Senior Canadian business law input when you need it — opinion letters, contract review, local counsel, and matter-specific co-counsel for US law firms with cross-border work. No conflict with your client relationship; the firm does not solicit downstream.
US law firms working on transactions, disputes, or commercial matters with Canadian dimensions regularly need senior Canadian business law input — without the overhead, conflicts profile, or sub-attorney-tier referral risk of a 500-lawyer national firm. Smutylo Law+ works as Canadian co-counsel and local counsel to US firms on a project basis, providing direct senior input from a single principal lawyer with over two decades of Canadian business law experience.
The principal lawyer is the lawyer on the matter — there is no associate filter or referral chain. Engagements are structured to protect your client relationship: the firm takes instructions from referring counsel, scopes work narrowly to the Canadian-law question, and does not solicit your client for unrelated work. Fees are typically fixed or capped, agreed in advance.
The objective is to be the Canadian-law extension of your team for the duration of the matter — responsive, senior, and easy to work with.
Most matters are quoted on a fixed-fee or capped-fee basis after a brief intake call. For US firms with recurring Canadian work, the firm offers a retainer arrangement that gives you priority response and a known fee structure. Conflict checks are handled within 24 hours.
Call Ontario 613.869.5440, BC 604.937.6006, California 805.459.0479, or email koby@canadianattorney.com. The firm typically responds within the same business day.
No. The firm takes instructions from referring counsel and does not market to your client for unrelated work. Many ongoing US-firm relationships have lasted years on that basis.
Conflict checks are typically completed within 24 business hours. The firm is boutique, so the check is straightforward.
Yes. The firm routinely provides Canadian-law opinion letters for financings, M&A closings, and commercial transactions — enforceability, due authorization, corporate existence, and similar opinions on standard or negotiated forms.
Yes. The firm regularly serves as Canadian local counsel on transactions with US lead counsel — handling Canadian-law diligence, drafting Canadian-law sections, providing opinions, and coordinating with provincial counsel where needed.
Quebec civil law matters are handled in coordination with trusted Quebec counsel, with the firm as the single point of contact for US referring counsel. This avoids the friction of US firms having to manage two Canadian relationships.
Most engagements are fixed or capped fee, agreed at the outset after a brief intake call. Hourly billing is available where the scope cannot reasonably be predicted. For US firms with recurring Canadian work, a retainer arrangement is available.
Yes. Same-day response is the norm for established US-firm relationships, and the firm regularly handles closing-week urgency.
Brief us on the matter and the timeline. Conflict checks within 24 hours, same-day response on most intake calls.
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