Chambers Global Canada International Capabilities

Canada: International & Cross Border Capabilities

In the International & Cross Border Capabilities sections, Chambers highlights the law firms which are identified by clients as the best and most user-friendly to work with when matters involve international aspects, that require the lawyers to consider, manage and advise on issues which are going on across different countries and jurisdictions.

All the firms listed in the Canada section offer strong abilities to serve clients who are seeking a legal team with significant resources in Canada, but also the ability to excel in international work.

Frequently, the firm’s specified have been picked out by clients for their strengths in some or all of the below:

• coordinating advice on connected transactions, court procedures or regulatory issues in different countries as a lead counsel;
• providing global reach and giving clients access to top quality legal advice in all the markets they need help;
• providing seamless and integrated legal services to clients, which create a user-friendly experience across borders; and
• helping clients in international matters through specific knowledge or experience of sector or industry practices worldwide.

Global Trends in the Canadian Market

International work from Canada is dominated by the key industry sectors within the country, with energy companies particularly driving global matters across oil & gas, mining, power and renewables. Given the strength of Canadian companies in these sectors and their active profile investing in the development of projects overseas, the leading independent Canadian firms, which have long served these clients, tend to maintain an expansive international role, exporting their industry expertise to help with regulatory, transactional and financing issues on projects overseas in places such as Latin America and Africa. Some firms, such as Fasken and Cassels Brock & Blackwell, are quite strongly specialised towards serving on this type of international work. Others such as Blake, Cassels & Graydon, McCarthy Tétrault and Stikeman Elliot, have particularly impressed over a broader range of activities. M&A, capital markets and IP are other key areas where Canadian firms often take on a broader international role for clients.

Another common trend noted as useful by clients is that several firms is the ability of Canadian firms to provide US law advice, with several having practising US offices. Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg and Torys are often noted in this regard.

There is a limited presence of international firms in Canada, with many of the US and UK-centred firms present in major economies preferring to partner with leading Canadian firms rather than establish their own teams. Norton Rose & Fulbright is the major exception to this, having established a strong bench strength in Canada through a series of mergers with established local players. Dentons has also established a popular Canadian presence which has gained the preference of many international and local clients.