Benchmark Canada was derived from Benchmark Litigation, the only publication on the market to focus exclusively on litigation. Since its inception, the Benchmark brand has grown dramatically and garnered industry-wide accolades as the definitive hub for in-depth analysis of the players shaping the dynamic practice of litigation.

Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, we examine recent casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to provide their professional opinions on peers and practitioners within their jurisdiction or practice area.

• Research begins: October 1, 2026
• Research Webinar: October 1, 2026 - Registration link TBC
• Practitioner Survey launch: October 1, 2026
• Submission deadline & Practitioner Survey deadline: Friday December 4, 2026
• Client/Professional References Survey launch: December 15, 2026
• Research interviews (virtual or in-person): October 1, 2026 - January 12, 2027
• Client/Professional References Survey deadline: January 29, 2027
• Awards shortlist announced: March 2027
• Firm & lawyer rankings published: April 2027
• Benchmark Canada Awards Ceremony: May 2027

PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept research documents via email as it goes against our GDPR policy. All submissions must be submitted via the secured platform/Accreditation Portal.

• Download the Research Questionnaire (Word Doc) and the Client Referee Template (Excel Doc) above
  
  • Documents must be submitted in word and excel formats, respectively, to be considered.
• Schedule your Research Interview by contacting Head of Research, Makenzie Rodrigues at Makenzie.Rodrigues@benchmarklitigation.com and
  Research Analyst, Blaike Parker at Blaike.Parker@benchmarklitigation.com.

Potential in-person interview opportunities are being explored in the following locations and timeframes. If you are interested in participating, please contact us as early as possible:

• Montréal - October 
• Calgary - November 
• Vancouver - November
• Toronto - December

All others will be conducted remotely via Teams, Zoom, or by phone if you prefer.

• Upload both documents via the secure LBG Submission Portal HERE. For more information regarding this portal, see below.
• Take part in the Practitioner/Lawyer survey 
• Encourage your clients to take part in the Client Survey 

With thousands of submissions every year across our research products, the Submissions Accreditation Portal has been designed to allow firms and external providers of law firm business development or marketing to submit in a secured, user-friendly way. To start using the portal, you must create an account by registering at this link. Once your account has been confirmed, you can start uploading your submission documents for the relevant brand and research cycle.

Methodology

In an effort to provide the most accurate and comprehensive coverage of the Canadian litigation market, we have taken a two-fold approach to our research - producing national firm rankings as well as provincial firm ranking tables.

*NEW* National Firm Ranking Tables

The national rankings identify select firms who have displayed the ability to consistently handle complex, high-stakes cases in multiple jurisdictions. These selections are consistently recommended within the Canadian business and legal communities for the quality of their litigation professionals and trial work.

We are launching active national ranking tables across 16 areas in the 2027 Benchmark Canada edition:

1. Aboriginal Law
2. Arbitration
3. Class Action
4. Competition/Antitrust
5. Construction
6. Energy/Resources
7. Insolvency
8. Intellectual Property
9. Insurance
10. Labour & Employment
11. Health Law/Medical
12. Product Liability
13. Securities
14. White Collar Crime/Enforcement
15. Top Plaintiffs
16. Top Boutiques

Provincial/Local Firm Ranking Tables

Our provincial ranking tables identify the leading litigation firms and partners in each of the major Canadian provinces.

We divided the firms in each local market into “Highly Recommended” and “Recommended” categories. "Highly Recommended" firms Firms receive unanimous or near-unanimous recognition as dominant in a jurisdiction or practice area. "Recommended" firms are recognized as leaders in a particular jurisdiction or practice area.

Rankings of Individuals: Litigation Stars and Future Stars

Alongside our firm rankings we also recognize the work of outstanding individuals. Our recommendations are based on the same three factors as our law firm rankings and consist of the following categories:

Litigation Stars: Established practitioners who have earned significant recognition from clients, peers, and the wider market for their expertise, track record, and leadership within their practice areas.

Future Stars: Emerging practitioners who have demonstrated exceptional promise through noteworthy achievements, strong technical skill, and involvement in significant matters, but are not yet established market leaders. Future Stars are NOT age-specific.

Special Individual Honors: Top 50 Trial Lawyers; Top 100 Women in Litigation; 40 & Under Stars

Top 50 Trial Lawyers in Canada

The Top 50 Trial Lawyers in Canada list highlights the country’s most distinguished partners whose trial work garners peer and client acclaim. These litigators are selected based on standout case experience, balancing excellence with a strong client representation. It’s a prestigious recognition of elite trial advocacy in Canada.

Top 100 Women in Litigation – Canada

The Top 100 Women in Litigation – Canada list acknowledges the growing impact of women litigators nationwide, celebrating those whose recent performance, breadth of practice, and leadership have set new benchmarks. These practitioners come from a wide spectrum of practice areas and provinces, and their inclusion reflects both sustained professional excellence and the evolving gender diversity of Canada’s litigation landscape.

40 & Under Canada Stars

The 40 & Under Canada Stars list shines a spotlight on emerging litigators under the age of 40 who are already making significant contributions. Through the Benchmark Litigation Canada research process, these younger attorneys are recognized for their recent achievements, courtroom or trial presence, and growing reputations — a signal of future leaders in Canadian litigation.

Editorial Analysis

We have made every effort to offer in-depth coverage of the ranked firms. In some cases, however, we were not able to provide editorial content for every ranked firm due to a lack of participation or available information.

Recommendations are based on interviews with the nation’s leading private practice lawyers and in-house counsel. These interviews were conducted between October and January. Firms cannot pay to be recommended for the guide. Instead, firms have been independently offered the opportunity to take a professional listing regardless of editorial content.

Q: How does Benchmark differ from Chambers or other competitors?
A: Benchmark focuses exclusively on dispute resolution and litigation. This allows us to provide a much more in-depth analysis of the market. Benchmark is also editorially driven, rather than statistically driven, and strives to avoid being over-inclusive. We aim to cover only firms and litigators that are of an elite status.

Q: How much influence do we have over our ratings vs. the external market?
A: Firms are encouraged to tell their story via our research form and through interviews. We then measure the firm’s input against the feedback we receive via studying the market. If our studies are in harmony with the firm’s assertions, we weight them equally. If there is an extreme disparity between the firm’s views and a pronounced percentage of the market, we will provide greater weight to the market consensus.

Q: Should we list confidential cases/clients? How do we ensure these remain confidential?
A: You can provide confidential clients/cases if you feel we should be aware of these, and we will certainly be respectful of confidential agreements – please mark confidential information clearly in red ink on the research questionnaire.

Q: When/how do you contact client referees?
A: We contact all client referees provided to us via email and invite them to take part in an online client survey. The survey asks clients about the firms they use, why they use them, what they use them for and how long they have been using them. The information provided by clients is confidential though we do publish non-attributed client quotes in the guide.

Q: Do you only rate those of partner level?
A: Yes, and this includes those being considered for future star status.

Q: We’re a small boutique firm – what chance do we stand against the big brand name firms in your ratings?
A: Because Benchmark focuses exclusively on disputes, which is often the focus for specialist firms in the market, smaller firms stand a very good chance of being just as highly rated as large corporate firms, and in some cases even more highly rated.

Q: How do we get an in-person interview?
A: In-person interviews are welcomed. Simply contact us and request one, and, depending on the schedule flexibility of our researchers, we can arrange one.

Q: Should I wait until the firm questionnaire is complete before scheduling partner interviews?
A: There is no need to wait, the interview window begins as soon as the research cycle starts in October. Interviews allow lawyers to tell our researchers their stories in general personal summary form, their recent key casework and specialties, and provide us with the feedback that we require regarding peer review, market trends, in-house counsel references, etc.

Q: Can I review my firm’s editorial in advance of press and suggest changes to it?
A: No. Firms cannot be allowed to view their editorials prior to press, and are never allowed to have their own input into how they read.

Q: What is the readership of Benchmark Canada?
A: The readers of Benchmark include law firms and buyers of legal services/in-house counsel.

Q: Is Benchmark "pay-to-play?" If I don’t support the project financially do I still get rated?
A: Benchmark is absolutely not "pay-to-play." Firms cannot pay to appear in the guide, and can only be rated if the market deems them worthy of consideration.

Q: I would like to stay informed with Benchmark updates. Can I be added to the newsletter mailing list?
A: Please reach out to Benchmark Litigation Marketing at Jessica.Bradley@legalbenchmarkinggroup.com

Q: I have a question that’s not answered here. Can I contact anyone to ask it?

Head of Research, Makenzie Rodrigues at Makenzie.Rodrigues@benchmarklitigation.com

Business Development Manager, George Reeves at George.Reeves@legalbenchmarkinggroup.com

Research Analyst, Blaike Parker at Blaike.Parker@benchmarklitigation.com

Managing Editor, Michael Rafalowich at mrafalowich@benchmarklitigation.com