Lexpert magazine features articles and columns on developments in legal practice management, deals and lawsuits of interest in Canada, the law and business issues of interest to legal professionals and businesses that purchase legal services.
Issue link: https://digital.carswellmedia.com/i/1547047
20 www.canadianlawyermag.com TOP 25 MOST INFLUENTIAL LAWYERS 2026 more than doubling in a single year from 23 percent to 52 percent, a pace legal tech leaders say has outpaced expectations among in-house legal teams. Canada is keeping pace with, and in some respects outpacing, this global shift. LEAP Legal Software's Profitability in Law report for 2026, based on a survey of 700 legal professionals across six coun- tries, found that 43 percent of Canadian legal professionals say legal-specific AI tools are delivering the greatest impact on their firm's profitability, the highest propor- tion of any market surveyed. That statistic sits directly behind this year's list, as five winners work on AI ethics, bias research, policy, or contract automation as a core part of their practice. Institutional trust in the judiciary forms a second major current running through this year's honourees. According to the OECD's 2026 Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions for Canada, 61 percent of Canadians say they trust the courts, compared with just 37 percent who trust political parties. A separate Angus Reid Institute poll found 62 percent of Canadians believe the Supreme Court is impartial, and 65 percent believe law carries more weight than politics in the court's decisions. That relative trust is being tested directly this year. Alberta Court of King's Bench Justice Colin Feasby's rulings on the province's separation referendum, and the Supreme Court's pending decision on Quebec's Bill 21, are both forcing the country's courts to define the outer limits of constitutional and treaty law under intense public scrutiny. A third shift is playing out inside organi- zations, not courtrooms. The Association of Corporate Counsel's 2026 Chief Legal Officer Survey found that 84 percent of chief legal officers now report directly to the CEO, a marked change in how companies structure legal authority. The shift tracks closely with how AI is reshaping day-to-day law firm operations, which is pulling legal further into core business decisions. Closer to home, the 2026 Canadian In-House Counsel Report from CBA In-House Lawyers and Mondaq, drawing on nearly 500 responses from in-house lawyers across the country, found that legal depart- ments are absorbing rising workloads and broader non-legal responsibilities without corresponding increases in staffing or support. This year's in-house winners stand out for building legal infrastructure from the ground up instead of simply managing an existing one. What's next for AI governance and judicial independence in Canada Several of the year's defining legal matters remain unresolved, and each is likely to shape the profession for years past this report's publication. The fight over Alberta's separation referendum is now before the Alberta Court of Appeal, where Justice Alice Woolley has already signalled discomfort with aspects of the lower court's reasoning during arguments over a potential stay. The Court of Appeal has since allowed the underlying petition process to move forward, though only after addressing what it called serious legal issues. Whatever the eventual outcome, the case has already established REPORT HIGHLIGHTS: AI USE IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION AI use among Canadian legal professionals has doubled in a year - and it's reshaping who holds influence The data points behind this year's Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada Source: Thomson Reuters, 2026 research on generative Al adoption Source: Thomson Reuters, 2026 research on generative Al adoption of Canadian legal professionals now report personal use of Al tools – more than double the rate recorded a year ago 69% Institutional adoption is accelerating, 2025 2026 Law firms using generative Al 2025 2026 28% 41% Corporate legal departments using generative Al 2025 2026 47% 23% In-house legal teams reporting GenAl use 2025 2026 52% 23% Who Canadians trust Courts Political parties Source: ACC/Everlaw GenAl Survey (a separate survey population from the Thomson Reuters figures above) Source: LEAP Legal Software, 2026 Profitability in Law report (700 professionals, six countries) Source: OECD, 2026 Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions for Canada of Canadian legal professionals say Al tools deliver the greatest impact on firm profitability - the highest share of any market surveyed A 24-point trust gap now being tested by this year's constitutional rulings HIGHEST SURVEYED 43% 61% 37% +13 pts +24 pts +29 pts SPECIAL REPORT