Caravel Law
114 lawyers · Established 2005 · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 764 handling Business & Corporate Law.
About Caravel Law
Caravel Law is an innovative, low overhead Canadian business law firm based in Toronto, at 342 Queen Street West. It was founded in 2005 as Cognition LLP by Rubsun Ho and Joe Milstone, who wanted to build a law firm around a leaner, more flexible way of working. The firm took the name Caravel Law in 2015, borrowing from the caravel, described on its own history page as "a nimble and agile boat, skilled in navigating smaller waters." Jackie Dinsmore joined the firm in 2012 and became its first Managing Partner in 2023.
Caravel's lawyers work as "Of Counsel," practising through their own professional corporations in association, not partnership, with Caravel Law Professional Corporation. Clients can engage them on a fractional basis (a set block of hours each month or days each week at a fixed rate), by the hour, or for a fixed fee project, so a business gets senior legal help without adding to permanent headcount. The firm expanded into Calgary in 2013 and British Columbia in 2020, passed 100 lawyers in 2023, and marked 20 years in business in 2025. Its lawyers handle corporate and commercial law, employment, immigration, intellectual property, real estate and technology matters for businesses across the country.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Founded in 2005 as Cognition LLP by Rubsun Ho and Joe Milstone.
- Expanded into Calgary in 2013 and into British Columbia in 2020.
- Rebranded as Caravel Law in 2015.
- Named to the PROFIT 500 list of Canada's fastest growing companies for a fifth consecutive year in 2016, citing five year revenue growth of 235 percent.
- Joined the Global Legal Blockchain Consortium in 2018 to work on blockchain standards for the legal industry.
- Acquired the legal software MyLegalBriefcase and appointed its creator, who has a background in both law and engineering, as Director of Legal Innovation.
- Named to the Globe and Mail's Canada's Top Growing Companies list in 2022.
- Surpassed 100 lawyers in 2023, with hubs in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
- Marked 20 years in business in 2025.
In the community
- In 2022, Caravel Law became an Innovation Expert partner with ventureLAB, a founder community for hardware technology and enterprise software companies, working alongside partners such as Amazon Web Services, HubSpot, IBM and Dell to support Canadian tech entrepreneurs.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleFees & payment
Hourly
Flat feeLawyers 114
Adrian Roomes
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate LawTechnology & Startups
Alan Sless
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate LawReal Estate Law
Alex Stack
Of Counsel
Intellectual PropertyTechnology & Startups
Aliza Dason
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate LawTechnology & Startups
Amaki Otuteye
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate Law
Andrea Freund
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate LawIntellectual Property
Andrew Dilts
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate Law
Anjali Banka
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate Law
Annie Belecki
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate Law
Antoine Malek
Of Counsel
Intellectual PropertyTechnology & Startups
Ashleigh Frankel
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate Law
Avril Hasselfield
Of Counsel
Employment & Labour LawInsurance Law
Ben Rovet
Of Counsel
Technology & StartupsBusiness & Corporate Law
Bernadette Saumur
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate Law
Beth Gearing
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate Law
Bill Herman
Of Counsel
Intellectual Property
Bill Stanger
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate Law
Binita Jacob
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate LawHealth Law
Brenda Chandler
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate LawTechnology & Startups
Brian Levett
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate Law
Bruce Baron
Of Counsel
Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionEmployment & Labour Law
Catherine Keri
Of Counsel
Employment & Labour Law
Cerise Latibeaudiere
Of Counsel
Business & Corporate Law
Chelsea Bianchin
Of Counsel
Real Estate Law
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Law schools
- Osgoode Hall Law School (15), Osgoode (8), Queen's University (7), University of Toronto (7), University of Western Ontario (4), McGill University (3) and 11 more 65 of 114 lawyers
Who handles what
-
Business & Corporate Law
Adrian Roomes, Alan Sless, Aliza Dason, Amaki Otuteye, Andrea Freund, Andrew Dilts, Anjali Banka, Annie Belecki, Ashleigh Frankel, Ben Rovet, Bernadette Saumur, Beth Gearing, Bill Stanger, Binita Jacob, Brenda Chandler, Brian Levett, Cerise Latibeaudiere, Colette Stewart, Colin Keith, Connie Chan, Corey Levin, Corrie Stepan, Cynthia Yang, Dan McKay, Daniel Batista, Dave McIntyre, David Dunbar, David Masse, David Zender, Dayle Linton, Dennis Tobin, Ernie Belyea, Frank Giblon, Greg Porter, Greg Ramsay, Hugh Kerr, Iana Namestnikova, Jacqueline Dinsmore, Jacques Gaboury, James Oborne, Janet Clark, Jeff Bright, Jeff Klam, Jeremy Budd, Jim Papamanolis, Joel Guralnick, John L. Burns, John Tyrrell, John Whyte, Judy Chun, Kendall Barban, Kevin Shnier, Lance Lehman, Leonard Gaik, Leslie Allan, Lisa McDowell, Michael Fitzgerald, Michael Wahl, Mitchell Mostyn, Morli Shemesh, Neil Kothari, Nikki Stewart-St. Arnault, Olivia Sikali, Patrick Burgess, Patrick Dolan, Peter Goode, Peter Kalins, Peter Mangaly, Randy Witten, Robert Bosenius, Rory Dyck, Rose Oushalkas, Samuel Stochinsky, Sarah Blackburn, Sarah Sidhu, Sean Holler, Sean Mitra, Sherry Hanlon, Sonny Bhalla, Spencer Shepherd, Sue Gaudi, Suzanne Mercier, Svetlana Zaidman, Terry Braun, Vinoja Wichweswaran, Wendy Bach, Yah Yao, Zoe Rossolatos -
Technology & Startups
-
Intellectual Property
-
Employment & Labour Law
-
Real Estate Law
-
Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
-
Construction Law
-
Immigration Law
-
Insurance Law
-
Wills, Estates & Trusts
-
Administrative & Regulatory Law
-
Health Law
-
Indigenous Law
The neighbourhood
Caravel Law's Toronto office sits in the Noble Block, a row of seven three storey commercial buildings put up in 1888 on Queen Street West. Number 342, at the eastern end of the row, keeps its original facade and large arched second floor window behind a modernized office interior. This stretch of Queen West, near Queen and Spadina, is a busy retail and restaurant strip, which makes the office an easy stop for clients meeting in person even though most of the firm's lawyers work with businesses across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Caravel Law's fractional counsel model?
- Instead of hiring a lawyer full time, a client buys a set block of hours each month (roughly 20 to 80) or days each week (one to five) at a fixed rate. The lawyer works alongside the client's own team, on site or remotely, and the arrangement can flex up or down as the work changes.
- What does "Of Counsel" mean at Caravel Law?
- Caravel's lawyers practise through their own professional corporations, in association with, not as partners of, Caravel Law Professional Corporation. That structure is how the firm keeps its overhead low while still giving clients access to experienced lawyers.
- Can Caravel Law help a startup get ready for a Series A raise?
- The firm's corporate practice works with founders on the things investors check in diligence before a raise, including a clean cap table, properly assigned IP, employment agreements, an adequate option pool and clear governance records.
- Does Caravel Law handle business immigration for employers hiring internationally?
- Yes. The immigration group works on work permits, LMIA based sponsorships, employer compliance reviews and executive transfers, and files more than 200 immigration visas a year for businesses across Canada.
- Does Caravel Law advise on workplace and employment matters?
- Yes, for both employers and employees. Work covers employment agreements, terminations, human rights accommodation, harassment and workplace investigations, and labour relations including union and collective bargaining matters.
- Where is Caravel Law located?
- The firm's head office is at 342 Queen Street West, Suite 200, Toronto. It also has lawyers based in Calgary and Vancouver, following its expansion into those cities in 2013 and 2020.
Where to find them
342 Queen Street West, Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario M5V 2A2
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