Blaney McMurtry LLP
1 lawyer · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 764 handling Business & Corporate Law.
About Blaney McMurtry LLP
Clients rate this firm highly on Google.
Blaney McMurtry LLP is a full service law firm based in downtown Toronto, at 2 Queen Street East in the city's Garden District. Jim Blaney and Irwin Pasternak founded the firm at Bay and Bloor in 1954, and it has operated in Toronto for more than 70 years since. Today the firm covers more than 40 practice areas grouped under litigation and advocacy, real estate and business, and specific industries, with a strong concentration in insurance work: by its own account it acts for virtually every insurance company doing business in Canada, and it's the founding Canadian member of Insurance Law Global, a network of independent insurance defence firms. In the 2026 Best Lawyers in Canada guide, 51 of the firm's lawyers were recognized across 25 practice areas, and Canadian Lawyer Magazine named it a Top 10 Ontario Regional Law Firm for 2025 and 2026.
The firm's history includes a long running practice in Indigenous law. Bill McMurtry, who joined in 1968 and built the litigation department into a force in the insurance industry, was among Canada's first serious practitioners of Aboriginal law and represented the Assembly of First Nations during two constitutional conferences in the 1980s. Blaney McMurtry still represents the Algonquins of Ontario in modern treaty negotiations with Canada and Ontario, and in 2019 the Law Society of Ontario conferred an LLD on former Blaneys lawyer Delia Opekokew, recognizing a lifelong commitment to Indigenous advocacy.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Jim Blaney and Irwin Pasternak founded the firm at the corner of Bay and Bloor in Toronto in 1954.
- Bill McMurtry joined the firm in 1968 and built its litigation practice into a force in the insurance industry; McMurtry was also among Canada's first serious practitioners of Aboriginal law and represented the Assembly of First Nations during two constitutional conferences in the 1980s.
- Blaney McMurtry is the founding Canadian member of Insurance Law Global, a network of independent insurance defence firms based in the UK, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Mexico, Australia, France, Argentina and the United States.
- The firm is also a member of TAGLaw, a worldwide network of independent law firms, and of the Risk Management Counsel of Canada, a national association of independent firms serving the insurance industry.
- Of the firm's first twenty lawyers, four were women, described on the firm's own site as an unusually high proportion for Toronto's legal community in the mid twentieth century.
- Chambers & Partners ranks the firm Band 1 for Real Estate: Mainly Mid-Market in Ontario and Band 1 for Family/Matrimonial: High Net Worth in Canada, among other national and provincial rankings, and Canadian Lawyer Magazine named it a Top 10 Ontario Regional Law Firm for 2025 and 2026.
In the community
- Blaney McMurtry co-founded Toronto Community Housing's Investing in Our Diversity Scholarships program in 2001; the program has raised over $1 million to fund more than 600 scholarships for young people in Toronto fighting for equity and against racism. Scadding Court Community Centre has been a recipient of the firm's support.
- Blaney McMurtry announced a $1 million philanthropic commitment to SickKids Foundation, supporting the Hospital for Sick Children and the patients, families and communities it serves.
- The firm takes part in Lawyers Feed the Hungry, an annual Toronto legal community fundraiser and volunteer event.
- Blaney McMurtry supports WICC (Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade) fundraising events, including its annual gala and a Relay for Life team.
- The firm participates in United Way Greater Toronto's annual campaign and in Pro Bono Ontario's Free Legal Advice Hotline.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessible
By appointmentWho handles what
The neighbourhood
Blaney McMurtry's office is at 2 Queen Street East, Suite 1500, in Toronto's Garden District, near the Yonge and Queen intersection and a short walk from Queen subway station. The building itself keeps a piece of the city's past: its 19 storey tower was built around a restored 1910 bank facade, with the historic banking hall now used as ground floor retail space and the tower connecting directly into the underground PATH network. It's a fitting spot for a full service firm that, by its own account, has had corporate and real estate lawyers acting as counsel on many of the developments visible around Toronto's downtown core.
Frequently asked questions
- What areas of law does Blaney McMurtry handle?
- Blaney McMurtry is a full service Toronto firm with more than 40 practice areas, grouped under litigation and advocacy, real estate and business, and specific industries such as insurance, technology and health. Areas include commercial litigation, insurance law, real estate, corporate and commercial law, employment and labour, family law, wills and estates, and Indigenous law.
- Does Blaney McMurtry represent insurance companies?
- Yes. By its own account the firm acts for virtually every insurance company doing business in Canada, and it's the founding Canadian member of Insurance Law Global, a network of independent insurance defence firms operating across nine countries.
- How long has Blaney McMurtry been practising in Toronto?
- The firm was founded at Bay and Bloor in 1954 by Jim Blaney and Irwin Pasternak and has operated in Toronto for more than 70 years. It's now based at 2 Queen Street East in the city's Garden District.
- Does Blaney McMurtry handle high net worth family law matters?
- Yes. Chambers & Partners' High Net Worth guide ranks the firm's family law practice Band 1 for Family/Matrimonial: High Net Worth work in Canada.
- Does the firm handle Indigenous law or represent First Nations clients?
- Yes. Blaney McMurtry represents the Algonquins of Ontario in ongoing modern treaty negotiations with Canada and Ontario, continuing a practice area the firm has built since the 1980s.
- Does Blaney McMurtry support any community programs?
- Yes. The firm co-founded Toronto Community Housing's Investing in Our Diversity Scholarships program in 2001, which has raised over $1 million to fund more than 600 scholarships, and it has committed $1 million in philanthropic support to SickKids Foundation.
Where to find them
2 Queen Street East, Suite 1500, Toronto, Ontario M5C 3G5 · 416-593-1221
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Bankruptcy & InsolvencyListing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗