Crawley MacKewn Brush

What Crawley MacKewn Brush does

Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP is a Toronto-based limited liability partnership organized as a boutique corporate securities litigation firm. The firm operates from a single office at 179 John Street in Toronto and maintains 21+ lawyers supported by clerks, students, and a business support team. It is recognized as one of Canada's largest dedicated securities litigation teams and has been named Securities Litigation Firm of the Year by Benchmark Litigation Canada for ten consecutive years (2017-2026), with Chambers Canada top-band ranking for Securities Litigation and Lexpert Top 500 Lawyer recognition for founding partners Alistair Crawley and Robert Brush.

The firm's core practice covers corporate commercial litigation, securities litigation, investigations, public inquiries, employment litigation, insurance litigation, and product liability litigation. It serves public companies, investment dealers, officers and directors, institutional and individual investors, and securities registrants. The firm generates revenue primarily through hourly professional services billing, complemented by subscription-style monthly retainer engagements through its CMB Registrant Services sub-brand, which provides fractional general counsel, regulatory monitoring, AML and privacy compliance, and training to securities industry registrants. Lead generation is partner-led and driven by industry recognition, peer referrals, thought leadership publications, and flagship events such as the annual Securities Litigation Conference.

The business is structured as a partner-owned LLP with no external funding, parent company, or institutional investment. There is no disclosed revenue, no AI/ML capabilities, and no platform technology offering. Operational leadership rests with Managing Partner Matthew Scott, who returned to the firm in 2022 after thirteen years in-house at CI Financial Corp.

Name

Crawley MacKewn Brush

Legal name

Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP

Website

https://cmblaw.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP is a Toronto-based boutique law firm providing corporate and securities litigation, regulatory defense, and compliance support to public companies, investment dealers, officers, directors, investors, and securities registrants in Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Securities Litigation Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

White-Collar Defense & Investigations (BPAHAAAJ)

Keywords

• Securities litigation
• Corporate commercial litigation
• Regulatory investigations
• Director officer liability
• Securities compliance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Securities Litigation: Hourly billing for legal services including securities litigation, corporate commercial litigation, regulatory investigations, and enforcement proceedings. Services provided to public companies, investment dealers, officers, directors, shareholders, and investors.
2. CMB Registrant Services - Compliance Support: Monthly retainer options for securities industry registrants requiring ongoing legal and compliance support including fractional general counsel, regulatory monitoring, and training services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP is a Toronto-based boutique law firm providing corporate and securities litigation services, including securities class actions, regulatory investigations and enforcement defense, shareholder disputes, M&A litigation, director and officer liability, employment litigation, insurance litigation, and product liability defense. The firm also offers CMB Registrant Services, a subscription-based compliance and fractional general counsel offering tailored to securities industry registrants.

Product overview

Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP is a single-location Toronto-based corporate securities litigation law firm offering legal services primarily in the areas of corporate commercial litigation and securities litigation. The firm provides eight core legal service offerings: Corporate Commercial Litigation, Securities Litigation, Investigations, Public Inquiries, Employment Litigation, Insurance Litigation, Product Liability Litigation, and a specialized sub-brand called CMB Registrant Services that provides proactive legal and compliance support specifically for securities industry registrants. The practice areas collectively address dispute resolution and regulatory advisory needs from boardroom to courtroom, with CMB Registrant Services functioning as the dedicated compliance-focused offering for securities registrants navigating regulatory requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Securities Litigation Legal representation for capital market participants in disputes, regulatory investigations, class actions, and enforcement proceedings before securities regulators including the OSC and CIRO.
• Corporate Commercial Litigation Legal representation in complex corporate and commercial disputes, protecting clients' reputation, livelihood, and bottom line.
• Investigations Advisory and conduct services on internal investigations, from determining whether an investigation is warranted through design, conduct, completion, and reporting of findings.
• Public Inquiries Legal expertise in public reviews and inquiries, including municipal governance, ethics, public infrastructure, and public health emergency responses.
• Employment Litigation Complex employment dispute resolution for employers and employees, with particular expertise in capital market participants including investment banks, dealers, advisors, traders, and public company directors/officers.
• Insurance Litigation Representation for insurance companies, brokers, and policyholders in litigation and arbitration related to insurance coverage and liability disputes within financial contexts.
• Product Liability Litigation Defense of complex product liability claims for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers across a wide range of industries.
• CMB Registrant Services Subscription-based proactive legal and compliance support for securities industry registrants, including fractional general counsel, regulatory compliance monitoring, response to regulatory inquiries, training, conflicts of interest advice, and anti-money laundering/privacy compliance support.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CMBYNDcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic collaboration between Crawley MacKewn Brush and CMBYND designed to help securities registrants navigate today's increasingly complex regulatory environment. CMBYND appears to be a compliance technology or services company focused on the securities industry.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP: Toronto-based elite litigation boutique widely regarded as CMB's closest Canadian competitor. Operates a similarly concentrated securities and commercial litigation practice and competes head-to-head for the same complex mandates before the OSC and Canadian courts.
• Stikeman Elliott LLP: Leading Canadian law firm with one of the country's most prominent securities litigation and regulatory defense practices. Competes with CMB for public company, dealer, and officer/director clients in high-stakes enforcement and class action matters.
• Torys LLP: Top-tier Canadian law firm with a strong securities litigation and class action defense practice serving public companies and financial institutions. Frequently named alongside CMB in Chambers and Benchmark rankings for securities litigation.
• Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP: Premier Canadian law firm with a deep securities and corporate litigation bench. Regularly retained by public companies and underwriters on the same class actions, M&A disputes, and regulatory investigations that CMB handles.
• Siskinds LLP: Canadian boutique recognized for securities class actions, particularly on the plaintiff side. Overlaps directly with CMB on contested class action mandates and securities litigation strategy, providing a useful comparator on boutique economics and growth.
• Koskie Minsky LLP: Toronto-based litigation boutique with a strong securities, class action, and commercial litigation practice. Closely comparable in size and specialization, and a recurring peer in securities class action rankings alongside CMB.

Broad incumbents

• McCarthy Tétrault LLP: One of Canada's largest full-service law firms with a substantial securities litigation group. Competes with CMB on major class actions and regulatory mandates but serves a much broader corporate practice, making it a wider-portfolio incumbent.
• Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP: Leading Canadian full-service firm with a prominent securities and commercial litigation practice. Frequently retained by issuers and underwriters on the same matters that CMB defends, providing a full-service alternative to CMB's specialist boutique model.
• Bennett Jones LLP: Major Canadian full-service firm with a recognized securities litigation group. Competes with CMB for securities mandates but operates across energy, corporate, and regulatory practices, making it a broader incumbent.
• Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP: Large Canadian full-service firm with a securities litigation and regulatory practice. Competes for similar public-company and financial-institution work but as part of a much wider national and international platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crawley MacKewn Brush