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Category Definitions
What is Corporate Commercial Law?

Best Corporate commercial lawyers in Canada as ranked by Lexpert 

The practice area of corporate commercial lawyers is difficult to define since it (a) means different things to different people and (b) necessarily incorporates practice areas which, in some firms, are distinct areas of specialization, e.g., corporate finance, insolvency. With this being the case, the corporate commercial lawyers below can be thought of as specialists in a wide variety of areas of the law around corporations, finances, and insolvency. 

 

Please note the Lexpert Directory has separate sections for:  

  • Corporate finance and securities lawyers

  • Corporate tax lawyers  

  • Financial institutions and banking lawyers 

  • Financial restructuring and insolvency lawyers 

  • Asset equipment financing and leasing lawyers 

  • Mergers and acquisitions lawyers 

 

What is corporate commercial law? 

Corporate law deals with laws and regulations governing corporations, its officers and workers, and its relationship with the public, starting from the creation of a corporation, until its liquidation or dissolution. Commercial law deals with the legal services for the income-generating activities of businesses. In general, corporate law and commercial law are broad practice areas, and one sub-area out of these two is corporate commercial law.  

 

Corporate Commercial Law 

Corporate commercial law, which may also be referred to as business law, includes all activities related to the financial success of a corporation. It governs all stages of a corporate “life” – from starting a small business, a venture or as SMEs, until its eventual growth through business and operational expansions. It would also include day-to-day operations and the legal issues that arise from them. 

 

Canadian Corporate Commercial Law 

As with corporate law, the corporate commercial law in Canada is similarly governed by the Canada Business Corporations Act. The Act governs federal for-profit corporations which are formed under the Act. Under Section 3, “corporations” under the Act excludes banks, credit associations, insurance companies, trust and loan companies, and educational institutions. Other significant provisions are: 

  • Part II: details of incorporation 

  • Part III: specifies the capacities and powers of a corporation 

  • Part X: directors and officers, their qualifications and responsibilities 

  • Part XII: conduct of shareholders’ meetings and elections 

  • Part XVIII: process of a corporation’s liquidation and dissolution  

 

What does a corporate commercial lawyer do? 

Incorporation 

When an entity is to be incorporated, the work of corporate commercial lawyers starts. They ensure valid compliance with government regulations on incorporations, which may also include laws on securities and taxation. They also ensure compliance with the Canada Business Corporations Act whenever these provisions are applicable, in addition to any provincial or territorial business corporations law. 

 

Corporate Structure 

During the incorporation stages, and even until the corporation fully operates, corporate organisational structuring is essential and may be one of the responsibilities of a corporate commercial lawyer. It might also include the delineation of the roles and responsibilities of each employee, and defining the relationship between the corporation and the employees. 

 

Contracts 

Most of the time, the centerpiece of the work of corporate commercial lawyers are contracts. These contracts may be contracts on sales and distributions with other corporations, contracts on capital investments or venture capitals, contracts between the corporation and its employees, and any other contract that the corporation deems necessary for its growth and expansion. Contracts must also meet with federal, provincial and territorial laws in order for it to become valid. 

 

Partnerships 

When a corporation enters into a partnership contract or agreement, corporate commercial lawyers ensure that the contract has the corporation’s best financial interests and that it each “partner’s” rights and obligations are clearly defined. Notably, Partnership Acts are passed in various provinces and territories that needs to be complied with when entering partnerships. 

 

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) 

When acquiring other businesses through a merger or an acquisition, different laws may apply, such as federal, provincial or territorial laws on M&A, taxation, property law, banking law, investment law, and even international law when there’s a foreign element in the transaction (e.g., acquiring company is a foreign company). 

 

Franchise 

When a corporation acts either as a franchisee or a franchisor, lawyers make sure that a franchise contract follows the governmental regulations, such as the execution of the disclosure document, and application and payment of various tax impositions. 

 

Corporate Financing 

Managing the corporation’s current cash flow for its daily operations may also be a job for corporate commercial lawyers. This would also include acquiring capital from investors, banks, or other third parties, where contracts law are heavily applied. For these transactions, banking laws, securities laws, and investment laws must be considered that specialised lawyers may guide corporations with. 

 

Service Agreements 

Other contracts may fall under service agreements. Although, there is no single federal agency governing service agreements, its regulations are covered by common law and contracts law. 

 

Litigations, Mediations, and Arbitrations 

Corollary to contracts are the negotiations ensuing before its perfection, whose duty would still be under the corporate commercial lawyers. When contracts fail, or there’s a breach by any party, lawyers will try to ease up tension and prematurely remedy the dispute through alternative dispute resolutions, such as mediation, or through arbitration, in the objective of preventing a full-blown trial.  

 

But when court actions are filed (or must be filed), corporate commercial lawyers represent clients before tribunals or courts in the interest of either rescinding the contract, demand for damages and losses, or enforce specific performance from the violator. 

 

Liquidation, Bankruptcy, or Insolvency 

When a corporation declares itself bankrupt, or has become insolvent, a corporate commercial lawyer is there to guide the overarching layers of bankruptcy laws and insolvency laws, such as the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. On the other hand, when the company decides to liquidate itself, provisions on liquidation in the Canada Business Corporations Act must be complied with. 

 

Other areas of law 

As previously mentioned, corporate commercial law is also not exclusive from other areas or branches of law, such as taxation laws, securities law, property laws, or laws on succession, and even public and private international law when the corporation transacts business internationally, or exports or imports products to or from Canada. As such, corporate commercial lawyers are flexible enough in their practice, covering various stages of a corporate’s life, with the added layer of other areas of law. 

 

What's the difference between corporate and commercial law? 

Corporate law is a much more restricted branch of law, in a sense that it is only concerned from the birth until the death of the company; whereas commercial law has a wider scope in relation to a corporation, such as all transactions for its financial growth. 

 

In need of a corporate commercial lawyer to help in your business financial endeavours? Scroll down to see a list of the best corporate commercial lawyers in Canada who have earned their Lexpert Ranked status. 

Québec

Montréal Leading Firms
Most Frequently Recommended
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Consistently Recommended
BCF Business Law
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P.
Repeatedly Recommended
Dentons Canada LLP
Gowling WLG
Miller Thomson LLP
Montréal Leading Practitioners
Most Frequently Recommended
Carl Bélanger
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Michel Boislard
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Patrick Boucher
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Philippe Bourassa
Montréal, Québec
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Robert Carelli
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Peter Castiel
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Charles Chevrette
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Vanessa Coiteux
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Éric Gosselin
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Shahir Guindi
Montréal, Québec
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Sidney M. Horn
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Neil Katz
Montréal, Québec
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Warren M. Katz
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Stephen J. Kelly
Montréal, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Neil Kravitz
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Sophie Lamonde
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Jean Michel Lapierre
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Pierre-Yves Leduc
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
John W. Leopold
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Eric M. Levy
Montréal, Québec
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Clemens Mayr
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Paul Raymond
Montréal, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Caitlin Rose
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Sébastien Roy
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Franziska Ruf
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Patrick M. Shea
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Eric Stevens
Montréal, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Maxime Turcotte
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Consistently Recommended
Sophie Amyot
Montréal, Québec
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Anthony Arquin
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Jocelyn Auger
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Sébastien Bellefleur
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Simon Bisson
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Valérie Boucher
Montréal, Québec
Fortier, D'Amour, Goyette S.E.N.C.R.L.
Jean-Pierre Chamberland
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Chrystelle Chevalier-Gagnon
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Pascal de Guise
Montréal, Québec
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Mathieu Deschamps
Montréal, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Olivier Désilets
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Jean-Sébastien Desroches
Montréal, Québec
Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P.
Pascale Dionne
Montréal, Québec
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Michel Gélinas
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Elliot A. Greenstone
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Jean Marc Huot
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Philippe Johnson
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Kosta Kostic
Montréal, Québec
Dentons Canada LLP
Kevin Kyte
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Nicolas Labrecque
Montréal, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Howard M. Levine
Montréal, Québec
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Paul Martel
Montréal, Québec
Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P.
David Massé
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Hadrien Montagne
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Nicolas Morin
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Marie-Josée Neveu
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
François Paradis
Montréal, Québec
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Aniko Pelland
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Guy Rouleau
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Scott Rozansky
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Adam Saskin
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Elliot Shapiro
Montréal, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Guillaume Synnott
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Karl Tabbakh
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
David Tardif
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Niko Veilleux
Montréal, Québec
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Justin D. Vineberg
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Claire Zikovsky
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Repeatedly Recommended
Jordan Altman
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Dominique Babin
Montréal, Québec
Dentons Canada LLP
Nathalie Beauregard
Montréal, Québec
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Karine Bilodeau
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Louis-Nicolas Boulanger
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Sylvie Bourdeau
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Fraser Bourne
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
François Brais
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Étienne Brassard
Montréal, Québec
Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P.
Antoine Champagne
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
P. Mario Charpentier
Montréal, Québec
BCF Business Law
Denis Chaurette
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Vincent Chaurette
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Richard D. Cherney
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Laurence Cromp-Lapierre
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Kevin Anthony Custodio
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Robert Dorion
Montréal, Québec
Gowling WLG
André Dufour
Montréal, Québec
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Andrea Dupuis
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Nicolas Faucher
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Louis-Charles Filiatrault
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Vincent Filiatrault
Montréal, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Olivier Godbout
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Shayna Goldman
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Éloïse Gratton
Montréal, Québec
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Emmanuel Grondin
Montréal, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Benjamin David Gross
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Véronique Harvey-Bertrand
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Neil Ezra Hazan
Montréal, Québec
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Alexandre Hébert
Montréal, Québec
Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P.
Édith Jacques
Montréal, Québec
Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P.
Joseph Jarjour
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Chris Karambatsos
Montréal, Québec
KRB Lawyers
Brian Kujavsky
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Vincent Laurin
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Amar Leclair-Ghosh
Montréal, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Renée Loiselle
Montréal, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Steve Malas
Montréal, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Frank Mariage
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Gino Martel
Montréal, Québec
BCF Business Law
Patrice Martin
Montréal, Québec
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
David L. McAusland
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Patrick Menda
Montréal, Québec
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Amélie Métivier
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Angelo Noce
Montréal, Québec
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
D. James Papadimitriou
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Jason Paperman
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Philipp Park
Montréal, Québec
Miller Thomson LLP
Antonella Penta
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Constantinos Ragas
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Peter Riddell
Montréal, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Hillel W. Rosen
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
William B. Rosenberg
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Guillaume Saliah
Montréal, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Jeremy Sculnick
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Warren Silversmith
Montréal, Québec
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Charles R. Spector
Montréal, Québec
Dentons Canada LLP
Sonia J. Struthers
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Sébastien Thériault
Montréal, Québec
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
André Vautour
Montréal, Québec
Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P.
Véronique Wattiez Larose
Montréal, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Québec City Leading Firms
Most Frequently Recommended
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Consistently Recommended
BCF Business Law
Stein Monast L.L.P.
Repeatedly Recommended
Cain Lamarre
Langlois Lawyers
Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P.
Québec City Leading Practitioners
Most Frequently Recommended
Marc Dorion
Québec City, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Anne-Marie Naud
Québec City, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Carl Tremblay
Québec City, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Consistently Recommended
Eric Amyot
Québec City, Québec
BCF Business Law
Pierre Déry
Québec City, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Mathieu Laflamme
Québec City, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Mathieu LeBlanc
Québec City, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Philippe Leclerc
Québec City, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Henrick Simard
Québec City, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Charles-Antoine Soulière
Québec City, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Repeatedly Recommended
David F. Blair
Québec City, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Pierre Boivin
Québec City, Québec
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Michel Demers
Québec City, Québec
Stein Monast L.L.P.
Frédéric Dorion
Québec City, Québec
BCF Business Law
Charles G. Gagnon
Québec City, Québec
Stein Monast L.L.P.
Sébastien Gingras
Québec City, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Vincent Girard
Québec City, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Vincent Laforest-Lapointe
Québec City, Québec
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Jérôme Landry
Québec City, Québec
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Sherbrooke Leading Practitioners
Repeatedly Recommended
Christian Dumoulin
Sherbrooke, Québec
Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P.
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