Adam Ship is a mediator/arbitrator, commercial litigator and franchise lawyer with over 15 years' experience gained at national law firm McCarthy Tétrault, where he was a litigation partner and led the firm's franchise practice. In 2023, Adam decided to start his own law firm, where he could continue his commercial litigation and franchise practice, while also offering mediation and arbitration services. Adam's experience spans all aspects of commercial litigation and franchise law. Adam is also an accomplished legal writer and scholar. He served as an Adjunct Professor of franchise law at the University of Toronto law school for four years and his legal writing on private law has been cited by courts across Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada, the Ontario Court of Appeal and the BC Court of Appeal.
As a litigator, 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 as one of the 2015 Lexpert Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40 in Canada and was listed in the Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation 2022. 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, The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Best Lawyers in Canada, and Who’s Who: Canada. He has extensive experience acting for franchisors, franchisees, manufacturers and master distributors across diverse industries, including telecommunications, education, health care, professional services, quick service restaurant, and casual dining. Adam regularly litigates franchise/dealer disputes, drafts franchise agreements and disclosure documents and advises clients on risk management, system change and franchisee-relations. Between 2013-2017, Adam served as Adjunct Professor of franchise-distribution law at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. He also received the Ontario Bar Association's Award for Excellence in Franchise Law in 2012 and 2013 for his legal writing.
As a neutral, Adam is dedicated to helping parties resolve disputes, whether through mediation or arbitration. Adam has seen firsthand the importance that neutrals play in resolving disputes, having litigated, mediated and arbitrated hundreds of cases. Adam understands the nuances and complexities of commercial disputes and the pressure points that parties face. Adam works tirelessly to find practical and creative solutions for parties wishing to explore settlement of disputes and if required arbitrate disputes by applying the law carefully to the unique facts he is presented with. In the franchise setting, Adam has a full appreciation for the unique features of the franchisor-franchisee relationship.