Crawford Smith

T 416 598 8648 F 416 598 3730
E csmith@lolg.ca

Crawford is a smart and courageous courtroom advocate. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Crawford has been recognized as a leading litigation lawyer by Chambers Canada, Legal 500 Canada, Benchmark Litigation Canada, Best Lawyers Canada, and the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. He has received “Litigator of the Year” by Canadian Law Award 2024 and is consistently recognized as one of Canada’s Top 50 Trial Lawyers by Benchmark Litigation.

Crawford is an experienced and sophisticated trial and appellate counsel. He carries a broad litigation practice including corporate and commercial litigation, competition litigation, securities, professional liability, insurance, administrative law, with substantial expertise in class actions. He has significant experience engaging complex disputes that demand subject-matter experience involving specialized and highly regulated industries including in the energy, infrastructure, telecommunications, and financial services sectors.

Crawford has extensive experience in trials, arbitrations and administrative hearings before all levels of court in Ontario, in the Supreme Court of Canada, in the Federal Court of Appeal, and before a variety of administrative tribunals including the Ontario Energy Board, the Ontario Securities Commission, the Competition Tribunal, the Human Rights Tribunal, and the Environmental Review Tribunal.

Credentials

  • Called to the Ontario Bar, 1999
  • LL.B., University of British Columbia, 1997
  • B.Comm. (with Honours), Queen’s University, 1994
  • The American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
  • Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
  • Trial Law Institute, Member
  • Diversity Law Institute, Member
  • The Advocates' Society, Past Director Standing Committee on Advocacy and Practice (The Advocates' Society), Past Chair
  • St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation, Fall Classic Committee
  • Chambers Global 2025: Dispute Resolution: Litigation: Band 2
  • Lexpert's Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers 2025: A Guide to Doing Business in Canada: Litigation - Corporate Commercial
  • The Legal 500 Canada, 2025: Leading Partners - Dispute Resolution, Ontario
  • Chambers Canada 2025: Band 2 - Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario)
  • The Best Lawyers™ in Canada, 2025: “Lawyer of the Year” in Energy Regulation Law
  • The Best Lawyers™ in Canada, 2025: Administrative and Public Law; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Director and Officer Liability Practice; Energy Regulatory Law; Real Estate Law; Securities Law
  • Canadian Law Awards, 2024: Litigator of the Year
  • Benchmark Litigation, 2024: Top 50 Trial Lawyer in Canada
  • Benchmark Litigation Star, 2024: Commercial Litigation; Class Actions; Securities
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory, 2024: Class Actions; Energy (Electricity); Litigation - Corporate Commercial; Litigation - Directors' & Officers' Liability; Litigation - Securities
  • Lexpert®/ American Lawyer Guide - Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, 2024: Litigation - Corporate Commercial 
  • The Legal 500 Canada, 2024: Leading Lawyer - Dispute Resolution, Ontario
  • Chambers Canada 2024: Band 3 - Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario)
  • The Best Lawyers™ in Canada, 2024: Administrative and Public Law; Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Director and Officer Liability Practice; Energy Regulatory Law; Real Estate Law; Securities Law
  • Chambers Canada 2023: Band 3 - Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario)
  • Benchmark Litigation, 2023: Ontario Litigator of the Year
  • Benchmark Litigation, 2023: Top 50 Trial Lawyer in Canada
  • Benchmark Litigation Star, 2023: Commercial Litigation, Class Actions, Securities
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory, 2023: Class Actions; Energy (Electricity); Litigation - Corporate Commercial; Litigation - Directors' & Officers' Liability;  Litigation - Securities
  • Lexpert®/ American Lawyer Guide - Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, 2023: Litigation - Corporate Commercial 
  • The Best Lawyers™ in Canada, 2023: Administrative and Public Law; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Director and Officer Liability Practice; Energy Regulatory Law; Securities Law
  • The Legal 500 Canada, 2023: Leading Lawyer - Dispute Resolution, Ontario
  • Chambers Canada 2022: Band 3 - Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario)
  • Benchmark Litigation, 2022: Top 50 Trial Lawyer in Canada
  • Benchmark Litigation Star, 2022: Commercial Litigation, Class Actions, Securities
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory, 2022: Class Actions; Energy (Electricity); Litigation - Corporate Commercial; Litigation - Directors' & Officers' Liability;  Litigation - Securities
  • The Best Lawyers™ in Canada, 2022: Administrative and Public Law; Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Director and Officer Liability Practice; Energy Regulatory Law
  • Chambers Canada 2021: Band 3 - Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario)
  • Benchmark Litigation, 2021: Top 50 Trial Lawyer in Canada
  • Benchmark Litigation Star, 2021: Commercial Litigation, Class Actions, Securities
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory, 2021: Litigation - Corporate Commercial; Litigation - Directors' & Officers' Liability; Energy (Electricity); Energy (Oil & Gas); Litigation - Securities
  • The Best Lawyers™ in Canada, 2021: Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Director and Officer Liability Practice; Energy Regulatory Law
  • Canadian Lexpert® Directory, 2020: Electricity; Litigation - Corporate Commercial; Litigation - Securities; Energy (Oil & Gas)
  • Benchmark Litigation Star, 2020: Dispute Resolution, Securities Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Class Actions
  • Chambers Canada 2020: Band 2, Energy: Provincial Regulatory (Ontario); Band 3 - Litigation: General Commercial (Ontario)
  • The Best Lawyers™ in Canada, 2020:  Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Energy Regulatory Law
  • Chambers Canada, 2019: Energy - Power (Regulatory); Litigation, Ontario; Energy - Provincial Regulatory, Ontario
  • Benchmark Litigation, 2019: Top 50 Trial Lawyer in Canada
  • Benchmark Litigation Star, 2019: Class Action, Commercial Litigation, Securities
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, 2019: Corporate and Commercial Litigation; and Energy Regulatory Law
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory, 2019: Energy (Electricity), Energy (Oil & Gas), Litigation - Corporate Commercial
  • Benchmark Litigation Star, 2019: Class Actions, Commercial Litigation, Securities
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, 2019: Corporate and Commercial Litigation; and Energy Regulatory Law
  • Chambers Canada, 2018: Energy - Power (Regulatory); Litigation, Ontario; Energy - Provincial Regulatory, Ontario
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, 2018: Energy Regulatory Law
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2018: Energy (Electricity); Litigation-Securities; Energy (Oil & Gas; and Litigation- Directors' & Officers' Liability
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, 2017: Energy Regulatory Law
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2017 - Energy (Electricity), Litigation-Securities, Energy -Oil & Gas; and Litigation - Directors' & Officers' Liability
  • Chambers Canada, 2017: Energy - Power (Regulatory); Litigation, Ontario
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, 2016: Energy Regulatory Law
  • Chambers Canada, 2016: Energy - Power (Regulatory); Litigation, Ontario
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2016: Energy - Electricity; Litigation-Securities; Energy -Oil & Gas; and Litigation - Directors' & Officers' Liability
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2015: Energy - Electricity; Litigation - Securities; Energy - Oil & Gas; and Litigation -Directors' & Officers' Liability
  • Chambers Global, 2015: Dispute Resolution, Ontario
  • Benchmark Canada, 2014: Future Star
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, 2014: Energy Regulatory Law
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2014: Energy - Electricity; Litigation-Securities; Energy - Oil & Gas; and Litigation -Directors' & Officers' Liability
  • Benchmark Canada, 2013: Litigation Star - Arbitration, Intellectual Property, Class Actions
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, 2013: Energy Regulatory Law
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2013: Energy - Electricity; Litigation-Securities; Energy - Oil & Gas
  • Benchmark Canada, 2012: Litigation Star - Class Actions, Professional Liability and Securities
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, 2012: Energy Regulatory Law
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2012 - Energy (Electricity), Litigation-Securities
  • Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-border Litigation Lawyers in Canada, 2012: Canadian Litigator to Watch
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, 2006 - 2011: Energy Regulatory Law
  • Summary Judgment Motions

    May 2020

    Crawford co-chaired a program on summary judgment motions, which gave practical tips and strategies on how to prepare for, argue and oppose a summary judgment motion.

    The Advocates' Society