BLG is widely recognized as Canada’s foremost litigation law firm, with a national team of more than 400 advocates helping clients with everything from appellate advocacy to trade disputes.
When the stakes are highest, organizations from across Canada and around the world trust us to help solve their problems. From claims that interrupt day-to-day activities to bet-the-company litigation, we understand the issues that keep our clients up at night, using this knowledge as the foundation for responsive, strategic and practical advice. Complex, precedent-setting, novel cases in specialized areas of the law - particularly when they make it to the Supreme Court - are how we’ve built our reputation. We use this experience to advocate for the best outcomes for organizations of all sizes, from tech start-ups defending their IP to global automakers facing a class action. We use mediation, arbitration and eDiscovery technology, when appropriate, to increase efficiency and decrease cost. We are smart, resourceful, creative, driven, humble and always civil.
We are the external partner that feels like part of the in-house team. And clients never get just one of us -because behind every BLG advocate is the most powerful group of litigators and legal staff in Canada.
Torys LLP is an international business law firm that works with clients who expect the best advice and exceptional service. Torys’ dedication to excellence across practice areas and industries has resulted in an enviable record of experience in Canada and globally. Teamwork is one of the firm’s distinguishing features, reflected in all aspects of how the firm partners with clients and collaborates internally. Long-standing clients continue to retain Torys, not only for its excellent service and legal expertise, but also because of a shared value for lasting partnerships based on trust and respect. The firm serves clients across Canada and globally from offices in Toronto, New York, Calgary, Montréal and its Legal Services Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Torys’ nationwide disputes practice includes some of the most sophisticated litigators in the country. Bet-the-company commercial claims, reputationally critical class actions, complex arbitrations—Torys has a decades-long track record of high-profile domestic and international experience. Above all, they are skilled advocates: litigators who understand their clients’ business and are true partners vested in their success, inside and outside the courtroom. Beyond commercial matters, Torys’ experience extends to securities litigation, product liability disputes, significant antitrust issues and patent infringements, among others.
Torys’ litigation team draws on the broader firm’s wealth of corporate, compliance and regulatory knowledge to benefit their clients' goals, both in the context of a dispute and to mitigate long-term risk and resolve their most challenging matters.
Areas of Service
Founded in February 2015, Renno Vathilakis Inc. has quickly become one of Montreal’s premier corporate and commercial litigation boutiques. Practising in the fields of corporate litigation and shareholder disputes, class actions, franchise and distribution litigation, commercial arbitration, bankruptcy and insolvency, competition law, family law, constitutional law, privacy law, defamation and freedom of expression, employment law, construction law and securities law litigation, Renno Vathilakis Inc. provides its clients with top flight representation.
Both of the firm’s co-founders have a consistent and impressive track record litigating and resolving corporate and commercial disputes.
Karim Renno was previously a partner in the Montreal litigation department of renown Canadian firm Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, as well as a partner in the highly regarded Montreal litigation boutique of Irving Mitchell Kalichman LLP. Through his fifteen years of litigation experience, he has amassed a number of accolades. Since 2013, he has been ranked as a Litigation Star in Benchmark Litigation and was cited as an Up and Coming litigator in the 2014 and 2015 editions of Chambers Global. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers Canada as a leading practitioner for corporate/commercial litigation in Québec since 2015. In 2013, Karim was awarded by the Client Choice awards as the top litigator in the province of Québec for client service. Finally, Karim has been recognized by Benchmark Litigation as one of Canada’s top 50 trial lawyers since 2015. He is also the founder and editor in chief of the ‘’ À bon droit’’ blog and contributes hundreds of case commentaries every year. In fact, his blog was named best practitioner legal blog in Canada for 2012 by the Canadian Law Blog Awards and was a finalist for Best Canadian Law Blog at the same awards in 2013 and 2014. He is a regular contributor to well-known law blogs such as Canlii Connects, Droit Inc. and Edilex. Moreover, Karim has published numerous articles relating to corporate law, commercial law, evidence and civil procedure.
He has amassed a vast experience and enjoys an excellent reputation with regard to private international law matters and injunctions, having argued before the Supreme Court of Canada on multiple occasions in cases involving such issues. Moreover, Karim has represented some of the most important companies before all levels of Québec courts. Karim has acted as lead counsel in several high profile cases related to the telecommunications, credit card, pharmaceutical, construction, tobacco, software, real estate, airline and transportation industries.
Co-founder Michael Vathilakis has an equally impressive track record. After working for two national law firms, Michael was tapped to lead the in-house team of Future Electronics Inc., one of the world’s largest electronic components distributors. He soon rose to the position of General Counsel, Vice-President Legal Affairs of the company. From that position, he spearheaded and oversaw numerous high profile commercial court trials and arbitrations, as well as a number of significant business transactions. He returned to private practice to found Renno Vathilakis Inc. His practice focuses on dispute prevention, commercial litigation and family law. In fact, Michael is recognized by Best Lawyers Canada (2020) as leading practitioner in Family Law. Michael has acted before all levels of Québec courts as lead counsel in significant cases related to, amongst others, technology, electronic component distribution and real estate industries. A member of the Law Society of Upper Canada - as well as the QUÉBEC Bar - Michael has represented clients in international arbitrations both in Canada and abroad. He has also acted in various employment cases and is presently one of the lead counsel in a number of significant class actions.
Michael holds a master’s degree in law from Harvard University (LL.M.) and has been recognized by Benchmark Litigation as a Litigation Star from 2016.
Michael lectures to law students on a frequest basis - with respect to international commercial arbitration and class actions - at Harvard Law School, Stanford, McGill Law School and the University of Montreal.
The founding partners are supported by a highly skilled and growing team. The young firm currently consists of six lawyers, two articling students and several summer students - with a view of further growth in the coming years.
Renno Vathilakis Inc. is dedicated to providing its clients with top notch dispute resolution services and to finding creative solutions to complex problems.
Updated April 2024
The story of IMK has been unfolding since 1997. Today, our team of 25 lawyers includes 10 former law clerks, 9 of whom clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada. We have lawyers licensed to practice in Quebec, Ontario and New York. All IMK lawyers and staff are fluent in Canada’s 2 official languages, and members of our team speak a total of 12 other languages.
The strength of our team lies in the diversity of its members. We come from a variety of different backgrounds and work together to respond to our clients’ needs. IMK is a firm on the cutting edge and is a place where gender parity exists at all levels of the firm, including the partnership.
Our versatility combined with top-flight professional expertise helps our firm deliver outstanding value.
Our areas of expertise include administrative law, appellate advocacy, arbitration and mediation, civil and commercial litigation, class actions, constitutional law, construction litigation, employment law, estates and trusts law, insurance law litigation, municipal law, real estate litigation, securities and banking litigation and shareholder disputes.
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
IMK advises on questions of administrative law and represents clients in this area on a regular basis. Representative mandates include civil proceedings, judicial review, representing clients in administrative investigations, and disciplinary actions before various professional orders.
We are in the rare position of having acted both for investigative bodies such as the Autorité des marchés financiers and for investigated parties such as pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies. We also represent lawyers, notaries, doctors, pharmacists, psychologists, accountants and real estate agents in the context of disciplinary proceedings.
APPELLATE ADVOCACY
Appeals require different skills than trials. Our team of experienced appellate lawyers knows how to put your best case forward on appeal.
IMK has been involved in more than 20 appeals on the merits at the Supreme Court of Canada, either as a party or as an intervener. We regularly argue before the Quebec Court of Appeal and have also argued before the Federal Court of Appeal and the Courts of Appeal of Ontario and Newfoundland.
Both the Supreme Court of Canada and the Quebec Court of Appeal have named IMK as amicus curiae in major appeals.
Many of our partners and associates started their careers as clerks at the Supreme Court of Canada or other appellate level courts, giving them invaluable insight into appellate-level decision-making. Whether you are looking to change counsel or simply for a second strategic opinion, our team can help you win.
CIVIL AND COMMERCIAL LITIGATION
IMK has distinguished itself in the areas of civil and commercial litigation including real estate, construction, insurance litigation as well as contract and shareholder disputes. A large portion of our mandates directly or indirectly involves one of these fields.
In addition, IMK acts regularly in extraordinary procedures such as seizures, injunctions and Mareva and Anton Piller orders.
CLASS ACTIONS
Class actions have been part of our stock in trade since the firm was founded in 1997. Our work touches on a number of different areas, including civil law, constitutional law and administrative law. Requiring significant collaborative effort, these files have been instrumental in the development of one of our firm’s hallmark qualities: teamwork.
Class actions can arise in a range of industries and areas of law, and our team can handle them all. In particular, we have experience in class actions involving advertising practices, consumer protection, environmental law, financial products and services, price-fixing, product liability, public law, retiree benefits and securities law.
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
Our firm has extensive experience in constitutional law. Clients have entrusted us with files involving governmental division of powers, violation of fundamental rights and the constitutionality of numerous laws and bills.
Our representative files include a precedent-setting case before the Court of Appeal permitting the legalization of gay marriage in Quebec. In another case, our lawyers represented the Barreau du Québec in a matter where a number of media organizations were contesting the validity of regulations limiting the recording of images and sound by the media in Quebec courthouses. A number of our lawyers were also involved in the case of the estate of Iranian-Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi, contesting the constitutionality of state immunity in civil proceedings for torture all the way to the Supreme Court.
Many of our partners and associates started their careers as clerks at the Supreme Court of Canada or other appellate level courts, giving them invaluable insight into major constitutional cases.
SHAREHOLDER DISPUTES
IMK regularly represents clients in shareholder disputes and oppression remedies. Our lawyers have handled cases involving companies of all sizes, across a variety of industries, including start-ups as well as established companies.
We represent both minority and majority shareholders and have experience dealing with a range of oppression remedies, including orders for the communication of documents, damages, and the repurchase of shares.
OUR BENCHMARK LITIGATORS
Pierre Bienvenu — Litigation Star
Audrey Boctor — Top 100 Women in Litigation and Litigation Star
Jean-Michel Boudreau — Litigation Star
David B. Éthier — 40 & Under Hot List and Future Star
David Grossman — Litigation Star
Raphaël Lescop — Litigation Star
Doug Mitchell — Top 50 Trial Lawyers and Litigation Star and Litigation Star
WHEN IT REALLY MATTERS, GET US THINKING FOR YOU.
Updated January 2024