Founded by John P. Nelligan and Denis Power, Nelligan Law first began as as Nelligan Power.
In 1963, Denis Power joined John P. Nelligan’s, law office as an articling student, and in 1969, the Nelligan Power partnership was established.
Since our firm’s founding in 1969, we have grown to a team of over 55 lawyers and 50 administrative professionals, making us one Ottawa’s largest local law firms.
Our expertise and experience expands across many different practice groups, allowing us to serve our clients and help guide them as they navigate through pivotal moments in life.
Starting your own business, or running an existing enterprise, requires a considerable investment: not just financial, but emotional as well. Our Business Law team knows how much goes in to creating an organization.
Helping you succeed is our business. We can help you with every step of the journey from setting up a business structure, making sure your valuable intellectual property has adequate protection, to mergers and acquisitions.
We also have commercial expertise to deal with any kind of business dispute that arises. If we need to take a dispute to the courtroom, we have the knowledge and experience to advocate for you in these forums. In addition, many business law matters intersect with other areas of law, including labour and employment, estate planning, commercial leasing and real estate.
Our team members have extensive business contacts locally and globally who we call upon regularly to assist in meeting our clients’ other professional needs, including accounting, banking and legal matters abroad. Many of the lawyers in our business law group are members of Lexwork International, and the International Trademark Association INTA. Our team also acts as counsel to many not-for-profit and charitable organizations.
Whether you are a new entrepreneur starting a business, or you operate an established global enterprise, our lawyers have the expertise and enthusiasm to provide cost-effective advice and solutions to help you face today’s business environment with confidence.
Our Business Law Group takes pride in assisting clients with all stages of their business growth and consolidation. We are a dynamic team that can provide innovative solutions and strategies to any kind of business model and legal issue. We have dealt with business of all sizes and across a broad range of sectors. Our expertise also includes charities and not-for-profit organizations. Lawyers in our Business Law Group are passionate about helping owners grow their business, and making the process as smooth and straightforward as possible
If you need support at any point in your entrepreneurial journey, reach out to our experienced team.
Labour law has taken us across Canada – east, west and north. We work with small unions that represent the workforce of a single employer, the large public sector unions and all else between.
But we understand that isn’t enough. Sure, we have the expertise to deal with the transactional needs of our clients in a quite technical area of law. But unions and the relationships between employer and employee are about people. The dynamics of personalities trying to find common ground. It’s this aspect of the work that energizes us. We want to build lasting relationships with clients. If your shop has internal concerns or conflicts that impact its ability to serve your members, we are here to help you resolve them. It gives us tremendous satisfaction to help people overcome their differences.
Since we are part of a full-service firm, our colleagues are ready to help with any related matter such as intellectual property or real estate. We can also assist with the personal needs of your members. People with difficulties in their employment may face other challenges as well – disabilities, mental health issues and other personal trials that impact their work.
Nelligan Law also practices Employment Law. We understand and appreciate the need for Labour and Employment to remain at arm’s length. Our Employment group will not take as a client an employer that could potentially be at odds with one of our Labour clients.
Our team is also sensitive to the fact that many union shops have limited resources – they need select legal services, but not the full package. That’s why we’re flexible in how we work with clients. No two situations are ever the same. We are always eager to try a different approach and find a creative way to resolve an issue.
We provide advice on all aspects of:
Our specialists have broad experience doing appeals, applications for judicial review, injunctions, and all types of employment-related litigation. We have recognized experts in crucial areas like workers’ compensation and interest arbitration.
We act on behalf of unions and employees at grievance arbitration and adjudication hearings throughout Canada. We handle cases before the Canada Industrial Relations Board, the Public Service Staff Relations Board, the Ontario Labour Relations Board, Human Rights Commissions, and Workers Compensation Boards, as well as all levels of courts.
The specialists in this group have broad experience doing appeals, applications for judicial review, injunctions, and all types of employment-related litigation.
We understand that our clients are going through a very stressful and emotional time in their lives. The processes of divorce or separation and navigating support issues can be challenging, especially when it involves children and the distribution of assets. Our team of experienced family law lawyers recognizes the sensitive nature of these cases and is dedicated to providing the support and guidance our clients need to navigate this difficult time.
We are committed to protecting our clients’ rights and interests, and ensuring that their needs and priorities are taken into consideration throughout the legal process. We understand that our clients need a strong advocate on their side, and we are here to provide the compassion and expertise needed to help them reach a resolution that works best for them and their family.
We can provide you with continuity of service by working as a cohesive unit. This means when you hire one of our family lawyers, you get the support of our entire team if and when it is needed. If your lawyer is away, another of our lawyers will be available to assist you. It also means that our legal services and fees will reflect the complexity of your issue. Members of our group have appeared before all levels of courts and tribunals, and have contributed to precedents that have helped Canadian family law evolve to meet today’s values.
Several of our Family Law lawyers are part of The Virtual Family Law Project. The Virtual Family Law Project is a group comprised Senior Ottawa Family Lawyers who bring their expertise in arbitration, mediation and court processes to permit families to continue to work towards resolution of their family law issues outside of the public court system, using remote technology.
Nelligan Law has a strong reputation in the area of insurance defence. What sets us apart is our commitment to effective advocacy. Our lawyers have enjoyed continued success before all levels of courts and tribunals. At the same time, our team members have added to their skill as advocates in the service of insurers and other clients by employing all methods of alternate dispute resolution for efficient and cost-effective results in all insurance matters.
We provide legal services in Ottawa and throughout Ontario.
Nelligan Law has been accredited by the BBB since 2011, with an A+ rating.
If you have any questions about our Insurance Defence practice group, please contact us at [email protected], or at 613-238-8080.
Business hops borders all the time. Everyone wants to protect their secret sauce and defend their brand. This takes a strong team of intellectual property lawyers and professionals with the experience and contacts to help you wherever in the world business takes you.
Our Intellectual Property Law team has global reach and experience. Besides being part of Lexwork International, a trusted referral network of mid-sized, independent law firms in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, we have close working relationship with colleagues around the world for many many years.
Our patent agents, trademark agents, and intellectual property lawyers are located in Ottawa, Canada, however we have a global network of patent and trademark attorneys to meet all of your international IP needs.
Our sweet spot is working with growing Canadian startups and SMEs that understand the need to protect and maximize the value of their Intellectual Property assets, including patent, trademark, industrial design, and copyright. Through Lexwork and other global referrals, we also act for many foreign enterprises that require counsel on Canadian Intellectual Property matters. We help our clients secure their Intellectual Property rights and resolve Intellectual Property legal disputes.
As an independent Ottawa-based firm, we can resist the pressure of charging the higher fees typical of other firms. We’re just down the street from federal government departments and agencies, like the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. Our diverse team is fluent in English, Japanese and Chinese and competent in French and Spanish. We take pride in building long-term and personal relationships with our clients.
Outstanding customer service is our key differentiator. This is reflected in how accurately we cost out scopes of work, the volume of communication we maintain with our clients, and how we make time to visit their businesses to truly understand what makes them tick. This even includes jumping on an airplane and crossing an ocean.
And since we are part of a full-service firm, we can provide our clients with easy access to legal expertise from other practice areas.
Let’s talk about how we can beef up your Intellectual Property strategy to support the growth of your business.
If you have any questions regarding the protection of your intellectual property, please click here to send us an email. Alternatively, call us at 613-238-8080 or toll free at 833-892-3331 (Canada).
Nelligan O’Brien Payne’s team of litigators have years of experience in representing clients in the litigation, as well as in alternative dispute resolution. Although litigation is the last resort when resolving a legal dispute, if you have to go down that path it pays to have a team of lawyers who not only genuinely care about the outcome, but have the legal skills to effectively broker a resolution.
A great litigator isn’t necessarily a subject-matter expert in your business or industry. Our team has the support of our 11 other practice groups – bench strength that’s at your disposal. Few litigation firms have this kind of diversity under one roof. To resolve your case as quickly and economically as possible, we put a team of lawyers and support staff on every file.
Litigation is a long and expensive process. Often, alternative dispute resolution will yield the same result. In reality, the vast majority of cases are settled before they ever make it to court. Mediating a fair and amicable settlement often saves time, money and grey hair for all involved. Given the choice, we’ll get on phone with that other lawyer and see if we can’t work these things out. The legal system can work quite well without the judicial system having to be involved at all.
If you have been injured or someone close to you has been injured or killed, our Personal Injury team understands the significance of the losses being suffered. Our Personal Injury team is here to help put your lives back together. We take pride in the fact that we provide top-notch legal service at a price that’s fair for you and us. We have the persistence, the local trial experience and the access to a roster of experts to achieve the best possible outcome at a reasonable fee.
And no matter who handles your file, a partner will oversee a team assembled to be the most efficient and cost effective for you. Since we are part of a full-service firm, our colleagues can handle any other legal needs you may have.
We also work in medical malpractice, such as the class-action we have launched on behalf of patients of Ottawa fertility doctor Norman Barwin.
Over the years we have seen many individuals who have not been aware of the various sources of financial support that are available; have missed important time limitations that prevented them from obtaining full benefits; or have jeopardized their rights by signing off too early on a settlement.
It is our experience that the resolution of financial concerns plays a significant role in the recovery process. It is important in the short and long term to have as much access as possible to the assistance required to deal with the many changes to an injured person’s normal living conditions and environment.
The legal problems in such cases are complicated and require specialized knowledge to find the best solutions. We will do everything in our power to help you through this labyrinth and to obtain the financial compensation you need and deserve.
There is nothing quite as rewarding as being able to take a drive and see the fruits of your labour redefining the city skyline. Nelligan Law’s Real Estate Law practice group brings to bear an advantage that we believe is unique in Eastern Ontario – we have grown from strong practices in real estate, land development and condominium law.
Our team has more than 25 years of experience acting for condominium corporations and owners of shared property interests, as well as acting on the development and construction of shared property communities. In our development practice, we have had the privilege of working on some of Ontario’s most complex integrated, mixed-use and shared property developments. We represent more local real estate developers than any other law firm in the Ottawa area.
Let’s be frank – our team is rife with real estate nerds. They obsess over every detail that impacts the development, budgeting, construction, commissioning, management and operation of a property, regardless of its size and type. We know what works and what doesn’t. This kind of attention to detail has made group leader Deborah Bellinger an expert witness in court proceedings. Municipalities turn to us for advice on master plan real estate developments.
Our work takes us across Ontario. We see big opportunities in the years ahead as a growing emphasis on infill development demands more creative mixed-use planning in the urban core. We also have an outstanding track record acting for developers, condominium corporations and homeowners in responding to or advancing Tarion claims. Our team understands the timelines, regulations and bulletins that govern the Tarion process, and how Tarion remedies can combine with other claims.
We have the support of the firm’s Commercial Litigation group for any real estate, construction, or development dispute that can’t be resolved. You can rely on us to counsel you through every step of the litigation process and ensure your business objectives are protected.
Whether you seek to buy, sell, finance, develop or build, we will ensure you have a strong foundation for the future.
Nelligan Law is a member in good standing with the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association, and the Canadian Condominium Institute.
FCM Green Municipal Fund
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund (GMF) offers funding and knowledge to municipal governments and their partners for municipal brownfield initiatives; including: grants for community brownfield action plans and environmental site assessments, loans for brownfield capital projects, and a host of tools and resources on greening your brownfields.
To visit Canada, you must be granted a visitor visa. An immigration officer will consider a number of different factors to demonstrate whether the applicant is a genuine visitor. If the applicant comes from a visa exempt country, then the assessment of the intention to visit Canada will be made at the Canadian border.
