The annual awards celebrates Canada’s top lawyers aged 40 and under
Nominations are now open for the Lexpert Rising Stars Awards, Lexpert, Canadian Lawyer, and Law Times’ annual celebration of Canada’s most outstanding lawyers aged 40 and under.
Nominations for candidates must be submitted via the Lexpert Rising Stars website by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on Friday, June 26, 2026.
To be considered, nominees must be licensed to practice law in Canada, including private practice and in-house lawyers. Nominees must be born in 1986 or later.
There is no nomination fee.
Once the nomination period closes, the Lexpert Rising Stars team will narrow down the nominees to create a shortlist of potential winners. That shortlist will then be submitted to an advisory panel of legal leaders and experts, who will begin voting in August for the winners of the 2026 Lexpert Rising Stars Awards.
The winners will be revealed at the Lexpert Rising Stars Awards gala in November at Toronto’s Liberty Grand.
Nearly 500 people registered to attend the 2025 awards gala. Last year’s Lexpert Rising Stars Awards winners hailed from law firms, legal departments, and organizations across Canada.
Reflecting on what motivates her to strive for excellence, Karen Vadasz, a partner at Goodmans LLP and one of the 2025 winners, pointed to her “incredible mentors and family.”
Another winner, Dentons partner Kate Millar, identified her relationship with her clients. “It's very meaningful – the work that I do for them and that they trust me so much with their matters,” she said.
The 2026 awards would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Silver Sponsors Cassels, McMillan LLP, and Norton Rose Fulbright and Associate Sponsor Bovine Wine Club.
See the full list of the 2025 winners here.
