases and class actions, as well as novel issues relating to the destruction of human biological reproductive materials. She works out of Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb's Toronto office.

    • She is a tough litigator with experience in dealing with a lot of high profile matters.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada
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  • Rahool Agarwal
    Rahool Agarwal

    Rahool Agarwal

    Rahool Agarwal has a robust disputes practice which sees him act for clients in a broad array of corporate and commercial claims, as well as public law and constitutional litigation.

    • He demonstrates mastery of the courtroom.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada
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  • Andrew Winton
    Andrew Winton

    Andrew Winton

    Andrew Winton has an impressive commercial litigation practice, including on contractual and insolvency matters.

    • He doesn't shy away from any subject matter and has a very practical lens on how to strategically approach disputes.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada

    • Andrew is remarkably personable with an exceptional ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada
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  • Paul Michell
    Paul Michell

    Paul Michell

    Toronto-based Paul Michell is a seasoned lawyer with a well-established reputation in the commercial litigation field. He is additionally instructed on arbitration matters.

    • Paul has excellent knowledge and is a very focused litigator.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada
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  • Brad Vermeersch
    Brad Vermeersch

    Brad Vermeersch

    Toronto-based Brad Vermeersch is a commercial litigator with a particular focus on multiparty infrastructure disputes. He also represents clients in contractual disputes, class actions, administrative law, regulatory investigations and appeals.

    • He is very practical and shows very good commercial judgement.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada
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  • Philip Underwood
    Philip Underwood

    Philip Underwood

    Philip Underwood is a litigation partner in Toronto. He enjoys a fast-rising profile for his practice, with experience across a broad spectrum of civil litigation and ADR.

    • He is a very good litigator and skilled in a number of ways.

      Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite respondentCanada
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Ranked Individuals at Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb LLP (9)

Ontario

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