What areas of law does Blakes handle?

Blakes practises across business and corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, tax, litigation and dispute resolution, restructuring and insolvency, employment and labour, financial services, intellectual property and administrative and regulatory law, among other areas.

Where is Blakes' Toronto office located?

The Toronto office is at 199 Bay Street, Suite 4000, in Commerce Court West, in the city's Financial District.

How long has Blakes been practising in Canada?

Blakes traces its history back to 1856, when Edward Blake and Samuel Hume Blake founded the firm in Toronto. The firm took its current name in 1953.

Is Blakes involved in community organizations?

Yes. The firm supports more than 150 charitable organizations, community agencies and volunteer boards, including annual fundraising for the Daily Bread Food Bank and United Way Centraide Canada.

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP | LawOnline Directory

About Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, known as Blakes, is a national business law firm based in Toronto. Edward Blake and Samuel Hume Blake founded the practice in 1856, and the name went through several partnership changes before it settled on Blake, Cassels & Graydon in 1953. Edward Blake went on to serve as Ontario's second premier and later led the federal Liberal Party. The firm now has offices in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, New York and London, and its lawyers work across business law, litigation and regulatory matters for clients in Canada and abroad.

The firm's history is tied closely to Toronto's financial district. In 1867, Blakes incorporated what would become the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, and its Toronto office today sits in Commerce Court West, built decades later for that same bank's successor. The New York office, opened in 2004, advises U.S. and international clients on cross-border matters while practising Canadian law from that location. Blakes was one of the first firms in the country to adopt a formal pro bono policy, and its lawyers contributed more than 14,000 hours to pro bono work in 2024. The firm has also been named one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers 15 times since 2008, more than any other Canadian law firm over that period.

Practice areas

Business & Corporate Law

Real Estate Law

Employment & Labour Law

Bankruptcy & Insolvency

Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Tax Law

Intellectual Property

Class Actions

Construction Law

Administrative & Regulatory Law

Insurance Law

Milestones & recognition

Edward Blake and Samuel Hume Blake founded the firm in Toronto in 1856.
Edward Blake served as Ontario's second premier from 1871 to 1872 and later led the federal Liberal Party.
In 1867, the firm incorporated what would become the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.
The firm took its current name, Blake, Cassels & Graydon, in 1953.
Clara Brett Martin articled at the firm in 1894, before becoming the first woman admitted to the bar in the British Empire in 1897.
Blakes has been named one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers 15 times since 2008, more than any other Canadian law firm over that period.

In the community

Blakes lawyers contributed more than 14,000 hours to pro bono work in 2024.
The firm's pro bono policy encourages lawyers to devote up to 150 hours a year to pro bono files with full billable credit.
Blakes supports more than 150 charitable organizations, community agencies and volunteer boards across the country.
In the 2024 Daily Bread Food Bank Law Firm Challenge, Blakes raised C$124,021 and placed first among participating firms.
Team Blakes raised more than C$144,000 for the Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer in 2024.
The firm has raised more than C$1 million for United Way Centraide Canada since 2010.

Good to know

Wheelchair accessible

Lawyers 369

This firm’s lawyers at a glance

Called to the bar: 1982–2025 · median 9 years in practice 329 of 369 lawyers
Law schools: University of Toronto (27), Osgoode (24), Osgoode Hall Law School (13), Queen's University (11), University of Western Ontario (8), Dalhousie University (7) and 15 more 116 of 369 lawyers
Languages on the roster: English, French, Mandarin

Who handles what

Offices 3

Toronto416-863-2400

199 Bay Street, Suite 4000, Commerce Court West, Toronto, ON M5L 1A9

New York212-893-8200

126 East 56th Street, Suite 1700, Tower 56, New York, NY 10022, USA

Ottawa613-788-2200

340 Albert Street, Suite 1950, Constitution Square Tower 3, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7Y6

The neighbourhood

The Toronto office is in Commerce Court West, a 57-storey tower at King and Bay Streets in the heart of the Financial District. The tower was built in 1972 as part of an I.M. Pei-designed complex for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, alongside the older 1931 Commerce Court North tower, and it was Canada's tallest building from 1972 to 1976. It's a fitting address for a firm that itself incorporated what would become CIBC back in 1867. Commerce Court connects directly into Toronto's underground PATH network, which links much of the Financial District below street level.

Frequently asked questions

What areas of law does Blakes handle?: Blakes practises across business and corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, tax, litigation and dispute resolution, restructuring and insolvency, employment and labour, financial services, intellectual property and administrative and regulatory law, among other areas.
Where is Blakes' Toronto office located?: The Toronto office is at 199 Bay Street, Suite 4000, in Commerce Court West, in the city's Financial District.
How long has Blakes been practising in Canada?: Blakes traces its history back to 1856, when Edward Blake and Samuel Hume Blake founded the firm in Toronto. The firm took its current name in 1953.
Does Blakes do pro bono work?: Yes. Blakes was one of the first firms in Canada to adopt a formal pro bono policy, and its lawyers contributed more than 14,000 hours to pro bono files in 2024.
Why does a Canadian firm have an office in New York?: Blakes opened its New York office in 2004 to advise U.S. and international clients on cross-border matters, while the lawyers based there practise Canadian law.
Is Blakes involved in community organizations?: Yes. The firm supports more than 150 charitable organizations, community agencies and volunteer boards, including annual fundraising for the Daily Bread Food Bank and United Way Centraide Canada.

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Listing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗