Heenan Blaikie
The Making and Unmaking of a Great Canadian Law Firm
Format:Hardback
Publisher:University of British Columbia Press
Published:15th Oct '24
£38.00
Supplier delay - available to order, but may take longer than usual.
In 1973, three young lawyers established Heenan Blaikie. It would become one of Canada’s highest-profile law firms, counting former prime ministers, premiers, and Supreme Court justices in its ranks. It was like a family, according to many who worked there. But it was a dysfunctional family. In 2014, the firm’s dramatic collapse became front-page news.
Based on extensive interviews with firm lawyers and legal industry insiders, Heenan Blaikie is the story of a respected law firm that ultimately buckled under weak governance and management. Heenan Blaikie seemed to punch above its weight: bilingual, humane, national with international aspirations. But beneath its unique culture as a kinder, gentler law firm lay workplace bullying, challenges for women and visible minority lawyers, and sexual harassment.
Adam Dodek, an unbiased outsider, situates the firm’s evolution within the context of a changing legal profession and society, producing an account that is gripping from beginning to end.
"[Dodek] offers one of the most illuminating and wide-ranging looks at how large law firms in Canada operate."
-- Gail J. Cohen * Canadian Bar Association – The National Magazine *"Dodek chronicles the remarkable story of the firm"
-- Jessica Mach * Canadian Lawyer *"You can read this book several ways, including as governance guide, gossip and tragedy... the lessons... are considered and compelling."
-- Anne Giardini * The Advocate *"It’s a great story. Dodek lavishes time and attention on all the ethical lapses and failures, all the nasty headlines that decorated its fall."
-- Christopher Moore * Christopher Moore’s History NeISBN: 9780774870733
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 720g
396 pages