Real-world case studies reveal standout work benefitting clients, communities and the bar. 2026 nominations open now
As managing editor of Canadian Lawyer and Lexpert, I have the privilege of speaking regularly with some of the most impressive lawyers and legal teams in this country. Over the past year, through our coverage of the 2025 Canadian Law Award winners, I’ve been reminded again and again just how essential it is that we pause to recognize excellence in Canada’s legal profession – and why it matters that you take the time to submit a nomination for the 2026 awards.
The Canadian Law Awards exist for more than a single night of celebration. They exist to shine a light on the kind of leadership, innovation, judgment, and quiet persistence that often unfold far from the spotlight. When you look closely at recent winners and finalists, what you see is not just technical brilliance, but a profession actively reinventing itself in response to new technological, economic, regulatory, and social pressures.
Consider the work of Sagard’s legal department, which won the Law Department Innovation Award. In an era when in-house teams are under intense pressure to do more with less, Sagard chose to fundamentally rethink its workflows. Puja Kumar and her colleagues didn’t just adopt tools – they built them and then rewired how they worked. Their AI-powered Sagard Marketing Assurance Review Tool transformed a three-day, externally billed compliance exercise into a 24-hour, in-house process, resulting in substantial savings. But what stayed with me was Kumar’s insistence that AI is an amplifier, not a replacement: “AI doesn’t replace judgment. It doesn’t replace experience. I think it amplifies it.” That is precisely the kind of nuanced, future‑focused leadership we should be celebrating.
At the other end of the spectrum is work that is deeply grounded in community and reconciliation. The Kingsvale Transmission Line transaction – recognized as Mid‑Market Deal of the Year – was, in the words of Bob Jensen, “the most satisfying transaction of my career.” This was not the largest deal he ever worked on, but it may have been one of the most consequential. It enabled the Lower Nicola Indian Band to acquire a majority interest in a high-voltage transmission line running through its traditional territory, navigating unprecedented ownership and regulatory complexity. For Jensen, deals like Kingsvale show that “these economic opportunities are all part of making reconciliation work.” We often talk about reconciliation in abstract terms; Kingsvale is a reminder that legal creativity can translate those aspirations into a durable economic reality.
The same mix of complexity and purpose is evident in RBC’s acquisition of HSBC Bank Canada – Canada’s largest banking transaction, executed over a single long weekend, and recognized as M&A Deal of the Year. In our podcast conversation, Tracy Ross captured what made that effort extraordinary: “The transaction was closed over a four‑day weekend… which was unheard of, and I’m still surprised that it was done.” Behind that understatement sits a story of more than 60 legal team members working around the clock, integrating 10 legal entities, managing regulators across multiple jurisdictions, and still keeping the rest of the bank’s legal work moving. What impressed me most was Ross’s emphasis on the people who weren’t on the marquee deal – the lawyers who “had to keep the bank running and had to cover for the people who were working on the deal.” Her department was also recognized as the Canadian Law Department of the Year for this ongoing work. Awards like the Canadian Law Awards are one of the few moments when that invisible excellence is recognized publicly.
Not every headline transaction ends in a clean, linear closing. Tacora Resources Inc.’s restructuring under the CCAA – recognized as the most significant insolvency and restructuring deal of the year – was a story of years of struggle, litigation, and a community’s livelihood hanging in the balance. Stikeman Elliott partner Lee Nicholson described the core tension to my colleague Jessica Mach as a “large fight between these two very important stakeholders, but we didn't want the company to get crushed in the middle of the fight between them.” The eventual result – a sale that preserved the Scully mine, kept jobs in Wabush, and gave Tacora a new runway – was anything but inevitable. It required creativity, resilience and, above all, a relentless focus on keeping a real business, staffed by real people, alive.
Leadership within firms deserves equal attention. Danielle Robitaille’s recognition as Managing Partner of the Year is a powerful reminder that building a great firm is, in itself, a sophisticated form of legal work. Robitaille has shifted from frontline criminal defence to a role she describes as having a “coach mentality,” focused on enabling her firm’s litigators to perform at their best. What stands out is how deliberately she has invested in the human infrastructure of practice: structured feedback, peer relationships, and mental health support, including free, anonymous counselling sessions for lawyers at her firm. Very few of those decisions will ever make front-page headlines, but they profoundly shape the kind of profession we are building.
And then there are the transactions that stretch even the most seasoned deal lawyers. Michael Barrett’s description of his team's work on TC Energy’s separation of its liquids pipeline business into South Bow Corporation, which won the Capital Markets Deal of the Year award, is one of those. He described two of the largest Canadian bond offerings, which were happening “more or less at the same time,” under a tax-sensitive butterfly structure, with cross-border guarantees, dual listings on the TSX and NYSE, and a parallel Coastal GasLink refinancing. The image that stays with me is his description of a six-page Gantt chart with 40 key transaction items, as well as a cross-border call with more than 40 participants to ensure the shares could be traded properly. These are the kinds of feats that, if not documented and recognized, risk becoming invisible even within our own profession.
All these stories underscore a simple truth: when we recognize excellence through the Canadian Law Awards, we are not merely handing out trophies. We are telling the story of what Canadian lawyers can do at their best – how they innovate, lead, and serve their clients and communities. You can see that breadth of achievement in this year’s full list of winners and Excellence Awardees.
That is why I am asking you, as a reader of Canadian Lawyer and Lexpert, to take a moment to nominate the individuals and teams who exemplify that excellence. Nominations are now open for the 2026 Canadian Law Awards, with 23 categories recognizing outstanding deals, cases, firms, legal departments, and leaders across Canada’s legal profession. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm EST on January 30, 2026, and nominations must be submitted via the Canadian Law Awards website at lawawards.ca/nominate.
If you have worked on a remarkable matter, led a transformative initiative, or watched a colleague quietly elevate your organization, don’t assume someone else will put their name forward. Recognizing our legal leaders is part of our responsibility to this profession. I encourage you to visit lawawards.ca/nominate today and make sure their work – and yours – is part of the story we tell in 2026.
