Canada (July 8, 2026) - BLG's health sciences practice has earned 23 recognitions in the 2026 edition of Lexpert Special Edition: Health Sciences, spanning health law, medical negligence, life sciences, corporate health transactions and intellectual property.
Published annually, Lexpert Special Edition: Health identifies leading Canadian lawyers across the full spectrum of health law practice. BLG's 23 recognized lawyers reflect the firm's depth across the health sector – from complex hospital infrastructure and governance to landmark health policy challenges, class action defence and medical education law.
Recent mandates handled by BLG's recognized lawyers include:
Hospital Infrastructure
BLG served as lead counsel on Canada's largest hospital project: the C$13.9 billion public-private partnership for Trillium Health Partners' Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital and Shah Family Hospital for Women and Children.
Hospital Governance
BLG served as counsel to the government-appointed supervisors in two of the three Ontario hospitals placed under provincial supervision in 2024, reflecting the firm's depth of health sector governance expertise.
Hospital Investigation
BLG served as lead counsel on the internal investigation at London Health Sciences Centre that uncovered an alleged fraud scheme spanning more than a decade. BLG subsequently launched a C$50 million civil action and secured certificates of pending litigation over 43 properties owned by the defendants.
Hospital Merger
BLG served as lead multi-disciplinary counsel on the merger of Grand River Hospital and St. Mary's General Hospital to form Waterloo Regional Health Network, a combined system with an annual operating budget of approximately C$1 billion.
Medical Education
BLG structured the legal and governance framework for Toronto Metropolitan University's new medical school and Integrated Health Centre, supporting nearly C$180 million in provincial investment and C$25 million in federal funding. The school opened in Sept. 2025 with 94 inaugural students.
Class Action Defence
BLG defeated certification in a proposed class action involving more than 15,000 individuals against The Hospital for Sick Children relating to the Motherisk Drug Testing Laboratory, with leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada subsequently denied.
Health Policy
BLG represented the Black Physicians of Canada in a successful challenge to an Ontario residency policy restricting internationally trained medical graduates. Ontario announced it would rescind the policy on March 24, 2026.
Recognized lawyers
- Keegan Boyd
- Katharine L. Byrick
- Colin Cameron-Vendrig
- Cynthia (Cindy) D. Clarke
- Peter C. Cooke
- Kirsten T. Crain
- Kate A. Crawford
- Kim Dullet
- Nadia Effendi
- Daniel Girlando
- Robyn A. Grant
- Patrick J. Hawkins
- Neil Ezra Hazan
- Andrew Hennigar
- Jason Howg
- Kathleen E. Lemieux
- Cameron A. MacDonald
- Michelle Maniago
- Anna L. Marrison
- Nick G. Pasquino
- Manoj G. Pundit
- Frank Tosto
- George R. Wray
Learn more about BLG's health sciences practice.
Shaping the health law conversation
In addition to the rankings, two BLG partners were featured as leading industry voices in Lexpert’s accompanying editorial coverage for this edition:
- Healthcare M&A trends: Partner and health law co-leader Nick Pasquino shared insights on the evolving landscape of healthcare services consolidation, the impact of data on valuations and why the market has entered a more disciplined phase. Read the article; and
- AI in clinical settings: Partner and privacy co-leader Daniel Michaluk discussed the rapid adoption of AI scribes in healthcare, flagging the vendor contract risks, privacy exposure and governance gaps organizations must address. Read the article.