Adam Ship, Q.Arb, is a mediator/arbitrator, commercial litigator and franchise lawyer with over 17 years' experience. In 2023, after 15 years at McCarthy Tétrault, where he was litigation partner and led the firm's franchise practice, Adam started Ship-Law-ADR, to continue his counsel practice and offer mediation and arbitration services.
Adam is listed on the following arbitration and mediation rosters in Canada:
Adam's experience spans all aspects of commercial litigation, franchise law, mediation and arbitration. Adam is also an accomplished legal writer and scholar. He served as Adjunct Professor of franchise law at the University of Toronto between 2013-2017 and his writing on private law has been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada, the Ontario Court of Appeal and the BC Court of Appeal.
Adam is routinely appointed as a mediator and arbitrator in complex commercial and franchise disputes and has mediated and/or arbitrated dozens of cases since 2023. As a neutral, Adam is dedicated to alternative dispute resolution, having seen firsthand the importance that neutrals play in the civil justice system. Adam understands the nuances and complexities of commercial disputes and the pressure points that parties face. Adam acts in both domestic and international arbitrations (both ad hoc and under institutional rules).
As litigation counsel, Adam has significant experience representing franchisors, franchisees and other private and public companies in complex commercial disputes, including contract claims, rescission cases, bad faith allegations, fraud cases, class actions, and competition litigation. Adam is listed in the Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation (2022, 2024 and 2025), in the Lexpert Legal Directory (Commercial Litigation, 2026) and the 2015 Lexpert Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40. He has appeared as counsel before all levels of court in Ontario, the Supreme Court of Canada, the BC Supreme Court, the Alberta Court of King's Bench, and numerous arbitral panels and administrative tribunals and regularly acts for clients in trials, appeals, injunctions, applications and other contested hearings.
Adam is also routinely recognized as a leading franchise lawyer in The Chambers Canada Guide to Leading Canadian Lawyers (since 2015), The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (since 2015), Best Lawyers in Canada (since 2019), and Who’s Who: Canada (since 2020). He acts for franchisors, franchisees, manufacturers and master distributors across diverse industries, including telecommunications, education, health care, professional services, quick service restaurant, cannabis retail, and casual dining. In addition to litigation, Adam regularly drafts franchise agreements and disclosure documents and advises on risk management, system change and franchisee-relations.
Chambers Canada
Lawyer Band 2: Franchising - Nationwide Canada (ranked since 2015)
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
Most Frequently Recommended: Franchise Law – Franchisor (listed since 2015)
Leading Lawyer: Commercial Litigation (2026)
Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation
Leading Lawyer (2022,2024-2025)
The Best Lawyers in Canada
Franchise Lawyer of the Year (2022)
Leading Franchise Lawyer (since 2019)
Who’s Who Canada / Lexology
Thought Leader - Franchise Law (2025) (listed since 2020)
Ontario Bar Association
Award for Excellence in Franchise Law (2012 and 2013).