Lax O’Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb has fashioned itself as a “premier litigation boutique,” with peer and client review uniformly supporting this lofty claim. “Lax is still the go-to shop for all of the big-ticket litigation of any variety,” states one peer. “They are still some of [Toronto’s] busiest and most versatile litigators.” Appreciation for the firm’s model and stature is not limited to Bay Street; at least one partner at a Vancouver boutique confirms, “Lax has set the standard for what we’re trying to do and what we hope to achieve.” Clients are equally taken with the firm’s approach; one confirms, “[They possess] excellent communication skills, excellent client-management skills, and they are strong strategists. For how capable they are as litigation counsel, I consider them very cost-effective as well.” One thing the firm does not do is commoditized, routine work. An independent-minded shop with no steady revenue stream, the firm relies on files that require a high-minded and novel approach to litigation, be it dispute resolution or trial.
Peers turn out in full throat to voice their enthusiasm for Crawford Smith. “He is the guy I see most often, and I’m very impressed by him,” testifies one contemporary. “He just embodies all the elements of a good lawyer.” A client echoes this sentiment: “Crawford is an exceptional litigator and focused on strategy and achieving a realistic outcome. [He is] Highly engaged and effective.” Smith, along with firm founder and perennially revered all-purpose trial lawyer Jonathan Lisus, in the representation of Canadian wireless services behemoth Rogers Communications. In March 2021, Rogers agreed to purchase Shaw Communications. With this anticipated acquisition being one of the largest mergers in Canadian history, in May 2022, Canada's Competition Bureau made an application under the Competition Act to block Rogers' acquisition of Shaw over concerns that the deal will "substantially prevent or lessen competition in wireless services in Canada.” Smith and Lisus steered Rogers through these complex competition proceedings at the Competition Tribunal, where they succeeded on behalf of the client, and, following an appeal by the Commissioner to the Federal Court of Appeal, triumphed in that venue as well when the court dismissed the appeal in January 2023. Bradley Vermeersch was also a member of this team. Another firm name partner, Matthew Gottlieb represented Selena Stronach in a thorny quasi-family law/business litigation hybrid proceeding involving a claim by the client and a related claim by her father for an equal share in the family's mutibillion-dollar business. The claim alleges that the client and her father have been deprived of their entitlement in the family business and have been the victims of breaches of trust on the part of the defendants. The total relief sought is not specified but is potentially in the hundreds of millions of dollars. A peer also notes, “Matt Gottlieb has a strong insolvency background and thus makes that firm more adept in terms of doing the litigation and the insolvency in those types of contested cases.” Paul Michell is cheered by a client for his “knowledge of the rules of evidence, very effective communication, and his research and analytical skills. He helped us to analyze and understand the legal nuances of our case and our options moving forward in addition to his attention to detail and quality of work, which is excellent.”