Goodmans LLP

Goodmans LLP
Name	Goodmans LLP
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario
Founded	1917
Founders	Harry A. Goodmans
Num offices	1 (primary), additional representative locations
Num attorneys	~200 (estimate)
Practice areas	Corporate law, Litigation, Real estate, Taxation, Securities, M&A
Key people	Senior partners and managing partner (various)

Goodmans LLP

Goodmans LLP is a Canadian business law firm based in Toronto, Ontario, serving corporate, financial, real estate, and litigation clients across North America and internationally. The firm advises corporations, financial institutions, pension funds, private equity sponsors, and high-net-worth individuals on complex transactions, securities matters, commercial litigation, and regulatory issues. Goodmans has been engaged in high-profile mergers and acquisitions, capital markets mandates, and major commercial disputes, regularly appearing before provincial courts and arbitration panels.

History

Goodmans LLP traces its origins to the early 20th century in Toronto, founded during a period of rapid growth in Canadian finance and industry. Over decades the firm expanded alongside developments in Ontario banking, the Toronto Stock Exchange, and Canadian corporate law, participating in landmark reorganizations and infrastructure projects. Partners at the firm negotiated matters involving institutions such as the Bank of Montreal, Royal Bank of Canada, and Canadian National Railway, and engaged with regulatory bodies including the Ontario Securities Commission and the Supreme Court of Canada on appeals shaping Canadian jurisprudence. The firm’s evolution reflects broader trends connecting Toronto to international capital markets like the New York Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange.

Practice areas

Goodmans provides services in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, securities, corporate governance, tax, banking and finance, real estate, restructuring and insolvency, and commercial litigation. The litigation group represents clients in civil litigation, class actions, shareholder disputes, and international arbitration, appearing before courts such as the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Federal Court, and tribunals including the Ontario Labour Relations Board and arbitration panels under ICC and ICDR rules. In capital markets matters the firm works on initial public offerings, private placements, debt financings, and cross-border transactions involving institutions like the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Toronto-Dominion Bank, and institutional investors including pension funds such as the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. The tax practice handles matters before the Tax Court of Canada and advises on matters under statutes like the Income Tax Act.

Notable cases and transactions

Goodmans has acted on major M&A deals, public offerings, and contested litigations. The firm has represented clients in takeover bids and proxy contests before securities regulators and multinational bidders on transactions listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. It has advised private equity sponsors on leveraged buyouts, negotiated dispositions involving entities such as Brookfield Asset Management and Onex Corporation, and counseled investment banks on underwriting agreements. In litigation, partners have appeared in appellate matters concerning competition law disputes before the Competition Bureau and Competition Tribunal, professional negligence claims before the Law Society tribunals, and securities class actions arising from disclosure issues under provincial securities legislation. The firm has also been involved in infrastructure financings for public-private partnerships linked to provincial ministries and municipalities.

Corporate structure and governance

Goodmans operates as a limited liability partnership governed by partnership agreements and professional regulation under the Law Society of Ontario. Leadership comprises a managing partner, executive committee, and practice group chairs responsible for firm strategy, risk management, and compliance with statutes such as the Solicitors Act and regulatory frameworks administered by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. The firm maintains internal committees for conflicts, ethics, diversity, and client intake, and engages external auditors and legal compliance advisors in matters involving cross-border anti-corruption rules like the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act and U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in transactions involving multinational corporations and sovereign entities.

Offices and locations

The firm’s principal office is in downtown Toronto, proximate to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, and major financial institutions along Bay Street. While maintaining a single main office footprint, Goodmans serves clients across Canada and internationally through secondments, collaborations with global law firms, and representative relationships in financial centres including New York City, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai. The Toronto office’s proximity to institutions such as the Toronto Stock Exchange and major corporate headquarters facilitates work on capital markets and corporate governance matters.

Recognition and rankings

Goodmans is regularly recognized in legal directories and ranking publications for corporate law, litigation, and real estate practice areas. The firm and its partners have received accolades from Chambers Global, The Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation, Lexpert, and Canadian Lawyer, and have been shortlisted for awards presented by organizations such as the Canadian Bar Association and provincial law societies. Individual lawyers have been recognized in lists including Best Lawyers in Canada and Who’s Who Legal for expertise in mergers and acquisitions, securities litigation, and tax.

Community involvement and pro bono work

The firm engages in pro bono work and community initiatives supporting access to justice, legal clinics, arts institutions, and health and education charities. Goodmans lawyers volunteer with legal aid clinics, law school initiatives at institutions like the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and Osgoode Hall Law School, and nonprofit organizations addressing human rights and social services. The firm supports cultural institutions, foundations, and community boards, and participates in mentorship programs with bar associations and professional organizations.

Category:Law firms of Canada