Franchising | Canada

Cassels Brock & Blackwell is a premier choice for franchising law in Canada, regularly advising large multinational franchise systems on disclosure, compliance and class action defence. The firm's Toronto-based lawyers assist clients with agreements, expansion and wind-down operations, providing additional expertise in M&A, tax, employment and advertising. The firm's client base includes major franchisors from the cannabis, hospitality, and food and beverage industries. It offers additional expertise advising foreign brands on entry into the Canadian market and is well positioned to advise on the franchise aspects of major transactions.

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt is a top-tier firm that acts for franchisors across all areas of the practice. Its Toronto-headquartered franchising team is renowned for its representation of clients with established franchise systems or expansion plans in Canada, notably in the quick-service restaurant, hospitality and automotive sectors. It assists with integrations, franchise agreements, disclosure documents and distribution matters and is able to draw upon the wider resources of the firm in related areas such as tax, real estate and M&A, as well as privacy and social media policy. The firm has notable strength advising US franchisors on entry into the Canadian market and is well equipped to handle both transactions and litigation in this space.

Sotos LLP is a franchise law boutique that is known for its representation of both franchisor and franchisee clients. The Toronto-based law firm regularly handles the preparation of franchise agreements and disclosure documents, as well as advising on regulatory compliance. It also offers substantial litigation and arbitration expertise, including in relation to rescission, termination and the enforcement of non-compete covenants. The law firm assists a wide range of clients across various industries, including the automotive, food and beverage, and hospitality sectors, and is well placed to act on expansion mandates.

Fasken handles a range of franchise-related litigation and transactional work for large franchisor clients as well as franchisees across Canada. The team is spread across Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal, from where it expertly advises on franchise agreements and disclosure documents. It also offers substantial experience in litigation. The firm demonstrates expertise in industries such as food and beverages, retail, automotive and pharmaceuticals.

Dentons has a well-reputed franchising law team primarily based in Toronto with experience across a wide array of franchising matters in Canada, including the acquisition and termination of franchises, and the preparation of disclosure documents and franchise agreements. It is further experienced in handling contentious mandates in the space and serves clients in sectors such as automotive, hospitality, retail, and food and beverages.

McCarthy Tétrault has a recognised national footprint and is well versed in both transactional and contentious franchising law matters. The firm offers expertise in the full gamut of matters arising in this space, drawing on its broad service offering to act as a one-stop shop for franchisors. Partners and associates based in Toronto and Vancouver advise clients ranging in size from emerging businesses and mid-market players to global corporations in a variety of sectors, including food and beverages, telecommunications, medical, education, hospitality and automotive. The firm's offices in New York and London, England position it well to assist international franchising clients.