Barbara Hendrickson*

Background

Based in Toronto, Ontario, Barbara Hendrickson, is the Managing Partner and Founder of BAX Securities Law. Barbara has practiced in the securities and corporate areas for nearly 30 years, including with a leading international law firm, a leading national law firm, a Vancouver based securities boutique law firm and as senior legal counsel with the Ontario Securities Commission and for the last 12 years her own boutique law firm. As a former regulator and experienced securities lawyer, Barbara brings a special combination of skills and abilities to assist her clients.      

Barbara’s practice has a national and cross-border focus providing corporate finance and securities advice to clients operating in a number of areas including in the Fintech and Proptech industries (including cryptocurrency and digital assets), investment funds, real estate syndication, venture capital, private equity, and commodities (carbon, energy, and minerals) sectors, as well as P2P and B2B platforms.

Barbara has been involved in hundreds of transactions and has been counsel for dozens of public and private companies, advising them on capital raising, mergers & acquisitions, going public and going private transactions, take-overs, corporate structuring, fund formation, debt & equity financing, corporate governance strategies and effective securities compliance programs including representing registrants, investment dealers in compliance matters before securities commissions as well as other regulatory proceedings.

Barbara has been repeatedly recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a leading lawyer in the area of Corporate Finance & Securities and most recently in the 2025 edition. The Directory recognizes Leading Legal Practitioners across Canada based on an extensive peer survey process.  

Barbara is included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada™.  The Best Lawyer awards are given to lawyers who while demonstrating comprehensive expertise in their professional practices, also have also shown adaptability, ethics, and leadership. The Best Lawyer awards are seen as of symbols of esteem and the recognition of integrity in the legal community.

Best Lawyers™ has recognized BAX Securities Law in the inaugural edition (2025) of Best Law Firms – Canada. The Canadian Best Lawyers™ rankings celebrate firms that have consistently demonstrated excellence in legal expertise and industry knowledge.  The Best Lawyers™ firm ranking is internationally known as a comprehensive guide for businesses and individuals seeking top-tier legal counsel in Canada.

BAX Securities Law has been repeatedly recognized as one of Canada’s top corporate law boutiques by Canadian Lawyer Magazine including in 2016-2017, 2018-2019 and 2020-2021. The recognition  acknowledges nationwide for BAX’s exceptional legal expertise, deep industry knowledge, high-quality legal services, and willingness to go above and beyond to help their clients achieve their goals.

Barbara has been servicing clients in the cryptocurrency space since 2017 and specializes in the registration of crypto trading platforms, advising securities registrants including restricted and investment dealers, portfolio managers and investment fund managers and crypto funds on a  wide arrange of laws, including, securities, consumer protection, FINTRAC money service registration, anti-money laundering, financial services regulation and payment processing.

Barbara has advised clients on the development and launch of a number of crypto assets including stable coins as well as the creating of crypto funds and trading platforms. She responds to securities commission inquiries investigating crypto trading platforms on behalf of her clients.

Barbara is in her second term with the British Columbia Fintech Advisory Forum which is a forum sponsored by the BC Securities Commission (BCSC) to discuss and provide input on Fintech and digital asset innovations and related regulatory issues.

Barbara is listed in the Ontario Security Commission (OSC) Beta Innovation Office Directory. The Directory connects experienced law firms with the start-up and innovation community. See https://www.oscinnovation.ca/

Barbara is also listed in The Ontario Lawyers Directory for Whistleblowers (the Directory), published by Whistleblowing Canada.  The Ontario Lawyers Directory for Whistleblowers can be accessed on the website of the Whistleblowing Research Society.

Member of Lexis Nexis Practical Guidance Team in the area of Crypto assets.

*Barbara Hendrickson Professional Corporation (Ontario)
*Barbara Hendrickson Law Corporation (British Columbia)

Awards

Best Lawyers™ has recognized BAX Securities Law in the inaugural edition (2025) of Best Law Firms – Canada. The Canadian Best Lawyers™ rankings celebrate firms that have consistently demonstrated excellence in legal expertise and industry knowledge.  The Best Lawyers™ firm ranking is internationally known as a comprehensive guide for businesses and individuals seeking top-tier legal counsel in Canada.

Barbara has been included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada™. The Best Lawyer awards are given to lawyers who while demonstrating comprehensive expertise in their professional practices, also have also shown adaptability, ethics, and leadership. The Best Lawyer awards are seen as of symbols of esteem and the recognition of integrity in the legal community.

Barbara has been repeatedly recognized in the  Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a leading lawyer in the area of Corporate Finance & Securities and most recently in the 2025 edition. Barbara was voted as one of the 2025 Leading Legal Practitioners across Canada based on an extensive peer survey process. 

BAX Securities Law has been repeatedly recognized as one of Canada’s top corporate law boutiques by Canadian Lawyer Magazine including in 2016-2017, 2018-2019 and 2020 -2021. The recognition acknowledges nationwide BAX’s exceptional legal expertise, deep industry knowledge, high-quality legal services, and willingness to go above and beyond to help their clients achieve their goals.

Barbara has been consistently ranked as BV® Distinguished™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, a peer review rating awarded to a lawyer for their legal skills and sense of ethics.

Barbara has been ranked by Law Day Leading Practitioners as one of the top 10 environmental finance lawyers in Canada.

Barbara had received the Women’s Law Association President’s Award, a prestigious award recognizing her substantial contribution and commitment to the promotion of women in law and as a leader in the legal profession.

Barbara was presented with a recognition award by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (“PDAC”) award for her contribution as a board member and securities committee member of PDAC.

Barbara received the prestigious Arbor Award for her contributions to the University of Toronto in the carbon and environmental finance areas.

Professional Affiliations

Barbara is the founder of the Toronto Business Lawyers Association which is a group of business lawyers in downtown Toronto who practice in small firms and who get together for business development / referral services once a month. See: torontobusinesslawyers.org.

Barbara is a current member of the Ontario Bar Association Securities Committee.

Barbara is a past member of the Small & Medium Enterprises Committee of the Ontario Securities Commission.  

Barbara is the past Co-chair of the OBA Securities Committee and past Co-chair of the CBA Securities Committee and past Chair of the CBA Business Law Section.

Barbara is a past three term board member of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (“PDAC”) and past chair of its Securities Committee.  

Barbara is a past Trustee of OBA Foundation. The OBA Foundation is the charitable arm of the Ontario Bar Association.

Barbara is a past member of the Responsible Investment Committee of the University of Toronto and chair of its Proxy Voting Subcommittee.

She is also a past member of the Environmental Finance and Carbon Finance Advisory Committees of the University of Toronto.  

Education & Calls to the Bar

Barbara is called to the bars of Ontario (1994), British Columbia (2010).

Barbara has a Juris Doctorate from the University of Calgary Law School where she specialized in natural resources law. (1982).  

Barbara has a Masters of Tax Law from Osgoode Hall Law School (1997) and a Masters of Law from the University of Toronto Law School in Administrative Law (1994).