8 Baker McKenzie Practice Areas and 6 Lawyers Recognized by The Legal 500 in 2022 Canada Guide
We are honoured to announce that The Legal 500 Canada 2022 Guide has recognized 6 Baker McKenzie Toronto lawyers and 8 practice areas.
The guide is compiled based on input from 300,000 clients worldwide, submissions from law firms, interviews with leading private practice lawyers, and a team of legal-market researchers. Interviews are conducted with in-house counsel, in addition to corporate executives and finance directors. The Legal 500 also seeks opinions from investment bankers, commercial bankers, and accountants who work with lawyers.
“We value our partnerships with in-house attorneys and corporate leaders, and they are uniquely positioned to rate practices and lawyers,” said Stephanie Vaccari, Managing Partner in the Firm’s Toronto office and one of the 6 lawyers listed in the guide. “We certainly appreciate the continued confidence in our services and advocacy – and their recognition of the relationships we have built in corporate offices throughout Canada.”
Four lawyers were listed as Leading Individuals:
 | George Avraam – Labour and Employment |
 | Jacques Bernier – Tax |
 | Paul Burns – International Trade |
 | Stephanie Vaccari – Intellectual Property |
One lawyer was named a Next Generation Partner:
 | Michael Nowina – Dispute Resolution (Ontario) |
One lawyer was named a Rising Star:
 | Jennifer Bernardo – Labour and Employment |
The following practice areas received recognition:
‘The communication with the team is very fluent.’
‘I have worked with David Palumbo, always available and fully committed with the work and the clients goals.’
‘I am impressed by the fact that they have excellent lawyers in Toronto who stand on their own, but they have the unique added ability to work seamlessly with their partners in other countries on behalf of their clients in major Canadian cases with cross border/multi-jurisdictional aspects.’
‘Christina Doria has a great knowledge of arbitration law and practice, and is clearly a rising star in her field.’
“David Gadsden, ‘absolutely terrific at bringing across the finish line the most complex and multi-dimensional issues‘, specializes in defending complex commercial claims, and also has a significant practice in class action, competition and securities fraud litigation. “
‘Matthew Latella is a brilliant advocate and cross-examiner.’
The Legal 500 Canada 2022 guide has recognized Baker McKenzie Toronto in Intellectual Property law nationwide, describing us as ‘the go-to trademark attorney locally‘.
‘The team has an excellent expertise not only in legal framework and also in market practice that provides time and cost efficient legal service to the clients.’
‘Jim Holloway and Alexandra Lewis are great attorneys, and worked very diligently and professionally to get results that exceeded our expectations. Highly recommended.’
‘Stephanie Vaccari is honest, ethical, responsive, compassionate, empathetic, and practical. Stephanie does great work.’
‘The Baker McKenzie team take the time to understand their client and the issue they are undertaking.’
‘Brian Cacic and Paul Burns in Baker’s Canada office provide practical advice towards resolving issues with Canada Customs and other related agencies. They come back with concrete options and can provide guidance through processes’
‘Brian Cacic and Paul Burns are both very knowledgeable and provide good practical solutions’
‘The characteristics that set Baker McKenzie apart from all other law firms I have interacted with are responsiveness, expertise, discernment and precision. The responses of team members are always exceptionally timely yet comprehensive, and they are always prepared to provide the background to support their positions and recommendations.‘
‘The depth of expertise in this team is quite amazing. They are responsive, knowledgeable and give thoughtful, high-quality advice, which is always practical and helpful. They have taken the time to get to know our organisation really well and understand the nuances of organisational culture, which means that the advice is always relevant and practical. This team at BM are in a different league to other firms I have used in the past.’
‘The two key contacts I have are George Avraam and Jennifer Bernardo. Both are highly competent, responsive, and give focused, thoughtful, practical advice. They make themselves available at short notice and at all hours to support our organisation with difficult issues, advice and strategic discussions. I have huge faith both in their legal expertise and their ability to apply it to our organisation and culture.’
‘Baker McKenzie’s team has extensive expertise in cross-border tax issues, such as those concerning the operations of multinational organisations, and also transactions that involve the flow of capital, goods, services and people.’
‘Baker McKenzie has a strong and deep team, with many renowned experts in their field. What makes them valuable to us is their extensive network of professionals across the globe who can get up to speed on our company and an issue rapidly, in order to provide timely and practical assistance.’
‘The team is a unique mix of legal, technical and policy expertise in an emerging practice area (information governance), particularly as it applies to large, complex global organizations. This well-rounded set of capabilities makes their offering to clients such as myself, looking for polished and comprehensive deliverables with ongoing support as initiatives roll out amid an ever-evolving regulatory landscape.’
‘Aside from a uniformly high-level of competency, the team stands out for their willingness to problem-solve and collaborate above and beyond my standard client service expectations. When presented with a new or uniquely complex issue, they are always available to discuss and evaluate, resulting in superior outcomes and well-reasoned decision-making that builds confidence across client organizations.’
‘Data protection and digital transformations are key areas for expertise for the team, which is led by Theo Ling. He assists with a variety of data and technology-based issues across the IT, internet and communications industries.’
‘Baker McKenzie‘s Toronto office regularly counsels multinational companies on their regulatory and compliance issues in the technology sector. Data protection and digital transformations are key areas for expertise for the team. Counsel Lisa Douglas is another name to note, focusing her practice on information governance.’
More information about The Legal 500 Canada 2022 guide is available here.