Black Sutherland LLP
12 lawyers · Established 1920 · City of Toronto
One of 229 law firms listed in North York, and one of 11 handling Insurance Law.
About Black Sutherland LLP
Black Sutherland LLP is a Toronto law firm that has practised continuously since 1920. The firm's own history states litigation as its most noted area of success, and insurance defence remains its core practice: motor vehicle and occupiers' liability claims, professional negligence, product liability, and property and fire loss matters. Alongside that litigation base it advises on business law, municipal and real estate law, wills and estates, and employment law.
One niche sets the firm apart. Black Sutherland LLP says it is the only Canadian member of the American Alliance of Alcohol Industry Attorneys and Consultants, and its lawyers have handled liquor licensing for venues ranging from small cafes to 40,000 seat stadiums and festival grounds, including Burl's Creek Event Grounds and the Phoenix Concert Hall. The firm was also selected by Starbucks to help launch its Evenings alcohol service program in Canada. On the municipal and real estate side, its lawyers have worked on Toronto projects including the Hotel Admiral and Admiralty Point condominiums at Harbourfront, Minto Plaza, and the Docks/Polson Pier entertainment complex.
The firm runs an annual articling program and treats hiring its own students as a main source of future growth. In August 2024 it relocated to its current office at 5000 Yonge Street in North York.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Practising continuously in Toronto since 1920.
- The only Canadian member of the American Alliance of Alcohol Industry Attorneys and Consultants.
- Selected by Starbucks to help launch its Evenings alcohol service program in Canada.
- Represented the operator of Burl's Creek Event Grounds, home of the Boots and Hearts festival, in securing permanent zoning and Official Plan approval from the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.
- Set a near term emissions reduction target for its scope 1 and scope 2 operations that has been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
In the community
- Set and had validated by the Science Based Targets initiative a near term target to reduce its scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions, while also working to measure and reduce scope 3 emissions.
- Runs an annual articling program, treating students as colleagues who take on their own Small Claims Court files and transactional work under mentorship from associates and senior partners.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleLawyers 12
Adam Giel
Partner
Insurance LawAdministrative & Regulatory Law
Alexander B. Paul
Managing Partner
Insurance Law
Ashley Artopoulo
Senior Partner
Insurance LawPersonal Injury
Blair Nitchke
Dale Stuckless
David Chung
Associate
Insurance Law
George Tsakalis
Partner
Insurance LawEmployment & Labour Law
Ishara Amarasekara
James W. Gibson
Partner
Insurance LawPersonal Injury
Joshua Nightingale
Partner
Insurance LawPersonal Injury
Kellie Redmond
Partner
Insurance LawPersonal Injury
Nicholas T. Macos
Counsel
Administrative & Regulatory LawReal Estate Law
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1985–2021 · median 15 years in practice 9 of 12 lawyers
- Law schools
- University of Western Ontario (2), University of Windsor (2), Bond University, Queen's University, University of Alberta, University of Calgary and 1 more 9 of 12 lawyers
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
Black Sutherland LLP's office sits at 5000 Yonge Street, a 21 storey Class A tower in North York that the firm moved into in August 2024. The building is LEED Platinum and BOMA Best Gold certified and connects directly to North York Centre subway station, with restaurants, banks, and shops within walking distance, useful for a firm whose clients travel in from Toronto, Mississauga, and Brampton for meetings.
The firm's real estate and municipal work has run through some of the city's better known addresses, from Harbourfront condominium towers to the Docks/Polson Pier entertainment complex on the eastern waterfront, a track record that reflects long involvement in Toronto's development approvals process rather than a purely local practice.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Black Sutherland LLP defend insurance claims for insurers, or represent injured people?
- The firm's core practice is insurance defence litigation, acting on motor vehicle, occupiers' liability, professional negligence, product liability, and property and fire loss claims. It focuses on trial preparation and defending these claims rather than a plaintiff personal injury practice.
- I run a bar, restaurant, or event venue and need a liquor licence in Ontario. Can Black Sutherland LLP help?
- Yes. The firm says it is the only Canadian member of the American Alliance of Alcohol Industry Attorneys and Consultants and has handled liquor licensing matters before the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario for venues from small cafes up to stadium and festival grounds capacity.
- Can Black Sutherland LLP help with cannabis retail licensing?
- The firm lists retail cannabis licensing among its practice areas, alongside its established liquor licensing and compliance work.
- Does the firm handle municipal approvals and land development, not just real estate closings?
- Yes. The firm advises on planning applications and agreements, appears before municipal councils, boards, and tribunals, and has worked on real estate and development matters spanning residential subdivisions to large mixed use projects in Toronto.
- I think I was wrongfully dismissed from my job. Does the firm do employment law?
- The firm's employment law practice advises both employers and employees on workplace matters, including employment contracts, workplace policies, and wrongful dismissal claims, and handles both negotiated settlements and contested disputes.
- How long has Black Sutherland LLP been practising in Toronto?
- The firm's own history traces continuous practice in Ontario back to 1920, with litigation as its most noted area of success over that time.
Where to find them
5000 Yonge Street, Suite 1504, North York, Ontario, M2N 7E9 · 866-902-7557
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Real Estate LawListing compiled from the firm’s public website in July 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗