When you run a business in Toronto, your legal needs rarely fit into a single box. You might need help incorporating today, negotiating a commercial lease next month, hiring your first employee the quarter after that, and eventually selling the company you've built. At Hadri Law, our Toronto business lawyers cover every stage of that journey from one boutique firm, with big-firm calibre, direct senior-lawyer attention, and service in four languages.
Call (437) 974-2374 for a free consultation | English, French, Spanish, Catalan
Your Toronto Business Lawyer, Broad Services, One Firm
Hadri Law is a Toronto business law firm based at First Canadian Place, 100 King Street West, Suite 5700, in the heart of Toronto's Financial District, at the corner of King and Bay. From that address we advise business owners across Toronto and the GTA on the full lifecycle of legal matters: from starting up and raising capital, through commercial contracts and employment, to mergers, acquisitions, and eventual succession.
Toronto businesses operate in an active legal environment. Ontario is home to 410,154 small employer businesses as of December 2024, the highest concentration of any province in Canada, according to the Government of Canada's Key Small Business Statistics 2025. That density means more transactions, more regulation, and more competition, and it means the quality of legal counsel you keep can shape how your business navigates that landscape.
Our scope reflects that reality. Under one roof you'll find corporate and commercial lawyers, a dedicated tax lawyer, employment law support, M&A and transactional counsel, and international business advisory, all handled directly by senior lawyers. That's what we mean by Big-Firm Calibre. Boutique Attention. Four Languages.
Most Toronto business owners don't need ten specialists. They need one firm that handles the legal side of their business properly, communicates clearly, and is available when a deadline lands on their desk. That is what we are built to do.
Business Legal Services We Offer Toronto Clients
We organize our services around the lifecycle of a business, not an alphabetical menu. Whether you're launching, scaling, or exiting, your Toronto business lawyer at Hadri Law can help you through the stages below.
Starting Your Business
- Business Incorporation, Ontario (OBCA) or federal (CBCA) incorporations, with advice on which regime fits your long-term plans, tax position, and cross-border goals.
- Sole Proprietorship and Partnership Registration, When incorporation isn't the right first step, we help you register properly, draft a clean partnership agreement, and plan for the transition to a corporation later.
- Professional Corporations, For regulated professionals such as accountants, engineers, doctors, and dentists who want to incorporate under the OBCA professional corporation rules.
- Shareholders' Agreements, A foundational document for any multi-owner business. We put one in place at the outset, not after a dispute.
Running and Growing Your Business
- Commercial Contracts, Service agreements, supply agreements, independent contractor agreements, and vendor terms drafted and negotiated to match how your business actually operates.
- Commercial Leases, Office, retail, and industrial lease review and negotiation across Toronto and the GTA. Leases in this market are often landlord-favoured by default; we push back where it matters.
- Employment Law, Employment agreements, workplace policies, termination letters, severance packages, and Employment Standards Act compliance. Your corporate lawyer and employment lawyer sit on the same team.
- Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreements, NDAs tailored to the transaction, not generic templates.
- Franchise Agreements, Representation on both sides of the table, whether you're buying a franchise or building a franchise system.
- Loan Application and Financing Review, Term sheets, loan agreements, security documents, personal guarantees, and intercreditor arrangements, reviewed before you sign.
- Corporate Maintenance, Minute book upkeep, annual returns with the Ontario Business Registry, director and officer changes, and the register of individuals with significant control (ISC).
Buying, Selling, or Restructuring
- Mergers and Acquisitions, Asset sales, share sales, and hybrid structures for transactions ranging from small founder exits to multi-party strategic deals.
- Corporate Reorganizations, Holding company structures, section 85 rollovers, estate freezes, amalgamations, and wind-ups, coordinated with your accountant and our in-house tax lawyer.
- Business Purchase Due Diligence, Legal, corporate, employment, and regulatory due diligence before you commit to an acquisition.
- Shareholder Buyouts and Exit Planning, Buy-sell mechanisms, share valuations, and exit structuring for departing partners and founders.
Tax Law
- Corporate Tax Planning and Strategy, Structuring transactions, compensation, and distributions for long-term tax efficiency.
- CRA Audit Defence, Representation during audits, responses to information requests, and negotiation of assessments.
- Tax Court Appeals and Objections, Filing notices of objection and appearing before the Tax Court of Canada.
- International Tax, Cross-border planning for Toronto businesses with operations, customers, or investors outside Canada.
International Business
- Investment Canada Act Compliance, Notifications and reviews for foreign investment into Canadian businesses.
- Cross-Border Structuring, Canadian holding company structures for international investors and Canadian businesses expanding abroad.
- International Commercial Agreements, Contracts across jurisdictions, handled by lawyers who can communicate directly with counterparties in four languages.
Call (437) 974-2374 to discuss which of these services your Toronto business needs now, and which it will need as it grows.
Meet Your Toronto Business Law Team
You'll work directly with one of our senior lawyers. For many of our clients, that direct access is a significant reason they choose us.
Nassira El Hadri, Founder & Principal Lawyer
Nassira El Hadri founded Hadri Law and leads the firm's M&A and corporate commercial practice. She was called to the Law Society of Ontario in 2021 and holds an LLM in Canadian Common Law from Osgoode Hall Law School, a Master's in International Business Law from the Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, and an LLB from Rovira i Virgili University in Catalonia.
Before founding the firm, Nassira worked as a Corporate and Commercial associate at a mid-size Hamilton firm, advising banks, credit unions, and corporate clients on M&A and financing transactions. She has also spent more than four years in heavy equipment finance focusing on secured and unsecured debt recovery across Canada, including Quebec. She advises clients in English, French, Spanish, and Catalan, and she is a commissioned Notary Public in Ontario.
Nicholas Dempsey, Corporate Lawyer
Nicholas Dempsey was called to the Law Society of Ontario in 2018. He holds a JD from the Faculty of Law at Western University and an HBA from Ivey Business School, a combination that means he reads a transaction not only as a legal document but as a business decision.
Before joining Hadri Law, Nick spent more than four years at a top-ranked regional law firm in downtown Toronto, advising domestic and international private equity clients on acquisitions and business consolidations. He has worked on 90+ asset and share sale transactions. His practice focuses on startups, family businesses, financing, commercial agreements, and business sales.
Martina Caunedo, Tax Lawyer
Martina Caunedo was called to the Law Society of Ontario in 2024. She holds an LLM in Canadian Common Law from Osgoode Hall Law School, post-graduate studies in Taxation from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, and a law degree from the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.
Martina brings more than 12 years of practice to the firm, with extensive international tax experience. She focuses on tax strategies for medium-sized businesses, taxpayer advocacy during CRA audits and objections, and appeals before the Tax Court of Canada. With an in-house tax lawyer on the corporate team, Hadri Law handles the tax side of a transaction directly.
Hadri Law was recognized with three 2025 awards: Inspirational Leader of the Year, Fastest Growing Company, and Best Professional Services.
Why Toronto Businesses Choose Hadri Law
Every firm on the first page of search results offers a list of services. What separates them is what happens after you pick up the phone. Here's what you can expect from us.
One firm for every stage of your business. From incorporation to M&A exit, employment law, commercial contracts, and tax planning, we handle the core legal work that businesses typically need as they grow.
In-house tax counsel. Martina Caunedo sits on the same team as our corporate lawyers, so the legal structure and tax treatment of your transaction can be worked through together rather than coordinated across separate firms.
Service in four languages. We advise clients in English, French, Spanish, and Catalan. Toronto is one of the most culturally diverse business cities in Canada, 46.6% of Toronto CMA residents were born outside Canada, according to Statistics Canada's 2021 Census. Contracts, negotiations, and strategy conversations can happen in your preferred language.
Bay Street address, boutique fees. Our office at First Canadian Place, Suite 5700 is located in the same building complex as BMO's global headquarters, one of the most recognizable corporate addresses in the country. We chose that address because it matters to the counterparties you'll negotiate with. We kept our fees structured so you don't pay Big Law rates to use it.
Direct lawyer access. Your file is handled by the senior lawyer you meet at your first consultation, Nassira, Nick, or Martina. You'll have their email, their direct line, and their attention.
International reach. Nassira's background spans Canada, Spain, France, and North Africa. Nick has advised international private equity clients on Canadian acquisitions. We are members of the Spain-Canada Chamber of Commerce and the Burlington Chamber of Commerce, and we serve as a bridge between North American, European, and African markets for Toronto businesses with cross-border operations or ambitions.
Toronto Business Lawyer Services Across the Greater Toronto Area
Our office is physically in Toronto's Financial District, but our client base spans the full Greater Toronto Area. Whether you are a small business lawyer Toronto searcher looking for a firm close to downtown, or a growing company based in the suburbs, we cover the same geographic market.
Toronto neighbourhoods we serve: Downtown core, Financial District, Midtown, East End and Leslieville, West End, Scarborough, North York, and Etobicoke.
GTA cities we serve: Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, Kitchener, Niagara, Vaughan, and Markham.
For clients who prefer in-person meetings, our First Canadian Place office is accessible directly through the PATH and is steps from Union Station, King Station, and St. Andrew Station. For clients across the GTA who would rather meet virtually, most business legal work, incorporation, contract review, M&A planning, tax strategy, can be handled efficiently by phone, video, and secure document exchange.
The Toronto business community we advise is varied: financial services companies with Bay Street counterparties, technology startups coming out of the MaRS and Yonge Corridor ecosystem, real estate holding companies and developers, professional practices (medical, dental, legal, accounting), importers and exporters with international supply chains, retail and hospitality operators, and manufacturers across the industrial corridor west of the city. A Toronto business lawyer embedded in that ecosystem understands the counterparties, the courts, and the regulators, and that local fluency shows up in every contract we draft and every negotiation we run.
How Toronto Businesses Get Started with Hadri Law
We've tried to make it as easy as possible to pick up the phone and talk to a lawyer, because in our experience, many business legal issues are easier to address early than late.
- Book a free initial consultation. Call (437) 974-2374 or book directly online at calendly.com/hadrilaw/free-consultation. We can hold your consultation in English, French, Spanish, or Catalan.
- We assess your situation and recommend a clear path forward. No jargon. No padding the scope. We tell you what we'd do, why, and what it is likely to cost.
- We agree on a scope and a fee arrangement that fits. Fixed-fee pricing is available for common matters such as incorporation, shareholders' agreements, and standard lease review. Hourly and retainer arrangements are available for ongoing counsel and complex transactions.
If your matter is urgent, a contract needing same-week review, a looming deadline, a deal about to close, call directly at (437) 974-2374 and tell us. We triage urgent work.
If your needs are ongoing, annual corporate maintenance, standing business counsel, recurring contract review, ask about our retainer arrangements. They are designed for growing Toronto businesses that need a lawyer on call without paying Big Law rates for the privilege.
Frequently Asked Questions About Toronto Business Lawyers
What is the difference between a business lawyer and a corporate lawyer in Toronto?
In practice, many clients use the terms interchangeably. Strictly speaking, a corporate lawyer focuses on business structure, governance, and corporate transactions, while a business lawyer covers a broader range including contracts, employment, and commercial matters. At Hadri Law in Toronto, we cover both so you don't have to decide which you need first.
How much does a business lawyer in Toronto typically charge?
Toronto business lawyers generally charge between $300 and $650 per hour depending on experience and firm size. Fixed-fee incorporation packages typically range from $1,500 to $3,500, and ongoing retainer arrangements are common for growing businesses. We offer a free initial consultation and discuss fees transparently before any engagement begins.
Do I really need a business lawyer or can I use an online incorporation service?
Online services can file incorporation paperwork, but they typically can't advise you on share structure, tax planning, shareholder arrangements, or the long-term consequences of your choices. DIY incorporations can create structural problems that surface during financing, sale, or shareholder disputes, often at far greater cost than proper legal advice at the outset.
Can my Toronto business lawyer also handle employment law and tax matters?
At Hadri Law, yes. Our corporate team handles employment law directly, including employment agreements, workplace policies, and terminations. Martina Caunedo, our Tax Lawyer, handles tax planning, CRA audits, and Tax Court appeals in-house. That keeps corporate, employment, and tax work on the same team.
What should I bring to my first meeting with a Toronto business lawyer?
Bring any existing corporate documents (articles, minute book, shareholders' agreement), any contracts currently under review or in dispute, and a short description of what you're trying to accomplish and by when. If you're incorporating, bring the proposed business name and a list of shareholders. That's enough for us to give meaningful advice in the consultation.
Sources & Official Resources
Federal Statutes & Regulatory Frameworks
Ontario Statutes & Regulatory Frameworks 4. Ontario Business Corporations Act (OBCA) 5. Employment Standards Act, 2000
Government Data Sources 6. ISED, Key Small Business Statistics 2025 7. Statistics Canada, 2021 Census (Toronto CMA immigration data)
Business Registration & Helpful Resources 8. Ontario Business Registry
Contact a Toronto Business Lawyer Today
If you need a Toronto business lawyer to help you incorporate, negotiate a contract, handle an employment issue, structure a transaction, or plan an exit, Hadri Law offers big-firm calibre with boutique attention. Our lawyers serve clients in English, French, Spanish, and Catalan, and we handle corporate, commercial, employment, tax, and international business matters from one firm at First Canadian Place.
Call (437) 974-2374 for a free consultation.
First Canadian Place, 100 King Street West, Suite 5700, Toronto, ON M5X 1C7
This content provides general information and is not legal advice. Every situation is different. Contact a lawyer to discuss your specific circumstances.
