Canadian Lawyer

18 www.canadianlawyermag.com TOP PERSONAL INJURY BOUTIQUES 2025 and requiring lawyers to rethink how they prepare, challenge, and present liability evidence. • backlogs and shrinking legal path- ways: With court delays in Ontario stretching into 2026 and provinces such as British Columbia limiting the right to sue in auto cases, lawyers are facing systemic pressures that threaten timely justice and the viability of auto-based practices, forcing firms to rethink strategy, caseload mix, and long-term sustainability. As Ontario prepares for major changes to its no-fault accident benefits system, and with British Columbia already oper- ating under no-fault and Alberta planning to adopt a similar model in 2027, the top firms vow to advocate fiercely for innocent accident victims to receive fair and reason- able compensation. Add in the long-term implications of self-driving vehicles, and it's no surprise that personal injury heavyweight McLeish Orlando's principal partner, Dale Orlando, doesn't mince words. "Ultimately, personal injury may be an area of law that largely disappears. About 80 percent of our cases are auto-related, and across Canada, we're seeing a restriction in tort rights," he says. "If we go out of business because people aren't getting hurt, that is a great thing for society. But if it's because people lose the right to sue, that's a different story." That tension between progress and erosion makes it more critical than ever to celebrate the firms doing this work at the highest level. To identify the best personal injury firms in Ontario, Western Canada, and Atlantic Canada, Canadian Lawyer invited readers to vote for the firms they trust the most. Over 2,000 respon- dents ranked 79 notable nominees from a curated list and nominated firms not already included. Eligible firms must have earned most of their revenue from personal injury work. CL's editorial team scored the results using a points system that weighed vote volume and ranking position. Based on those scores, firms were grouped by region into the Top 10 in Ontario and the Top 5 in both Western Canada and Atlantic Canada. The final list also considered Lexpert peer survey data, where applicable, feedback from senior members of the bar, and regional diversity, ensuring the rankings reflect reach and respect. Best personal injury law firms on the frontlines of change All 20 distinguished law firms are stepping into uncertainty with passion and purpose. They're confronting various challenges and trends while charting their own course. Several long-time stalwarts of CL's annual list and one first-time winner offer a glimpse into how they're responding to what comes next. METHODOLOGY Earlier this year, Canadian Lawyer asked readers from across Canada to vote on personal injury firms. They were asked to rank the top firms from a preliminary list, with a chance to nominate a firm that was not on the list. To be considered in the vote, firms were required to have the majority of their business come from personal injury work. The final rankings were determined through a points system in which firms were rewarded on a sliding scale for the number of votes by ranking. The winners were categorized by geography, including the Top 10 in Ontario and the Top 5 in Western and Atlantic Canada. The quantitative results were combined with the Lexpert peer survey results, where applicable, along with feedback from respected senior members of the bar and regional diversity considerations. Aaron Waxman & Associates "The future of personal injury law, especially in Ontario, is in many ways a moving target," says founder and principal lawyer Aaron Waxman, whose firm is newly recognized in the rankings. "But if there's one constant, the changes don't tend to favour the everyday person, unfortunately." • The firm emphasizes meticulous prepa- ration, building cases with clarity and credibility to ensure clients are seen and heard in a system that often overlooks them. Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers "The world is changing; we have AI and social media, and they've changed how we raise our families and practice law," partner Rose Leto says. "At our firm, we've recog- nized that, and we're adapting our litiga- "Our trauma-informed way of lawyering has been really important, and we take our responsibility to our clients and our role in the litigation process very seriously" Rose Leto, Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers SPECIAL REPORT

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