Aird & Berlis Recognized in 2026 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
Aird & Berlis is proud to announce its recognition as one of Canada’s Leading Law Firms in the 2026 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. This honour reflects the results of Lexpert’s extensive peer‑review process, which recognizes the country’s most respected legal practitioners and firms.
This year, 70 of the firm’s partners are named as leading lawyers across 37 practice areas, underscoring the strength and depth of the firm’s bench. In addition, Aird & Berlis is ranked as a firm across the following 19 practice areas:
| Aboriginal Law | Litigation – Corporate Tax |
| Banking & Financial Institutions | Litigation – Intellectual Property |
| Corporate Commercial Law | Mergers & Acquisitions |
| Corporate Finance & Securities | Professional Liability |
| Corporate Tax | Project Finance |
| Energy (Electricity) | Real Estate - Commercial Leasing |
| Information Technology | Real Estate - Property Development |
| Insolvency & Financial Restructuring | Technology Transactions |
| Intellectual Property | Transportation (Road & Rail) |
| Litigation - Corporate Commercial |
The following lawyers were recommended by their peers in their respective fields:
| Aboriginal Law | Keith Brown Alexander DeParde Jason T. Madden Scott A. Smith |
| Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing | Jill P. Fraser |
| Asset-Based Lending | Aaron Collins Jill P. Fraser Jacqueline (Jack) Goslett |
| Banking & Financial Institutions | Aaron Collins Jill P. Fraser Jacqueline (Jack) Goslett |
| Charities/Not-For-Profit Law | Rachel L. Blumenfeld |
| Class Actions | Steve J. Tenai |
| Commodity Tax/Customs | Neil E. Bass Angelo Gentile |
| Construction Law | Bernie McGarva |
| Corporate Commercial Law | Sherri Altshuler |
| Corporate Finance & Securities | Sherri Altshuler |
| Corporate Mid-Market | Yosef Adler Sherri Altshuler Jennifer A. Bishop Richard Epstein Jeffrey K. Merk |
| Corporate Tax | Neil E. Bass Jack Bernstein Angelo Gentile Michael A. Goldberg Francesco Gucciardo Edward Miller Manjit Singh Barbara J. Worndl |
| Data Privacy & Cybersecurity | Paige K. Backman Donald B. Johnston |
| Employment Law (Employer) | Lorenzo Lisi |
| Energy (Electricity) | Ron W. Clark David Stevens |
| Entertainment Law | Stephen G. Zolf |
| Environmental Law | Kristi M. Ross |
| Estate & Tax Planning | Jack Bernstein Rachel L. Blumenfeld Ed Esposto Michael A. Goldberg Marni Pernica |
| Estate Litigation | Holly V.A. Cunliffe Archie J. Rabinowitz Melanie A. Yach |
| Financial Restructuring | Ian E. Aversa Sanjeev Mitra Kyle Plunkett |
| Gaming Law | Peter K. Czegledy |
| Information Technology | Donald B. Johnston |
| Infrastructure Law | Ryan R. Chalmers |
| Insolvency Litigation | Ian E. Aversa Steven L. Graff Kyle Plunkett Miranda Spence |
| Intellectual Property | Ken Clark Ryan T. Evans Timothy M. Lowman |
| Labour Relations (Management) | Lorenzo Lisi |
| Litigation - Corporate Commercial | Kate Findlay Miranda Spence Steve J. Tenai Mark van Zandvoort |
| Litigation - Corporate Tax | Neil E. Bass Angelo Gentile Josh Kumar Clifford L. Rand Christopher Slade Louise R. Summerhill |
| Litigation - Directors' & Officers' Liability | Steve J. Tenai |
| Litigation - Intellectual Property | Ryan T. Evans Timothy M. Lowman Kaitlin Soye |
| Litigation - Securities | Steve J. Tenai |
| Real Estate - Commercial Leasing | Marco Gammone Monty Warsh |
| Real Estate - Property Development | Leonard E. Baranek Maggie Bassani Eileen P.K. Costello Jacob B. Dubelaar J. Kyle Genga Tom Halinski Patrick Harrington Leo F. Longo John Mascarin David P. Neligan Brendan O'Callaghan N. Jane Pepino Andrea Skinner Steven A. Zakem |
| Technology Transactions | Paige K. Backman |
| Telecommunications | Stephen G. Zolf |
| Transportation (Road & Rail) | Joanne C. Coldwell Sanj Sood |
| Workplace Human Rights (Employer) | Lorenzo Lisi |
For over three decades, the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory has conducted an annual survey to identify leading legal professionals. Rankings are determined through recommendations from law firm leaders and legal experts, showcasing those who demonstrate exceptional expertise and leadership in their practice areas. See more on Lexpert's website.
-
BioFull bio
Yosef is an indispensable partner for his clients, seamlessly blending positivity and creativity with his robust legal acumen in corporate/commercial ...
-
BioFull bio
Sherri earns the trust of her clients by adeptly managing complex and time-sensitive corporate finance transactions and by providing relevant, busines...
-
BioFull bio
As a corporate solicitor and litigator, Ian has the expertise required to guide his clients through all aspects of a restructuring file.
-
BioFull bio
Paige has earned a reputation as an exceptional corporate/commercial legal advisor to both domestic and multinational entities.
-
BioFull bio
Leonard is a pragmatic real estate practitioner who provides business-focused solutions to large real estate developers across Canada.
-
BioFull bio
Neil is a highly acclaimed and widely respected tax lawyer.
-
BioFull bio
Maggie has extensive experience advising private sector clients, municipalities and government agencies across Ontario in all aspects of the deve...
-
BioFull bio
Jack is one of Canada’s preeminent tax lawyers. He is a prolific writer and speaker and is internationally recognized for excellent service and ...
-
BioFull bio
Jennifer is Co-Chair of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Group and founder and Co-Chair of the Sports, Media & Entertainment Group.
-
BioFull bio
By asking the right questions and listening carefully, Rachel gets the information she needs to structure her clients’ affairs effectively. ...
-
BioFull bio
Keith advises clients at the intersection of Aboriginal, environmental and natural resources law.
-
BioFull bio
Ken is driven to help his clients resolve their problems, particularly the ones for which it seems there is no answer.
-
BioFull bio
Ron loves the challenge of operating a practice at the intersection of corporate, energy and municipal law.
-
BioFull bio
Joanne is skilled at negotiating and structuring business transactions for clients across a variety of sectors.
-
BioFull bio
A self-described deal junkie, Aaron thrives on getting deals done, and will make sure your transaction gets across the finish line.
-
BioFull bio
Eileen advises clients on a broad range of development law matters.
-
BioFull bio
Holly focuses her practice on estate, trust and mental capacity litigation.
-
BioFull bio
Alex is a skilled advocate and litigator who practises exclusively in the area of Aboriginal law.
-
BioFull bio
Jake is dedicated to providing exceptional client service on routine and complex commercial real estate transactions.
-
BioFull bio
Prior to joining Aird & Berlis, Richard was an entrepreneur, operating various car leasing, automotive and light manufacturing businesses in the T...
-
BioFull bio
As an estate planning lawyer, Ed develops personal relationships with his clients and helps them to understand and manage their wealth.
-
BioFull bio
Ryan brings a unique blend of strategic insight and analytical expertise to his role as an intellectual property advocate.
-
BioFull bio
With a calm demeanor and extensive experience in banking law, Jill remains poised in even the most testing circumstances.
-
BioFull bio
The retail leasing space in Canada is a relatively small community with only a handful of major players, particularly on the landlord side.
-
BioFull bio
Kyle is a practical, results-oriented lawyer with more than 25 years of commercial real estate experience.
-
BioFull bio
Angelo is a natural problem solver and he applies this skill to resolve tax disputes on behalf of his clients.
-
BioFull bio
Michael brings more than 25 years of experience in corporate, estate, personal and international tax planning.
-
BioFull bio
Jack provides clear, actionable guidance to her financial services clients, both lenders and borrowers.
-
BioFull bio
Steve’s practice has been built on his ability to think clearly in a crisis and communicate effectively with clients.
-
BioFull bio
Francesco’s clients rely on his sophisticated knowledge of domestic and international tax to further their business objectives.
-
BioFull bio
Tom works with his municipal and land development clients, guiding them through the ever-evolving provincial policy framework.
-
BioFull bio
Patrick excels at narrowing issues through research and consensus and devising comprehensive solutions.
-
BioFull bio
Don offers his clients more than legal advice – he enjoys getting to know them and uncovering their goals in order to offer the right advice.
-
BioFull bio
Josh enjoys navigating complex and continually changing tax laws to effectively resolve income tax and GST/HST disputes.
-
BioFull bio
Lorenzo’s clients look to him for guidance on navigating increasingly complex labour and employment law issues in a way that respects both the p...
-
BioFull bio
Leo's experience enables him to isolate issues quickly and arrive at a creative solution that advances his clients’ objectives.
-
BioFull bio
Tim Lowman is co-head of the firm's Intellectual Property Group. Clients and colleagues consistently recommend him for his ability to achieve results ...
-
BioFull bio
Jason is a seasoned negotiator and litigator who practises exclusively in the area of Aboriginal law.
-
BioFull bio
John is widely regarded as a leader in municipal, planning and local government law.
-
BioFull bio
Bernie is an experienced litigator, mediator and arbitrator with an excellent track-record of resolution.
-
BioFull bio
With extensive experience in a broad range of corporate finance and commercial matters, Jeffrey offers clients a practical and business-minded approac...
-
BioFull bio
Edward draws on his technical expertise and strong business acumen to deliver strategic tax insight to domestic and international clients.
-
BioFull bio
David combines strong advocacy and research skills with the ability to remain composed in high-pressure situations to effectively represent his munici...
-
BioFull bio
Brendan is a passionate advocate with more than three decades of land use planning and expropriation law experience.
-
BioFull bio
Jane’s experience of more than 40 years allows her to guide her clients through the unpredictability of municipal law and land use planning.
-
BioFull bio
Marni works closely with her clients to provide them with practical, thoughtful advice regarding their estate plan.
-
BioFull bio
Kyle divides his time between commercial restructuring matters and M&A and financing work, developing a broad practice built on providing practica...
-
BioFull bio
Archie is a leading estates and trusts litigator and a member of the firm’s Tax Group and Estates & Trusts Group.
-
BioFull bio
Cliff is a tax litigator with 30 years of experience who is committed to helping his clients resolve their tax controversies as efficiently as possibl...
-
BioFull bio
Kristi leverages her scientific knowledge, technical skills and extensive experience in environmental law to help clients understand and navigate comp...
-
BioFull bio
Manjit draws on more than 23 years of experience advising on Canadian and cross-border tax matters to provide comprehensive tax advice to corporate cl...
-
BioFull bio
Andrea’s superior oral and written advocacy skills, supported by her diligent preparation and strategic analysis, translate into client success.
-
BioFull bio
Chris is a skilled advocate with extensive experience advising on domestic and international tax controversy and litigation matters.
-
BioFull bio
Scott is a highly skilled negotiator and litigator who works at the confluence of Aboriginal, environmental, energy and natural resource law.
-
BioFull bio
Sanj is a partner and member of the firm’s Litigation, Financial Services and Transportation Groups.
-
BioFull bio
Kaitlin is an intellectual property lawyer who enjoys collaborating with clients to develop effective IP strategies.
-
BioFull bio
A confident communicator, Miranda is a strong advocate who thrives in the courtroom and in negotiations with opposing counsel.
-
BioFull bio
David is dedicated to understanding his clients’ businesses and creates and implements solutions to advance their objectives.
-
BioFull bio
A creative thinker and natural problem solver, Louise continuously looks for new ways to approach and resolve her clients’ tax issues.
-
BioFull bio
Steve is a skilled advocate with more than 30 years of experience.
-
BioFull bio
A distinguished legal expert in commercial leasing, Monty is dedicated to fostering dynamic partnerships with his clients.
-
BioFull bio
Clients appreciate Barbara’s dedication to finding the most tax efficient structures for their business. She thrives on the complexities of tax ...
-
BioFull bio
Melanie is a dedicated expert in estates and trusts law.
-
BioFull bio
Steven Zakem is widely recognized as an expert in municipal planning.
-
BioFull bio
Stephen guides clients through the rapidly evolving regulatory environment governing the telecommunications and media industry in Canada.
-
BioFull bio
Ryan advises on, drafts and negotiates concession, design build, operation, maintenance and rehabilitation agreements as part of major infrastructure ...
-
BioFull bio
Sanjeev offers depth of experience and expert advice on highly complex insolvency law matters.
-
BioFull bio
Kate is a skilled litigator, problem solver and strategic advisor who is passionate about developing and executing litigation plans centred around her...
-
BioFull bio
Mark is a dedicated advisor and tireless advocate who ensures conflicts are dealt with effectively and economically for his clients.
Related Areas of Expertise
Industries
Related news
-
Aird & Berlis Recognized in Chambers Global Guide 2026
Aird & Berlis has been included in the 2026 edition of the Chambers Global Guide in the areas of Banking & Finance, Intellectual Property, Projects: PPP & Infrastructure, Restructuring/Insolvency and ... -
Aird & Berlis Welcomes Nine New Partners
Aird & Berlis is pleased to announce that Stephanie D'Amico, Jasmine Fraser, Matilda Lici, Codie Mitchell, John George Pappas, Pia-Lauren Reece, Kanika Sharma, Justin Song and Lynn Tay have become par... -
15th Annual IBA Finance & Capital Markets Tax Conference
Aird & Berlis International Tax Group Leader Jack Bernstein is honoured to chair the 15th Annual IBA Finance & Capital Markets Tax Conference. This highly anticipated event, presented by the IBA Taxes...
