Firm Rankings

Making History

Stikeman Elliott has been the firm behind the headlines in many of the most challenging Canadian business transactions and court cases. As a result, we have been recognized in major Canadian and international league tables as the market leader among Canadian law firms in the practice areas at the heart of sophisticated corporate, M&A, securities, real estate, banking and structured finance transactions. Our recent history making transactions include:

• Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in the $1.32 billion sale of a majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to Rogers Communcations and BCE Inc.
• PotashCorp in its defence of BHP Billiton's US$38.6 billion unsolicited take-over bid, with the bid being subsequently withdrawn after the historic decision of Investment Canada to reject the proposal.
• Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in connection with BCE's $3.2 billion acquisition of CTVglobemedia from Teachers', The Woodbridge Company Limited and Torstar Corporation, as well as the related $200 million acquisition by Woodbridge of the Globe & Mail assets from CTVglobemedia.
• Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in its $894 million acquisition of a 10% stake in the 407 Express Toll Route from majority owner Cintra Infraestructuras S.A.U, and as Canadian counsel in its $3.6 billion acquisition of Sydney-based Intoll Group, giving CPPIB a total 40% stake in the toll road near Toronto.
• JSC Atomredmetzoloto (ARMZ) in its $1.2 million acquisition of Mantra Resources Limited (and concurrent option agreement with Uranium One Inc.) and its $1.6 billion acquisition of a 51% interest in Uranium One.
• Canadian counsel to the underwriters in the US$23.1 billion NYSE and TSX initial public offering of General Motors the largest IPO in history, and the concurrent offering of preferred shares.
• The Stronach Trust and 446 Holdings Inc. in the share capital reorganization of Magna International Inc.
• The Court-appointed monitor of the publishing and broadcasting entities of Canwest Global Communications in their separate restructurings under the CCAA, including through their sales and investment solicitation processes which resulted in the completed sale of the publishing assets to Postmedia Network Inc. and the sale of the broadcasting assets to Shaw Communications Inc.
• AbitibiBowater Group in its $1.4 billion refinancing transactions and subsequent global restructuring under the CCAA and Chapter 11.
• The Windsor-Essex Parkway project, cousel to the sponsors, Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation, in the development of the C$2.2 billion highway project, Ontario's first civil infrastructure Canadian federal government PPP.
• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police E-Division headquarters project, designated lenders' counsel for the successful consortium in the development of the British Columbia facility, the first PPP undertaken by the Government of Canada.

First in Canadian and Cross-Border M&A

• Top Canadian M&A Firm, as ranked by Chambers Global, with more lawyers ranked than any other firm
• 2011 Canadian Law Firm of the Year by the International Financial Law Review
• #1 Canadian firm by value of North American deals in Corpfin 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 league tables
• #1 Canadian firm by number and value of U.S.-based M&A deals in Factset 2006-2011 league tables
• #1 nationally for Lexpert ranked lawyers in M&A and Corporate Finance & Securities 

First in Corporate Finance among Canadian Firms

• 2011 Canadian Law Firm of the Year by the International Financial Law Review
• #1 in Bloomberg's 2011 league tables for Canadian combined debt and equity offerings for issuers and underwriters combined
• #1 in Bloomberg's 2011 league tables for retail structured products for issuers
• PLC Which Lawyer? ranks Stikeman Elliott as a "leading firm", that publication's highest ranking, in each of Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions, Capital Markets and Private Equity/Venture Capital 

First in IFLR 1000, Chambers Global, PLC Which Lawyer?

These leading international survey-based ratings services consistently recognize Stikeman Elliott as one of Canada's leading business law practices. Stikeman Elliott currently holds the highest rating for its securities/equity capital markets and M&A practices in all three of these surveys. International Financial Law Review ranks Stikeman Elliott as one of only four top-tier Canadian firms in each of Capital Markets, Mergers & Acquisitions and Project Finance. Chambers Global's The World's Leading Lawyers for Business cites the firm as top-tier for corporate and M&A matters, including more Stikeman Elliott lawyers than any other firm as among Canada's premier practitioners.

Stikeman Elliott was also ranked first by Best Lawyers 2012 among Canadian law firms for M&A, Securities and Corporate Law.

Tier 1

Band 1
(single category)

Leading

Corporate / Mergers & Acquisitions

Tier 1

Leading

Project Finance

Tier 1

Band 1

Highly Recommended