BENNETT JONES LLP
Bennett Jones LLP was founded in 1922 under the name Bennett Hannah & Sanford in Calgary. Its list of illustrious alumni includes Supreme Court justices, ambassadors and a former prime minister. Since its inception the firm has grown to house over 300 lawyers across four Canadian offices. It also boasts three international offices and is the only Canadian law firm officially licensed to practise law in the United Arab Emirates.
Bennett Jones undertakes work across the commercial spectrum and the breadth of its expertise is reflected in our research. Its lawyers have been selected for inclusion 37 times in this edition and their exceptional work spans 17 practice areas.
Oil and gas is a particularly strong practice area at the firm, with an impressive four entries. The energy group is jointly headed by Donald Greenfield, whose 32 years’ experience of oil sands development, facilities construction and production sale contracts has given him “unrivalled expertise” in this sector. His fellow group leader, Patrick Maguire, acts for energy companies on a broad range of commercial transactions and was described to researchers as “one of the best”. Lawrence Smith QC is the founding partner of the firm’s regulatory department and has served as counsel to the National Energy Board. He is praised by peers for the depth of his knowledge and the excellence of his advocacy. Robert Booth QC represents clients in oil and gas exploration, production and marketing and is a former director of the Canadian Energy Law Foundation.
Capital markets is another core practice area at Bennett Jones. Vice-president of the firm and managing partner of the Calgary office, Perry Spitznagel QC is one of the stars of Bennett Jones and is listed for his outstanding expertise in all matters related to capital markets. The “incredibly bright” David Spencer is very well-reputed for his excellent advisory work. John Kousinioris focuses his practice on securities law, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance matters and additionally earns a listing in our M&A chapter - a reflection of the diversity of his experience.
The M&A chapter also lists Francis Allen, co-leader of the firm’s capital markets and M&A practice. Described in our research as “a definite inclusion”, he is internationally renowned for his extensive M&A expertise and is a former general counsel of the Ontario Securities Commission. Alan Bell is likewise commended for his M&A work. He is also well-reputed for his advice to corporations on the structuring and implementation of corporate governance practices, earning himself an inclusion in the corresponding chapter of this edition.
Lawyers from Bennett Jones also feature prominently in the corporate tax chapter, with three practitioners listed. The “first-class” Stephen Bowman is the managing partner of the firm’s Toronto office and has experience of both domestic and cross-border transactions involving aircraft, rail equipment and other assets. Claire Kennedy’s engineering background brings additional expertise to the tax team and recommends it to industrial clients. Alan Ross focuses on the income tax aspects of corporate reorganisations, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and was praised to researchers for his “very astute mind”.
With a client base spanning the range of manufacturing, automotive, steel, real estate, food processing, chemicals, petrochemical, energy, natural resources, utilities, transportation and waste management, environmental law is central to Bennett Jones’s work. Three of its lawyers are recognised in our environment chapter for their skill in this area. Gray Taylor is co-leader of the firm’s climate change and emission trading practice and is described by peers as a “leader” in the environmental law sector. Leonard Griffiths is a specialist in environmental law and has a broad-based practice that includes assisting clients with day-to-day regulatory advice, corporate transactions, litigation and project development. Bradley Gilmour is a “key figure” in this area, benefiting from previous experience as an environmental consultant.
Milos Barutciski co-chairs Bennett Jones’ international trade and investment group and is described by colleagues as “one of the best in the country”. He has represented Canadian and international clients in matters relating to NAFTA and the WTO Agreements and is particularly highly rated for his exports and trade sanctions work. The “impressive” Jesse Goldman has practised in the area of international trade, customs and commodity tax and investment matters since 1997, and has extensive experience in providing strategic advice to clients. Practice group co-chair Darrel Pearson is “very highly regarded” for his customs and anti-dumping work and is also commended as “an excellent litigator”.
The commercial litigation chapter lists two very distinguished practitioners from Bennett Jones. Jeffrey Leon LSM is a specialist in civil litigation, as certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada, and acts in a diverse range of litigious matters. He is described as “superior in knowledge and style”. John Rook QC is a familiar face in the Supreme and federal courts and is known for his “brilliant” advocacy. He is also listed in our competition chapter for his considerable work in this area, and is joined there by Sheridan Scott, former commissioner of competition, who heads the firm’s competition practice group.
