Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives
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20 www.canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse #1 Ontario Regional Law Firm by Canadian Lawyer. Torkin Manes was founded in 1974 by corporate and tax lawyer Larry Torkin and liti- gator Ron Manes. The firm grew to six lawyers in 1979 and gradually developed practices in real estate, employment and labour and family law. Over the years, litigation expanded to include insurance defence, health, construc- tion and personal injury, while the corpo- rate department grew and became known for providing comprehensive services to mid-market owner-operated companies. The firm's broad client base and its reluctance to become overly dependent on a small number of large clients helped it withstand economic recessions, as many other medium-size firms struggled. Torkin Manes' clients now include some of Canada's largest financial institutions, insurance companies, major corporations, private businesses, entrepreneurs and land development companies. 2. Pallett Valo LLP pallettvalo.com TOTAL LAWYERS: 40 lawyers OFFICE: Mississauga Core practice areas: litigation including com- mercial, construction and estates; commercial real estate and leasing; business law; insolven- cy and corporate restructuring; wills, estates and trusts; employment and labour Key clients: HOOPP Realty Inc.; Peel District School Board; Stewart Title Guaranty Co.; Par- malat Canada; Canam Group Inc.; Bayshore HealthCare Ltd.; Yamaha Motor Finance Canada Ltd.; Cineplex Inc.; Pivot Financial Inc.; Digital Specialty Chemicals Limited Notable mandates: lead Ontario counsel for a global engineering firm; counsel to global automotive manufacturer on product liability matters; lead counsel in an $80-million inter-jurisdictional M&A transaction; lead counsel in a $65-million sale of several auto dealerships; acted on the sale of several hotel properties; frequently called upon to act as counsel under s. 3 of the Substitute Decisions Act Star alumni: John Pallett, MP from 1954-62; Sidney Valo, founding director and first CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority; Thomas Santram, vice president and deputy general counsel at Cineplex Inc.; Suzanne Michaud, adjunct professor, Osgoode Hall Law School; Liana Turrin, general counsel and secretary of Altus Group Inc. Affiliations: Geneva Group International Firm history: It began in 1948 with the establishment of Pallett & Pallett and, by 1987, after a merger, was known as Pallett Valo. After 1997, Pallett Valo expanded its historical focus as a firm with expertise in commercial and res- TOP 10 ONTARIO REGIONAL FIRMS