Lette LLP
3 lawyers · Established 1898 · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 764 handling Business & Corporate Law.
About Lette LLP
Lette LLP is a business law group with offices in Montreal and Toronto and allied offices in Paris, France and Munich, Germany, held through joint ventures with independent local firms. Its roots go back to 1898, when Duranleau & Monty was formed in Montreal. Raymond Lette, a lawyer trained in Paris, joined the practice in 1951 and built out an international business law practice; the group opened its first European office in Paris after Raymond Lette became senior partner in 1963. A Toronto office followed in 1984, opening under the name Lette Whittaker and managed by Bernard Lette, Raymond's son. When Raymond Lette died in 1995, Bernard Lette took over as managing partner of the Montreal office. The Munich arrangement began in 2004 through a joint venture with the firm Knorr Rechtsanwälte AG, and a 2008 joint venture with Alérion created the allied Paris office under the name Lette Alérion.
The firm advises Canadian and international businesses on corporate and commercial law, taxation, and intellectual property and technology matters, and its lawyers work in a mix of languages including English, French, Italian, and Spanish. The Toronto office, at 40 University Avenue, handles mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, competition law, and cross-border transactions for clients doing business in more than one country, drawing on the firm's international network for matters that cross into Europe.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- The firm's origins go back to 1898, with the founding of Duranleau & Monty in Montreal.
- Raymond Lette, a Paris trained lawyer, joined the firm in 1951 and built its international business law practice.
- The firm opened its first European office, in Paris, after Raymond Lette became senior partner in 1963.
- The Toronto office opened in 1984 under the name Lette Whittaker.
- A 2004 joint venture with Knorr Rechtsanwälte AG established the firm's allied Munich office.
- A 2008 joint venture with Alérion created the allied Paris office, known as Lette Alérion.
- Raymond Lette helped found or advise several cross border organizations, including the Swiss-Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
In the community
- A lawyer at the firm's Toronto office belongs to the French Chamber of Commerce in Canada and the German Canadian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, professional links that support the firm's cross-border business work.
- The founder of the firm's international practice, Raymond Lette, helped found or advise cross border business organizations including the Swiss-Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessible
By appointmentLawyers 3
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1984–2001 · median 39 years in practice 3 of 3 lawyers
- Law schools
- McGill University (2), Osgoode Hall Law School 3 of 3 lawyers
- Languages on the roster
- English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
Lette's Toronto office is in a highrise at 40 University Avenue, a modernist office tower designed by WZMH Architects and substantially rebuilt in 1970 and 1971, now recognized as a heritage property within the Union Station Heritage Conservation District.
That address puts the office in the southern stretch of University Avenue between Front and King streets, the financial end of the avenue near Union Station, rather than the landscaped, monument lined boulevard that starts further north around Queen Street. For a firm whose Toronto lawyers work mainly in corporate, commercial, and tax matters for businesses, that setting among the city's bank and insurance office towers fits the practice, and it puts the office an easy walk from Union Station's GO and subway connections for clients arriving from outside the city.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Lette LLP help businesses expand into Canada from Europe, or from Canada into Europe?
- That's a core part of the practice. Lette LLP is based in Montreal and Toronto and holds allied offices in Paris and Munich through joint ventures with independent local firms, and its lawyers advise on cross-border transactions, joint ventures, and corporate structuring between Canada and Europe.
- Can Lette LLP register or protect a trademark or patent for my business?
- Yes. The firm's intellectual property and information technology practice advises on trademarks, copyright, patents, and trade secrets, including contract drafting for IP protection and registration and portfolio management through an international correspondent network.
- What languages can I get legal advice in at the Toronto office?
- Lette LLP's Toronto lawyers work in English and French, and at least one Toronto lawyer also works in Italian and Spanish, useful for clients whose business runs across more than one language.
- Is Lette LLP the same firm that used to be called Lette Whittaker?
- Yes. The Toronto office opened in 1984 under the name Lette Whittaker before becoming part of the current Lette LLP structure.
- Does Lette LLP handle corporate tax matters, or just corporate transactions?
- Both. Alongside business and corporate law, the firm has a taxation practice covering corporate taxation, international taxation, personal taxation, tax litigation, and trust and estate planning services.
- How long has Lette LLP been practising law?
- The firm's roots go back to 1898, when Duranleau & Monty was formed in Montreal. The modern Lette group grew out of that practice, with the Toronto office added in 1984.
Where to find them
40 University Avenue, Suite 904, Toronto, Ontario M5J 1T1 · 416-971-4848
Similar firms in City of Toronto
Simmonds Law is a litigation-focused law firm with offices in Ottawa and Toronto. It handles civil litigation, estate litigation, wills and estates, corporate law, tax litigation, trademark and intellectual property, …
Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Wills, Estates & Trusts
Business & Corporate Law
Tax Law
Lucentem Sports & Entertainment Law P.C. is a Toronto boutique firm that advises athletes, entertainers, and creative professionals on contract negotiation, sponsorship, and business matters. It was recognized as a le…
Employment & Labour Law
Immigration Law
Family LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionLumen LLP is a Toronto business law firm serving small and medium-sized companies with corporate and commercial matters. Its work includes corporate setup and governance, acquisitions and divestitures, corporate reorg…
Business & Corporate LawTax Law
Intellectual PropertyListing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗