52 lawyers · Established 1998 · Middlesex County (London), Wellington County (Guelph)
One of 188 law firms listed in London, and one of 12 handling Administrative & Regulatory Law.
Free consultationMcKenzie Lake Lawyers helps individuals and businesses with business, personal and family matters, from personal injury and family law to commercial litigation and business law. Its family lawyers work from both London and Guelph, while its litigators take on injury claims, contract and tax disputes, and defend professional negligence claims.
The firm was created in London in 1998 when two firms with roots in the 1930s merged. It's grown to more than 60 lawyers, backed by administrative and legal staff, and complex files are handled collaboratively. Matthew Villeneuve, who practised family law in London for many years before joining, became Managing Partner in 2023 and leads the firm and its strategy.
Beyond the core practices, McKenzie Lake also works in some specialised fields. Its Indigenous law team serves clients throughout Canada, its energy lawyers work on the landowner side of wind and oil and gas files, never for operators, and its healthcare group advises health institutions and individual medical professionals alike. In 2013 the firm launched a class proceeding against Ontario over conditions at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre.
There are three offices: Suite 1800 at 140 Fullarton Street in London, Stone Road West in Guelph, where nine lawyers now practise, and Metcalfe Street East in Strathroy. For injury clients the first consultation is free, virtual meetings are available anywhere in Ontario, and injury clients may be able to pay on a contingency basis, meaning legal fees are paid only if money comes in through a win or a negotiated settlement.
McKenzie Lake took shape in 1998 through the merger of Ross, Bennett Lake and McKenzie Nash Bryant, two firms whose roots go back to the 1930s. Since then it's grown both on its own and by taking in teams with specialised expertise, and members of the firm have gone to the bench and later returned. Russel Raikes, who helped draft the early Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre claim, was appointed a judge of the Superior Court.
2022 brought two big additions. In January the London firm Chinneck Law, founded in 1981, joined with its lawyers and staff, bringing agri-business, energy law and succession planning among other services. That July four partners, Kyle Hampson, Mike Henley, Tom Manes and Mike McCluskey, arrived from a national firm with their staff, expanding business, real estate and litigation work in Guelph.
Administrative & Regulatory Law
Agricultural Law
Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Business & Corporate Law
Class Actions
Wills, Estates & Trusts
Family Law
Health Law
Indigenous Law
Insurance Law
Employment & Labour Law
Personal Injury
Real Estate Law
Tax Law
The injury group handles brain, spinal cord and orthopaedic injuries, crashes, falls and medical negligence, along with less common claims such as police and corrections misconduct, historic sexual abuse, WSIB matters and wrongful death. Louis DelSignore takes only seriously injured clients, and Lisa Fraser has worked on the plaintiff side of injury cases for over 20 years.
Separation, custody and support, adoption and fertility and reproductive law all fall within the family group, which aims to put the right lawyer on each task. Where it fits, disputes can go to private mediation or arbitration, which may cost less and move faster than court.
Our guide: How to Get a Divorce in Ontario
Commercial litigators act for clients ranging from big institutions and developers to small business owners in shareholder and oppression claims, construction and franchise disputes, debt recovery and mortgage enforcement, among other matters. They look first at mediation and arbitration where that's possible.
Business owners come to the firm for shareholder, partnership, franchise and construction contracts. The financial services side represents borrowers as well as banks and other lenders, including land development, construction and builder financing and commercial mortgages.
Estate planners coordinate with a client's accountant and financial advisor and set up trusts for families, dependent children, charities and people with special needs. When a will or power of attorney is challenged over undue influence, capacity, forgery or fraud, the estate litigation lawyers advise trustees and beneficiaries.
A condominium development group registers commercial and residential condominiums and converts apartment buildings to condo tenure. The real estate team also negotiates leases for landlords and tenants of shopping centres and plazas across Ontario.
The class actions team works on files from certification through common issues trials and settlement approval, and partners with co-counsel when that helps clients. Its cases have included the Volkswagen diesel emissions and 2011 Manitoba flood class actions.
The firm acted for Indigenous survivors of abuse at day and residential schools and took part in the Pan-Canadian settlement talks over residential school abuse. It also helps First Nations councils draft custom election codes. Brian Daly is certified by the Law Society of Ontario in civil litigation.
Mike Henley is a Certified Agricultural Farm Advisor with the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors and advises clients in the agriculture industry. Succession plans are built alongside the client's own accountant, bankers, insurance agents and financial advisors.
Landowner cases over oil and gas and gas storage have gone before the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Ontario Energy Board and the Mining Commissioners of Ontario. Jed Chinneck worked as a geologist before practising law.
Institutional clients get general counsel on corporate services and governance, and the team has represented clients before the Consent and Capacity Board, the Ontario Review Board and the courts. Julie Zamprogna Balles has served as Regional Chair of the Ontario Consent and Capacity Board.
Tax work centres on audit management, tax disputes, corporate reorganizations and defending tax practitioners and their liability insurers against errors and omissions claims. The tax litigators also defend criminal charges the Crown brings over tax matters.
Lawyers act for employers and employees, from wrongful dismissal and severance reviews to hearings before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Canada Industrial Relations Board and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal.
Canadian and U.S. insurers have relied on the firm for over 50 years, and every new file starts with a strategic evaluation.
The administrative group defends professionals, physicians and engineers among them, before their regulators, and the firm has a long history with the regulation of Ontario's commercial fishing industry.
Wheelchair accessible
By appointment
Free consultationThe Guelph office is in Suite 300 at 100 Stone Road West, near the University of Guelph. McKenzie Lake's agri-business lawyers work out of both Guelph and London.
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