Woods
Woods is a Montreal-based boutique law firm founded in 1995 that specializes in litigation, arbitration, and insolvency. It serves large corporations, financial institutions, and international clients on complex commercial disputes across Quebec and Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Woods does
Woods (legal name: Woods s.e.n.c.r.l) is a Montreal-based boutique law firm founded in 1995 by James A. Woods, Ad.E., focused exclusively on litigation, arbitration, and insolvency/restructuring. The firm operates a single office at 2000 avenue McGill College, Suite 1700, in Montreal, Quebec, and is structured as a Quebec limited liability partnership (s.e.n.c.r.l.). It employs 51–100 people and serves large corporations, financial institutions, international entities, and sports organizations on high-stakes, complex commercial disputes in Quebec, across Canada, and internationally.
The firm's service portfolio is organized around three core pillars — Litigation, Arbitration, and Insolvency & Restructuring — supplemented by specialized practice areas including class actions, complex commercial matters, appeals, white-collar crime and investigations, defamation, employment law, infrastructure and construction, corporate and securities litigation, professional and director/officer liability, and sports law before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Notably, Woods operates what it characterizes as one of the only full-time international arbitration practices in Canada, with multilingual professionals trained in both civil and common law traditions. Counsel ranks include a former Supreme Court of Canada justice (Hon. Clément Gascon, C.C., Ad.E.) and a retired Quebec Superior Court judge (Hon. André Prévost), lending significant bench-level credibility.
The business model is a conventional professional services model: billable legal work (hourly or fixed-fee) delivered through direct client engagement with no intermediaries, resellers, or subscription pricing. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The firm has no technology platform, no proprietary software, and no AI/ML components; its competitive position rests on partner-level talent, 30+ years of brand equity, and rankings in Chambers, Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation, Lexpert, Canadian Lawyer, and The Globe & Mail. Client wins include representation of CHUM, Chrysler Canada, Vidéotron, National Bank of Canada, Rothmans Benson & Hedges, Cinar Corporation, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board, and the World Anti-Doping Agency on matters ranging from tens of millions to tens of billions of dollars in dispute value.
Woods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Woods
- Legal name
- Woods s.e.n.c.r.l
- Website
- https://woods.qc.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Woods is a Montreal-based boutique law firm founded in 1995 that specializes in litigation, arbitration, and insolvency. It serves large corporations, financial institutions, and international clients on complex commercial disputes across Quebec and Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Woods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Woods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Legal Services: Professional legal services including litigation, arbitration, and insolvency matters billed on professional services basis
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Legal consultation and representation services |
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Woods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Woods is a Montreal-based litigation boutique providing specialized legal services across three core areas: litigation, arbitration, and insolvency and restructuring. The firm represents corporations, financial institutions, and international clients in complex commercial disputes, international and domestic arbitration, insolvency proceedings, class actions, and appellate matters. Its team includes multilingual professionals trained in both civil and common law, and counts former judges of the Quebec Superior Court and Supreme Court of Canada among its counsel.
Product overview
Woods is a Montreal-based litigation, arbitration, and insolvency law firm offering legal services through three core service lines: Litigation, Arbitration, and Insolvency and Restructuring. The firm operates as a single unified legal practice with specialized practice areas including Class Actions, Complex Commercial Matters, Appeals, White Collar Crime and Investigations, Defamation, Contractual Disputes, Administrative and Constitutional Law, Employment Law, International Law, Infrastructure and Construction, Injunctions and Urgent Applications, Corporate and Securities Litigation, Manufacturer Liability, Professional and Director/Officer Liability, Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution, International Arbitration, and Sports Law and Sports Arbitration. Founded in 1995 by James A. Woods, Woods is recognized as one of the largest litigation boutiques in Canada with over 30 years of experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Litigation Services
Companies that use Woods
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Woods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Woods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- LinkedInminorThe firm maintains a LinkedIn company page for professional networking and visibility (https://ca.linkedin.com/company/woods-llp)
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Woods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Dentons Canada: World's largest law firm with a strong Canadian litigation and arbitration practice including Montreal-based partners, competing on complex commercial mandates.
- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg: Toronto-based elite Canadian firm renowned for high-stakes commercial litigation and arbitration; competes directly with Woods on premium dispute mandates.
- Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP: Major Canadian firm with a strong litigation, international arbitration and insolvency practice, with significant Montreal presence directly competing in Quebec.
- Borden Ladner Gervais LLP: Canada's largest full-service law firm with a nationally recognized litigation, arbitration, and insolvency practice competing across provinces.
- Norton Rose Fulbright Canada: Global law firm with a substantial Canadian litigation and international arbitration practice, frequently competing for the cross-border mandates Woods targets.
- Stikeman Elliott LLP: Major Canadian law firm with a top-tier litigation, arbitration, and restructuring practice, frequently retained on the same complex commercial disputes as Woods.
- Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP: Leading Canadian national firm with a top-ranked commercial litigation and arbitration group, often retained alongside or against Woods on complex matters.
- McCarthy Tétrault: One of Canada's largest national law firms with a leading commercial litigation, arbitration, and insolvency practice across multiple provinces, competing with Woods on complex mandates.
Direct peers
- BCF Business Law: Quebec-based business law firm with comparable litigation and dispute resolution capabilities and a similar mid-sized boutique structure.
- Langlois Lawyers: Quebec-based full-service law firm with a strong litigation, arbitration and insolvency practice; the closest Canadian boutique comparable in size, geography, and practice mix.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Woods social profiles
Digital presenceWoods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Woods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Woods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Woods M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Woods
What does Woods do?
Woods is a Montreal-based litigation boutique providing specialized legal services across three core areas: litigation, arbitration, and insolvency and restructuring. The firm represents corporations, financial institutions, and international clients in complex commercial disputes, international and domestic arbitration, insolvency proceedings, class actions, and appellate matters. Its team includes multilingual professionals trained in both civil and common law, and counts former judges of the Quebec Superior Court and Supreme Court of Canada among its counsel.
Is Woods a public or private company?
Woods is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Woods founded?
Woods was founded in 1995. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Woods based?
Woods is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Woods make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Services.
Who are Woods's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Dentons Canada, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada, Stikeman Elliott LLP, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and McCarthy Tétrault. Direct peers are BCF Business Law and Langlois Lawyers.
Does Woods have an API?
No public API is recorded for Woods.